Physics
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Physics
Shifting grains may explain earthquake lightning
Mysterious lightning before or during earthquakes could get its spark from underground shifting.
By Andrew Grant -
Materials Science
Phosphorene introduced as graphene alternative
Sheets of ultrathin phosphorus could lead to faster semiconductor electronics.
By Andrew Grant -
Physics
Material’s magnetism tuned by temperature
Layered substance may lead to more reliable hard drives in the future.
By Andrew Grant -
Materials Science
Silk bone screws may mend better than metal ones
The silk-made screw and plates are less stiff than metal ones and dissolve in the body, making them a safer, less invasive alternative for setting broken bones.
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Physics
Superfast laser pulses could pave way for beam weapons
Short light bursts turn columns of air into energy conduits.
By Andrew Grant -
Physics
Flying snakes get lift from surrounding air vortices
When a paradise flying snake leaps into and glides through the air, it’s getting lift from small, swirling vortices in the air around it.
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Physics
Key to free will may be stripping reality naked
If reality emerges from an unseen foundation, human free will could influence the future.
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Physics
Laser tweezers manipulate objects just 50 nanometers wide
Technique could allow scientists to move proteins, viruses and nanomaterials.
By Andrew Grant -
Physics
Metamaterials give sound a twist
The design allows researchers rotate a wave at precise angles so that it originates from the opposite direction, which could have implications for improving ultrasound imaging.
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Quantum Physics
Finding a quantum way to make free will possible
Maybe quantum influences from the Big Bang make humans unpredictable, permitting the possibility of free will.
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Physics
Quantum droplet discovered
Electrons and holes gather to form a tiny, liquidlike particle.
By Andrew Grant -
Particle Physics
Catching Particle Fever
Interspersed with the plot of Particle Fever are artful explanatory animations and commentary by six articulate physicists. Through these characters, we learn that the Higgs is a stepping stone toward a deeper understanding of the universe.