Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Nanosensor can alert a smartphone when plants are stressed
Engineers can closely track how plants respond to stresses such as injury, infection, and light damage using sensors made of carbon nanotubes. These sensors can be embedded in plant leaves,...
Strongest evidence yet that neutrinos explain how the universe exists
New data throws more support behind the theory that neutrinos are the reason the universe is dominated by matter.
Speeding-up quantum computing using giant atomic ions
Researchers have found a new way to speed up quantum computing that could pave the way for huge leaps forward in computer processing power.
New COVID-19 test quickly and accurately detects viral DNA
Millions of people have been tested for the novel coronavirus, most using a kit that relies on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This sensitive method amplifies SARS-CoV-2 RNA from patient...
COVID-19 puts new science to the pressure test
By its very nature, science rarely offers a quick fix. New technologies and medicines often take years to prove that they are safe and effective. Yet the surging COVID-19 pandemic...
Weird neutrino behavior could explain longstanding antimatter mystery
We may be a big step closer to cracking one of the universe's biggest and most fundamental mysteries.
US EPA won't strengthen particulate matter limit
Chemical industry backs plan to keep current standard
Speeding-up quantum computing using giant atomic ions
Trapped Rydberg ions may be the next step towards scaling up quantum computers to sizes where they can be practically usable, a new study in Nature shows.
New textile could keep you cool in the heat, warm in the cold
Imagine a single garment that could adapt to changing weather conditions, keeping its wearer cool in the heat of midday but warm when an evening storm blows in. In addition...
Questionable stability of dissipative topological models for classical and quantum systems
Energy conservation lies at the core of every physical theory. Effective mathematical models however can feature energy gain and/or loss and thus break the energy conservation law by only capturing...
First of its kind experiment uses diamond anvils to simulate the Earth's core
In an effort to investigate conditions found at the Earth's molten outer core, researchers successfully determined the density of liquid iron and the speed at which sound propagates through it...
New quantum computers can operate at higher temperatures
Quantum computing’s deep freeze is beginning to thaw. Computers that harness quantum physics could trump standard computers on certain types of calculations. But the machines typically work only at temperatures tiny fractions of...
Carbon nanotubes embedded in leaves detect chemical signals that are produced when a plant is damaged
MIT engineers have developed a way to closely track how plants respond to stresses such as injury, infection, and light damage, using sensors made of carbon nanotubes. These sensors can...
Hot qubits break one of the biggest constraints to practical quantum computers
Most quantum computers being developed around the world will only work at fractions of a degree above absolute zero. That requires multi-million-dollar refrigeration and as soon as you plug them...
Closing in on matter-antimatter asymmetry: T2K results restrict possible values of neutrino CP phase
The T2K Collaboration has published new results showing the strongest constraint yet on the parameter that governs the breaking of the symmetry between matter and antimatter in neutrino oscillations. Using...
Computational origami: A universal method to wrap 3-D curved surfaces with nonstretchable materials
The counterintuitive question on how to wrap a curved spherical surface using conventionally stiff and non-stretchable or brittle materials, forms the basis of this study. To answer the question, Yu-Ki...
Novel tin 'bubbles' spur advances in the development of integrated chips
The use of extreme ultraviolet light sources in making advanced integrated chips has been considered, but their development has been hindered owing to a paucity of efficient laser targets. Scientists...
Scientists fit two co-catalysts on one nanosheet for better water purification
A collaboration of scientists from the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)—a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory—Yale University, and Arizona...
Light from stretchable sheets of atoms for quantum technologies
A team of Australian scientists from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Australian National University (ANU) believe they have developed a way to address a decades-long challenge in...
Untwisting plastics for charging Internet-of-Things devices
Untwisting chains of atoms within a plastic polymer improves its ability to conduct electricity, according to a report by researchers, led by Nagoya University applied physicist Hisaaki Tanaka, in the...
The Wolfram Physics Project hopes to find fundamental theory of physics
Physicist and entrepreneur Stephen Wolfram has unveiled "The Wolfram Physics Project," which he subtitles "A Project to Find the Fundamental Theory of Physics." The aim of the project is to...
A quantum metasurface that can simultaneously control multiple properties of light
Metasurfaces are artificial materials designed at the nanoscale, which can control the scattering of light with exceptionally high precision. Over the past decade or so, these materials have been used...
New mask material can remove virus-size nanoparticles
Scientists around the world are scrambling to adapt their research to find solutions to the many problems raised by the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, not the least being a...
Major outburst and X-ray pulsations detected from RX J0209.6−7427
An international team of astronomers has identified a major outburst and X-ray pulsation from an X-ray binary system known as RX J0209.6−7427. The detection, detailed in a paper published April...
NFL still investigating Patriots for filming sideline
The NFL is still investigating the New England Patriots after the team admitted to violating league rules by filming the sideline when the Cincinnati Bengals played against the Cleveland Browns.
Climate explained: How white roofs help to reflect the sun's heat
Nilesh Bakshi and Maibritt Pedersen Zari talk about whether the "white-roof" concept really works when it comes to sustainable architecture.
Researchers solve puzzle of Compton scattering: New approach for testing theories in quantum mechanics
When the American physicist Arthur Compton discovered that light waves behave like particles in 1922, and could knock electrons out of atoms during an impact experiment, it was a milestone...
Researchers develop nanometer-thick electromagnetic shielding film using MXene
A Korean research team has developed a technology to fabricate an ultrathin material for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The research team, led by Koo Chong-Min, the head of the Materials...