Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Materials Science
Snappy Transition: Venus flytrap inspires new materials
Inspired by the quick-shut action of the Venus flytrap, researchers have designed a patterned surface with microscale hills that can rapidly flip to form valleys.
- Physics
Shadow World
Physicists have found new evidence for a 10-year-old conjecture that bridges the gap between the many-dimensional space of string theory and more familiar theorizing.
- Physics
Rock, paper, toxins
A computer model simulates a kind of rock-paper-scissors competition among three species of virtual bacteria.
- Materials Science
Printing scheme could yield 3-D photonic crystals
An innovative printing scheme makes three-dimensional crystal structures that could be used to control the flow of light.
- Physics
Let There Be Aluminum-42: Experiment creates surprise isotope
In experiments that created the heaviest isotope yet of magnesium, an unexpected isotope of aluminum also showed up.
- Materials Science
Polymer could improve natural gas purification
A new polymer membrane that efficiently separates carbon dioxide from methane could greatly ease the processing of natural gas.
- Physics
Axion Gone: New tests find no sign of anomalous particle
New experiments contradict earlier claims of the discovery of the axion, a possible constituent of cosmic dark matter.
- Materials Science
Feet of clay, but superstrong
Gluing together nanoscale clay particles with a simple adhesive creates a strong but flexible material.
- Physics
Light does some weird math
Adding a photon to a light pulse then taking one out gives a different result from doing the same operations the other way around.
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- Physics
Not flipping out
A single atom on a surface has favored magnetic orientations that could allow it to encode a data bit.
- Physics
Electron Superhighway
The remarkable strength and electrical properties of graphene, a chicken-wire network of carbon atoms, make it a promising new material for computer chips.
