HEAT WAVE Accelerating at a high rate could make empty space seem hot, according to an idea called the Unruh effect. Scientists may have spotted signs of an analogous phenomenon in ripples of water.
u3d/Shutterstock
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Magazine
In the Sept. 30 SN: Smog's health woes, secrets of the bat brain, slug slime inspires surgical glue, wild beer, Neandertal tar recipes, the sun's recent flare-ups and more.
Matter & Energy
Topic Image Rail
TO DYE FOR By changing the spacing between nanoparticles aggregated into balls, researchers created these inks of five different colors.
Ming Xiao/Univ. of Akron
SLIMED When startled, the dusky slug (Arion subfuscus) produces a goopy defense slime that slows down predators. Scientists are studying the chemical structure of this goo to make better surgical adhesives.
A. Smith
Matter & Energy
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Physics
News
Molecules face the big chill
Scientists have cooled molecules below a previously impassable limit.How Bizarre
Scientists create the most cubic form of ice crystals yet
Ice has taken on a strange structure, with its water molecules arranged in nearly perfect cubes. -
Chemistry
News
Radioactive substances leave electron ‘fingerprints’ behind
A new method of nuclear forensics could make it harder to handle radioactive material in secret.Reviews & Previews
Every breath you take contains a molecule of history
In 'Caesar’s Last Breath', best-selling author Sam Kean tells vivid stories about the gases we can’t see. -
Materials
Science Visualized
Tiny ‘supraballs’ put a new spin on creating long-lasting color
Nano-sized balls of melanin and silica generate durable colors.50 Years Ago
50 years ago, steel got stronger and stretchier
Today, scientists are still trying to improve steel. -
Quantum Physics
News
A new test of water ripples supports the idea of quantum heat in a vacuum
Water waves bolster theory that accelerating space travelers really feel the heat.News
Minuscule jitters may hint at quantum collapse mechanism
Vibrations of a tiny cantilever could help reveal why quantum rules fail on large scales. -
Condensed Matter
News
How to peel permanent marker off glass
Water’s surface tension can peel a thin hydrophobic film such as permanent ink off glass surfaces.News
Majorana fermion detected in a quantum layer cake
Scientists found evidence of a particle that is its own antiparticle.
