Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Cacti and other iconic desert plants threatened by solar development
With their tough skins, pointy armor and legendary stamina, cacti are made to defend themselves from whatever nature throws at them.
Scientists strengthen quantum building blocks in milestone critical for scale-up
A group of international scientists have substantially lengthened the duration of time that a spin-orbit qubit in silicon can retain quantum information for, opening up a new pathway to make...
Battery breakthrough gives boost to electric flight and long-range electric cars
Researchers have developed a new battery material that could enable long-range electric vehicles that can drive for hundreds of miles on a single charge, and electric planes called eVTOLs for...
Blackmagic’s new camera shoots cinema-quality 12K footage for just $9,995
Sometimes you need more resolution than the iPhone camera can provide. (Blackmagic/)Right now, most of us are living in a 4K video world. Most new TVs support 4K resolution, and your smartphone can...
Ultimate precision limit of multi-parameter quantum magnetometry
Quantum magnetometry, one of the most important applications in quantum metrology, aims to measure the magnetic field with the highest precision. Although estimation of one component of a magnetic field...
SLAC's upgraded X-ray laser facility produces first light
Just over a decade ago in April 2009, the world's first hard X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) produced its first light at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory....
New fabrics with antiviral properties
Brazilian textile companies have begun producing and marketing fabrics treated with silver and silica nanoparticles developed by the research groups at the Center for Functional Materials (CDMF) and the Theoretical...
Bouncing bubbles shake up emulsion studies
Some of the fastest video cameras ever developed have been used by KAUST researchers to clarify how molecular-scale changes to water surfaces may impact the performance of industrial-scale purifications.
Q&A: Toward a new way of producing solar cells
Physicists from the University of Luxembourg together with international scientists have investigated the oxidation process of solar cell materials whose results could change the current way of producing solar cells....
A plot twist in pharmaceuticals: Single nanoparticles could pave the way for medicines on demand
For the first time, a single, twisted nanoparticle has been accurately measured and characterized in a lab, taking scientists one vital step closer to a time when medicines will be...
Researchers discover new chemistry of 2-D transition metal carbides and carbonitrides
A new finding about the fundamental chemistry of two-dimensional materials called MXenes will change the way researchers work with them, and open up new areas of applications, according to researchers...
A new study unveils the mechanism of the nanoparticle gelation transition
In a major breakthrough published in Nature Communications, the universal laws which govern the formation of nanostructured materials have been unveiled. Researchers led by Prof. Alessio Zaccone at University of...
Decoding the language of cellular messaging
Before the days of rote texting and email, if you wanted to communicate with a friend you might have personalized and assembled a physical letter. Similarly, the individual cells in...
Self-emitted surface corrugations in dynamic fracture of silicon single crystal
When a dynamic crack propagates through material heterogeneities (material differences), elastic waves are emitted to disturb the crack and change the morphology of the fracture surface. When a crack propagates along preferential cleavage...
NASA's next laser communications demo installed, integrated
On July 16, 2020, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) payload was installed and integrated on the U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Program Satellite 6 (STPSat-6) in preparation for...
Scientists stick to spider silk for biodegradable alternative to traditional glue
Scientists have successfully produced synthetic spider silk to create a new biodegradable glue alternative.
Single nanoparticles could pave the way for medicines on demand
For the first time, a single, twisted nanoparticle has been accurately measured and characterised in a lab, taking scientists one vital step closer to a time when medicines will be...
A mechanical way to stimulate neurons
In addition to responding to electrical and chemical stimuli, many of the body’s neural cells can also respond to mechanical effects, such as pressure or vibration. But these responses have been more difficult...
Carbon monoxide molecules can dance
When they meet in just the right way, molecules will spin in place and keep going
Ultrafast imaging watches photochemistry frame by frame
Femtosecond X-ray and electron scattering methods reveal a string of never-before-seen molecular events
New nanofiber protects against extreme temperatures, projectiles
Since World War I, the vast majority of American combat casualties has come not from gunshot wounds but from explosions. Today, most soldiers wear a heavy, bullet-proof vest to protect their torso...
SLAC’s Upgraded X-Ray Laser Facility Produces First Light
Just over a decade ago in April 2009, the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) produced its first light at the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory....
Scientists suggest using gold nanoparticle metasurfaces to determine substance molecular composition
A new method will make it possible to create compact devices that will accurately determine molecular composition of a liquid or gas, and help identify potentially dangerous chemical compounds. The...
Inexpensive, GMP-certified material makes free radical fighters
Nanozymes made from activated charcoal break down damaging superoxides
Atomtronic device could probe boundary between quantum, everyday worlds
A new device that relies on flowing clouds of ultracold atoms promises potential tests of the intersection between the weirdness of the quantum world and the familiarity of the macroscopic...
Researchers create a roadmap to better multivalent batteries
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from mobile phones to laptop computers and electric vehicles, but demand is growing for less expensive and more readily available alternatives. The top candidates all hold...
Scientists achieve major breakthrough in preserving integrity of sound waves
In a breakthrough experiment, physicist and engineers have shown that it is possible to limit the movement of sound to a single direction without interruption even when there are deformations...
Chemical thermometers take temperature to the nanometric scale
Scientists recently developed molecular films that can measure the operating temperature of electronic components on a nanometric scale. These patented temperature-sensitive molecules have the distinctive quality of being extremely stable,...