Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Cosmology
Lab version of early universe fails to solve lithium problem
An experiment that imitated conditions from just after the Big Bang failed to explain why observed amounts of lithium don’t match those expected from theory.
- Quantum Physics
Quantum math makes human irrationality more sensible
Vagaries of human decision making make sense if quantum math describes the way the brain works.
- Physics
‘Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field’ is a biography of brilliance
Authors Nancy Forbes and Basil Mahon show how two men’s work came together to change physics.
- Chemistry
Safe salt could yield cheaper, more efficient solar cells
Magnesium chloride could be the key ingredient for concocting efficient solar cells with cadmium telluride.
- Physics
Tiny silica spheres put the disco in disco clams
The electric effect in disco clams is actually the result of light scattering off tiny silica spheres.
- Science & Society
Weapon inspection scheme would test for nukes but keep designs secret
Technique borrowed from computer science could improve weapon verification and encourage countries to agree to nuclear disarmament.
- Life
Bacteria’s tail spins make water droplets swirl
When bacteria band together, they can turn a fairly tame drop of water into a swirling vortex.
- Particle Physics
It’s almost time to get to know the Higgs boson better
The next run of particle collisions at the Large Hadron collider will examine details about how the Higgs boson interacts with other particles to search for clues to new physics.
- Quantum Physics
Electrons’ magnetic interactions measured
Using characteristics of quantum mechanics, the minuscule magnetic interaction between two electrons has been measured.
- Quantum Physics
Commercial quantum computer fails to impress in new test
Fifteen million dollar D-Wave machine runs no faster than traditional computer in head-to-head challenge.
- Physics
Supercooled liquid water hits record low
Weird supercooled water well below its freezing point viewed with ultrafast laser.
- Tech
Robo-fly steadies flight with onboard sensor
Scaling a robot to the size of a fly and stabilizing its flight with onboard sensors offers clues to how live insects stay steady in mid-air.
