News & Comment

Research into superconductivity is now firmly in the nanoscale regime.

Who was Richard Feynman and what did he actually say about nanotechnology?

New research confirms that the proportion of the public that knows about nanotechnology has reached a plateau, which means that it is now necessary to develop new approaches to explore public perceptions in greater detail than before.

Researchers are slowly but surely improving the processing of organic semiconductors, making organic devices more viable.

Lack of progress on nanotoxicology has been highlighted by a tragic accident in China.

From single-electron physics and DNA-based sorting techniques to efforts to improve the performance of atomic force microscopes, carbon nanotubes are still at the forefront of research in many areas of nanoscience and technology.

We need a systematic way to formulate and tackle problems in nanotoxicology, and to compare and combine the results from individual studies.

Changes to our policies on authorship reflect the need for greater clarity about the contributions made by different authors to research papers.

It may be thought that force is the province of physicists and structural engineers, but it is also important in many other areas of research.

The ability of DNA to self-assemble into a variety of nanostructures and nanomachines is being exploited by a growing number of researchers.

Materials can have one, two or three dimensions in the nanoscale regime, which adds to the variety of phenomena that can be explored in nanoscience and technology.

As research into the public perception of nanotechnology becomes more complex and rigorous, it is increasingly clear that greater public awareness of nanotechnology will not, on its own, automatically lead to widespread public acceptance.

The commercial success of low-tech nano-enabled products, such as sports equipment and lubricants, could pave the way for more advanced nanodevices and applications.

Another panel of experts in the UK has published another report calling from more research into the effects of nanomaterials on health and the environment. Will anyone listen this time?

Publishing a paper in a journal has traditionally marked the end of a research project, but increasing numbers of academics are becoming interested in the publication process itself.

A fundamental understanding of many factors — including composition, size, shape and surface structure — is vital for the development of new and improved catalysts.

Once the preserve of physicists, graphene is now attracting the attention of growing numbers of chemists, who are discovering new ways to produce this remarkable material.

From nanomechanical mass sensors to superconducting nanobolometers for astrophysics, the links between physics and nanoscience and technology are deep and varied.

Scientific meetings and conferences come in all shapes and size, and love them or loathe them, they have an important role to play in all areas of science.

Although the number of nanotechnology papers published by Chinese researchers is increasing rapidly, the US and Europe continue to lead in terms of quality.