Physics

  1. Physics

    Alliance of Opposites: Electrons and positrons make new molecule

    Positronium, consisting of electrons and their antimatter counterparts, has been made into a molecular form.

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  2. Physics

    Crueltyfree: Counting photons without killing them

    A delicate quantum measurement counts photons without destroying them.

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  3. Physics

    Frizzed molecular carpets

    Measurements of the speed with which heat travels along single hydrocarbon molecules could aid in the design of molecular electronics.

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  4. Physics

    Road Bumps: Why dirt roads develop a washboard surface

    Experiments and a computer simulation show why dirt roads develop a washboard surface, and indicate the only way to prevent it: Drive very slowly.

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  5. Materials Science

    Shocking Sheets: Power paper packs a punch

    Ultrathin sheets made from cellulose and carbon nanotubes could serve as flexible, versatile batteries.

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  6. Physics

    Newton’s Dusty Mirror: Old experiment inspires ultrafast imaging

    An experiment devised by Isaac Newton inspires a modern successor, in which X rays capture the image of a microscopic explosion.

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  7. Materials Science

    Pliable carbon

    The layers of carbon atoms that form graphite can be assembled into strong but flexible "graphene paper."

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  8. Materials Science

    Crinkle wrinkle

    Wrinkles reveal a thin film's thickness and elasticity.

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  9. Materials Science

    Gecko adhesive gets added mussel

    A new adhesive that borrows tricks from the gecko and the mussel can stick and detach repeatedly and works even when wet.

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  10. Physics

    Slick serpent

    Oil poured into a pan of the same liquid drags along a surrounding air layer, which can make it skip in and out of the surface before it mixes in.

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  11. Materials Science

    Sop Story: New porous gel soaks up heavy metal

    A new porous gel efficiently removes mercury from contaminated water and may also have the ability to catalyze chemical reactions such as those that generate hydrogen for fuel.

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  12. Materials Science

    Crystal matchmaker

    Nonperiodic structures called quasicrystals can act as interfaces between different crystal structures that would ordinarily not stick to each other.

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