Physics

  1. Materials Science

    Feet of clay, but superstrong

    Gluing together nanoscale clay particles with a simple adhesive creates a strong but flexible material.

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  2. Physics

    Light does some weird math

    Adding a photon to a light pulse then taking one out gives a different result from doing the same operations the other way around.

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  3. Physics

    Hot stuff

    A plasma-based amplifier bumps up a laser's intensity by an unprecedented 20,000 times.

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  4. Physics

    Not flipping out

    A single atom on a surface has favored magnetic orientations that could allow it to encode a data bit.

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  5. Physics

    Electron Superhighway

    The remarkable strength and electrical properties of graphene, a chicken-wire network of carbon atoms, make it a promising new material for computer chips.

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  6. 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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  7. Physics

    Crueltyfree: Counting photons without killing them

    A delicate quantum measurement counts photons without destroying them.

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  8. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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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  11. 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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  12. 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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