Physics

  1. Materials Science

    Breakup doesn’t keep hydrogel down

    Scientists create a new material that is strong, soft and self-healing.

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  2. Physics

    Just a stone’s throw forms a supersonic jet

    Objects hitting water can move air at the speed of sound.

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  3. Physics

    Liquid light bender proposed

    Tiny nanoparticles dispersed in fluid may hide objects.

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  4. Physics

    Symmetry found hidden in supercold atoms

    Scientists have detected an elusive, complex symmetry in the frequencies of resonating particles

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  5. Physics

    2009 Science News of the Year: Matter & Energy

    First programmable quantum computer Ultracold beryllium ions are at the heart of the first programmable quantum computer, an advance that brings scientists closer to harnessing the power of quantum systems for general computing. The new system, researchers report in Nature Physics, flexed its versatility by performing 160 randomly chosen processing routines (SN: 12/19/09, p. 13).  […]

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  6. Physics

    Frozen light stays fresh longer

    Researchers have trapped light in an ultracold cloud of atoms for 1.5 seconds.

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  7. Climate

    Climate: China defends its reputation

    Over the past few days, a number of national delegations – not least the United States’ – have criticized implicitly, if not explicitly, China’s unwillingness to accept binding limits on its greenhouse-gas emissions and the measurement of emissions by outside auditors. This morning, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addressed a plenary meeting of the United Nations climate-change conference – populated by more than 100 heads of heads of state – to make his case that China has embarked on an earnest step toward substantive climate protection.

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  8. Space

    Experiment detects particles of dark matter, maybe

    Events in underground experiment too few for certainty, but match the signature of WIMPs.

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  9. Climate

    ‘Climate-gate’: Beyond the embarrassment

    The United Nations Climate Change meeting, which I arrive at tomorrow in Copenhagen, is currently deadlocked on more important issues than who said what impolitic thing about somebody else in a private email to a colleague.

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  10. Chemistry

    Batteries made from nanotubes … and paper

    Scientists have made batteries and supercapacitors with little more than ordinary office paper and some carbon and silver nanomaterials.

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  11. Physics

    Chink found in armor of perfect cloak

    A theoretical perfect cloaking device could be foiled using charged particles, a new study suggests.

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  12. Chemistry

    Elusive triangular snowflakes explained

    Dust particles,wind and aerodynamics could steer some snowflakes toward a three-sided fate

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