Scientists have used satellite data to monitor underground water reserves in California’s Silicon Valley, discovering that water levels rebounded quickly after a severe drought that lasted from 2012-15. The research points to the success of aggressive conservation measures. It also helps to lay the groundwork for low-cost monitoring of subterranean water reserves in California and…
Sensing Tech Could Detect Diseases, Fraudulent Art, Chemical Weapons
From airport security detecting explosives to art historians authenticating paintings, society’s thirst for powerful sensors is growing. Given that, few sensing techniques can match the buzz created by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Discovered in the 1970s, SERS is a sensing technique prized for its ability to identify chemical and biological molecules in a wide range…
Slinky Lookalike ‘Hyperlens’ Helps Us See Tiny Objects
It looks like a Slinky suspended in motion. Yet this photonics advancement – called a metamaterial hyperlens – doesn’t climb down stairs. Instead, it improves our ability to see tiny objects. Described in a research paper published today by the journal Nature Communications, the hyperlens may someday help detect some of the most lethal forms…