Materials Science
- Physics
Science of friction is a bit rough
In lab experiments, physicists trying to understand earthquakes are bumping up against the limitations of existing theory.
- Tech
Nanotubes coming to a screen near you
New technology promises brighter, bigger display screens that use less energy.
- Physics
Screwy symmetry revealed
Math trick that reverses spirals and other shapes that twist and turn should provide new ways to understand and design materials.
- Tech
New batteries fix themselves
Self-healing lithium-ion batteries may last longer than current versions and be less likely to burst into flames.
- Physics
‘Magnetricity’ behaves like electricity
Currents of monopole-like magnetic charges created in an exotic material called spin ice act much like electricity.
- Physics
X-raying life’s microscopic machinery
A powerful new laser technique promises to reveal the cell’s molecular components in detailed, 3-D images.
- Physics
Invisibility cloaks hit the big time
Using natural crystals, researchers have found a way to make objects up to a few millimeters tall disappear.
- Chemistry
Locks to learn
A new way to probe interactions between pairs of hairs could offer insights into fly-aways and other tonsorial woes.
- Chemistry
The nitty-gritty of diamond polishing
Researchers figure out what happens at the atomic scale when jewelers polish the hardest substance known.
- Tech
Newfound water risk: Lead-leaching valves
Hidden elements in drinking-water lines can shed large amounts of lead, a toxic heavy metal. And it's quite legal, even if it does skirt the intent of federal regulations.
- Physics
Physics Nobel goes to graphene
Discovered only six years ago, the 2-D carbon sheets have spun off a new field of research.
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