CLOSER LOOK AT PHOSPHORENE Sheets of phosphorous just one atom thick have a ridged structure, as shown in this illustration. Graphene sheets, which are made of carbon, are flat.
P. Ye
Matter & Energy
Topic Image Rail
Screws and a plate made of 100 percent silk are shown repairing a fracture in a model skull.
Gabriel Perrone
LASER DEFENSE The U.S. Navy is reportedly deploying a laser weapon system on one of its ships. New work on carving out air-based conduits for high-energy laser beams could improve this technology.
Copyright U.S. Navy
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Physics
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Chemistry
News in BriefMilk protein a potential flame retardant
Protein found in milk offers a nontoxic way to extinguish fabric fires.News in Brief
X-rays uncover hidden faces in Rembrandt painting
Lead paint under the surface of the work gives away the artist’s indecisiveness. -
Materials
News
Phosphorene introduced as graphene alternative
Sheets of ultrathin phosphorus could lead to faster semiconductor electronics.Science TickerSilk 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.Note: To comment, Science News subscribing members must now establish a separate login relationship with Disqus. Click the Disqus icon below, enter your e-mail and click “forgot password” to reset your password. You may also log into Disqus using Facebook, Twitter or Google.
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Quantum Physics
ContextFinding a quantum way to make free will possible
Maybe quantum influences from the Big Bang make humans unpredictable, permitting the possibility of free will.Note: To comment, Science News subscribing members must now establish a separate login relationship with Disqus. Click the Disqus icon below, enter your e-mail and click “forgot password” to reset your password. You may also log into Disqus using Facebook, Twitter or Google.
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Quantum timekeeping
Recent advances in controlling the quantum behavior of particles have inspired physicists to dream of a global clock that would tell the same time everywhere. It would be hundreds of times as accurate as current atomic clocks. -
Condensed Matter
NewsProton-boron nuclear fusion returns to spotlight
A technique can fuse nuclei without producing harmful neutrons, but it is far from being power plant–ready.News in Brief
Under magnet's sway, fluids form simple structures
Droplets wiggle, split and coalesce into simple and dynamic configurations.
