Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Materials Science
Venetian Grinds
Venetian Renaissance artists, renowned for their vibrant colors, mixed powdered glass with their paints in an attempt to expand their palettes and create unique optical effects.
- Physics
Brutal Bubbles: Collapsing orbs rip apart atoms
Spikes of heat and pressure in sonoluminescence caused by the implosions of light-emitting bubbles in liquids can strip atoms of electrons.
- Physics
Particle Physics Phun
An array of games, such as Particle Pinball and Race for Energy, challenge visitors at a Web site hosted by the high-energy physics center known as the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Aimed at kids, the “Fermilabyrinth” pages introduce players to a zoo of elementary particles while it exercises pattern-recognition skills that scientists use to spot […]
- Physics
Electronic Soup: Molecules in acid broth act as circuit parts
An electronically promising molecule functions well in acid as a tiny amplifier, underscoring the importance of controlling molecules' electrochemical environments to achieve predictable performance.
- Physics
A quantum fluid pipes up
After 40 years of trying, physicists have heard a quantum-mechanical whistle emanating from two reservoirs of oscillating liquid helium separated by a perforated membrane.
- Physics
Dial-a-Splash: Thin air quells liquid splatter
How much liquids splatter when drops hit surfaces depends on the surrounding air pressure.
- Materials Science
Tiles stack for shell strength in abalone
In abalone shells, microscopic tiles of calcium carbonate stack on top of each other in a highly ordered arrangement to create a superstrong material.
- Physics
Putting a new spin on silicon
Embedding ions of manganese in silicon imparts a magnetic field to the otherwise nonmagnetic semiconductor.
- Materials Science
Petrified wood: Quick and easy
Materials scientists have turned wood into stone in a matter of days, mimicking a natural process that takes millions of years.
- Materials Science
Infrared Vision: New material may enhance plastic solar cells
The vision of flexible, low-cost, lightweight plastic solar cells has moved one step closer to reality with the creation of a material that can harness infrared light.
- Materials Science
Magnetic nanorods on cruise control
Chemists have created miniature engines out of nanoscale metallic rods that propel themselves using chemical energy.
- Physics
Twinkle Toes: How geckos’ sticky feet stay clean
Besides allowing geckos to cling to walls and ceilings, the millions of tiny fibers on the undersides of these lizards' toes clean themselves with each step.
