In 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue computer beat chess wizard Garry Kasparov. This year, a computer system developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison equaled or bested scientists at the complex task of extracting data from scientific publications and placing it in a database that catalogs the results of tens of thousands of individual studies.

Everyday people should have more weight in what topics university researchers investigate, said Dutch education minister Jet Bussemaker and her junior minister Sander Dekker, according to English-language news site DutchNews.nl.

Turkey skin inspires researchers to create a new sensor that changes color when exposed to volatile chemicals

Does tryptophan in turkey make us drowsy? This ACS video explains the chemistry of the Thanksgiving meal

As the installation of photovoltaic solar cells continues to accelerate, scientists are looking for inexpensive materials beyond the traditional silicon that can efficiently convert sunlight into electricity.

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Join us on December 10 for a free webinar when Mark Baker, IP Specialist at Rich Products Corporation, will describe how Rich’s R&D went about selecting the ELN, conducting the pilot project, rolling out the ELN system and the results so far. He will be joined by BIOVIA’s Mats Kihlén who will show how an ELN enables organizations to increase researcher efficiency, streamline lab operations, and optimize experiment collaboration.

Flammable liquids should be stored in fireproof cabinets.

Googling the term “bead mill” retrieves dozens of links to large, process-scale devices. Add the word “laboratory” to the search string, and most products are still industrial strength.

Scientists use homogenizers in a long list of ways, including dispersing, emulsifying, cell lysis and extraction, milling, and more. These tools can homogenize a liquid and a solid, two different liquids, and other combinations of materials.

Choosing the right lab washer depends entirely on what needs to be cleaned and why. Both the labware and the washer features come into play, and these change with advances in technology.

The relationship between form and function in carbon dioxide incubators has led to evolutionary changes in incubator design. In addition to tried-and-true waterjacketed CO2 incubators, most vendors now offer incubators that employ direct heating.

Our two highlighted tradeshows this month include the Materials Research Society Fall Meeting and Exhibit (MRS) and the American Society for Cell Biology’s annual meeting (2014 ASCB/IFCB). The 2014 MRS Fall Meeting takes place November 30-December 5, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts, featuring over 6,000 presentations. Not long after, the 2014 ASCB/IFCB Meeting–a premier biomedical research conference–runs December 6-10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its Keynote Talks will span the origin of life to the cosmos. Remember that the companies highlighted here in Tech News will be exhibiting, but these specific products may not be at the shows.

Developing and implementing effective occupational health and safety compliance is accomplished through needs assessments, hazard analysis, monitoring, training, and through analysis of accident and incident history. Join our interactive discussion as our health and safety expert explains some of the details of developing an effective and compliant health & safety training program.

This program focuses on the three indispensable skills you need to keep yourself comfortably relevant in a work world that’s not what it used to be. Mastering them will keep you and your staff energized, supported and focused.