Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) Discoveries

NSF's public investment in science, engineering, education and technology helps to create knowledge and sustain prosperity. Read here about the Internet, microbursts, Web browsers, extrasolar planets, and more... a panoply of discoveries and innovations that began with NSF support.

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		First Ultracold Polar Molecule Gas Ready for Research Groundbreaking technique could lead to quantum computers, molecular clocks and super-efficient power plants Released  October 29, 2008
		How to Make Adhesive as Good as a Gecko Materials scientist Ali Dhinojwala and his team use nanotechnology to develop adhesive tapes that stick better than a gecko’s foot Released  October 16, 2008
		Klein Bottle is a Real Natural in the Zoo of Geometric Shapes Discovery could advance understanding of human vision and lead to powerful data compression techniques Released  October 7, 2008
		Archaeology of the Stars Michigan State researcher Timothy Beers studies the formation and evolution of stars born many billions of years before the Sun Released  September 17, 2008
		Students Give High Marks to First U.S.-Japan Glass Science School Meeting brings U.S. university students and researchers together with their Japanese counterparts to talk about new developments and potential collaborations in glass research Released  August 21, 2008
		Physicists Gear Up for Huge Data Flow University of Nebraska researchers build a computer center to handle the flood of data expected from the world's next-generation particle accelerator Released  August 7, 2008
		The Choreography of Dancing Molecules Photochemist Elizabeth Harbron and her students investigate the properties of conjugated polymers that can be activated by light Released  August 5, 2008
		Math Could Aid in Curing Cancer Scientists and medical doctors couple math and medicine for unusual, promising marriage Released  August 4, 2008
		Beyond Cold: How the World Works at Minus 459 Degrees Graduate student David McKay describes how atoms are cooled to near absolute zero for research using an approach called quantum simulation Released  July 25, 2008
		The Man Behind Amazing Movie Simulations He may not be as famous as Johnny Depp or Jessica Alba, but Oscar-winner Ron Fedkiw creates 3-D models of liquids that have had a major impact on Hollywood and our lives Released  July 24, 2008
		Chemist 'Really Jazzed' About Creating New Molecules Lyle Isaacs talks about cool things that chemists do, such as his work to build new molecular containers that are as good as what is found in nature Released  July 18, 2008
		Cracking the Code of Images New software easily detects pictures' hidden messages Released  July 15, 2008
		Not a Quirk But a Quark ... a Quark Star! Super-luminous stellar explosion observed via Caltech's Palomar Observatory, possibly resulting in a quark star Released  June 26, 2008
		Cloaking Device Concept Moves Beyond Theory Applied mathematician Graeme Milton brings the dream of cloaking devices portrayed in "Star Trek" and "Harry Potter" closer to reality Released  June 18, 2008
		Brightest X-ray Vision at the Nano-scale Superconducting 'universal toolkit' for scientists, engineers will conserve energy, too Released  June 6, 2008
		International Gemini Observatory Captures Birth of a Supernova Stellar discovery marks a new epoc in astronomical research Released  May 28, 2008
		Engineers Create Better Fix for Broken Jaws Computer finite element modeling program used by University of New Mexico engineers in designing smaller and lighter plates for jaw repair surgery Released  May 13, 2008
		Building a Machine to Search for Cosmic Secrets Katherine McAlpine describes the intricate lowering into place of the last large piece of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector, part of the Large Hadron Collider Released  April 2, 2008
		Nuclear Scientists Explore the Core of Existence A journalist at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory describes physicists' experiments to understand the neutron dripline and some surprising results Released  March 24, 2008
		Using Abstract Mathematics to Solve Real-World Problems Researcher's mathematical theory used in new technologies to destroy cancerous tumors Released  March 5, 2008
		2007: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported advances and activities reported last year Released  January 30, 2008
		Top Scientists Promote Innovative, Multidisciplinary Global Problem-Solving Strategies   Released  December 11, 2007
		Nuclear Physics Boot Camp Preps Future Scientists Exotic Beam Summer School stimulates new learning and discoveries in nuclear physics students. Released  October 19, 2007
		Search Is on for Hot Young Stars Long duration gamma-ray bursts allow astronomers to collect more information than ever imagined Released  September 21, 2007
		New Coating Could Prevent Infection From Surgical Tools and Implants Development of penicillin-coated surfaces could save thousands of lives from infection Released  September 7, 2007
		UltraLight Project: Moving Huge Amounts of Data In spring 2008, the largest particle accelerator in the world will be completed Released  August 24, 2007
		The Science of All Things Squishy NSF-funded Emory researcher shares the excitement of cutting-edge physics phenomena with kids of all ages Released  August 16, 2007
		A New Wrinkle in Thin Film Science Simple, inexpensive way to measure material properties could impact cosmetics, coating and nanoelectronic industries Released  August 3, 2007
		Team Selected for the Proposed Design of the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory Released  July 10, 2007
		Planetary Construction Zone? Astronomers detect the beginnings of planet formation in a dusty disk surrounding a nearby star Released  July 5, 2007