Physics
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Quantum Physics
Google’s quantum computer reached an error-correcting milestone
A larger array of quantum bits outperformed a smaller one in tests performed by Google researchers, suggesting quantum computers could be scaled up.
- Animals
Glassy eyes may help young crustaceans hide from predators in plain sight
Nanospheres in the eye reflect light that matches the color of the surrounding water, possibly making the animals invisible to nearby predators.
- Physics
Here’s why icicles made from pure water don’t form ripples
A new study explains why icicles made from pure water have irregular shapes rather than the ripples typical of the salty icicles found in nature.
- Physics
Physicists stored data in quantum holograms made of twisted light
Light that travels in corkscrew-like paths provides a way to make holograms that store large amounts of data in ultrasecure packages.
- Physics
Water is weird. A new type of ice could help us understand why
A newfound type of amorphous ice with a density close to liquid water could help scientists make sense of water’s quirks.
- Physics
Muon scanning hints at mysteries within an ancient Chinese wall
Density fluctuations within the ancient rampart encircling the city of Xi’an could be defects or yet-to-be-discovered archaeological finds.
- Materials Science
These shape-shifting devices melt and re-form thanks to magnetic fields
Miniature machines made of gallium embedded with magnetic particles can switch between solid and liquid states.
- Materials Science
Want a ‘Shrinky Dinks’ approach to nano-sized devices? Try hydrogels
Patterning hydrogels with a laser and then shrinking them down with chemicals offers a way to make nanoscopic structures out of many materials.
- Chemistry
These chemists cracked the code to long-lasting Roman concrete
Roman concrete has stood the test of time, so scientists searched ruins to unlock the ancient recipe that could help architecture and climate change.
- Physics
A powerful laser can redirect lightning strikes
In a mountaintop experiment, a laser beamed into the sky created a virtual lightning rod that snagged several bolts before they hit the ground.
- Physics
Rare ‘dark lightning’ might briefly touch passengers when flying
Gamma-ray blasts from thunderstorms might occasionally zap passing airplanes, briefly exposing passengers to unsafe levels of radiation.
- Physics
Here’s how to make a fiber-optic cable out of air using a laser
A hollowed-out laser beam heats a tube of air that surrounds cooler air, providing a way to guide light much the way fiber optics do.
