Physics

  1. Physics

    Laser light can contain intricate, beautiful fractals

    Fractals show up in cauliflower, seashells and now — lasers.

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  2. Physics

    Lasers could send messages right to a listener’s ear

    Communication in noisy environments or dangerous situations could one day rely on lasers.

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  3. Materials Science

    Being messy on the inside keeps metamaterials from folding under stress

    Inspiration from disordered arrangements of atoms in crystalline metals may lead to longer-lasting, next-gen materials.

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  4. Physics

    Physicists aim to outdo the LHC with this wish list of particle colliders

    Proposed new accelerators could solve mysteries of the Higgs boson.

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  5. Physics

    A new gravitational wave detector is almost ready to join the search

    Buried deep underground, Japan’s KAGRA detector relies on components cooled to just 20 degrees above absolute zero.

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  6. Chemistry

    150 years on, the periodic table has more stories than it has elements

    The organized rows and columns of the Periodic Table hide a rich and twisting history.

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  7. Particle Physics

    Readers ask about electrons’ roundness, a science board game and more

    Readers had questions about electrons’ roundness, a camera that measures light intensity in decibels and more.

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  8. Physics

    A weird type of zirconium soaks up neutrons like a sponge

    Zirconium-88 captures neutrons with extreme efficiency, and scientists don’t yet know why.

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  9. Quantum Physics

    ‘Beyond Weird’ and ‘What Is Real?’ try to make sense of quantum weirdness

    The books ‘Beyond Weird’ and ‘What is Real?’ have different perspectives on what quantum physics says about reality.

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  10. Physics

    High-speed video reveals physics tricks for shooting a rubber band

    To fire a rubber band flawlessly, use a wide band and don’t pull too hard, physicists suggest.

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  11. Physics

    The physics of fluids explains how crowds of marathon runners move

    A new liquid-inspired theory can predict the movements of marathoners lining up for a race.

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  12. Astronomy

    These 2018 findings could be big news — if they turn out to be true

    Discoveries about fossils, the Big Bang and more could shake up the scientific world – if they turn out to be true.

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