Physics
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
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PhysicsLeft in the cold
An optical trap lets atoms in but not out, and it can be used to study matter at ultracold temperatures.
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PhysicsGalaxy Zoo’s blue mystery (part I)
A Dutch science teacher found a novel celestial object that had eluded the notice of astronomers.
By Janet Raloff -
Materials ScienceFamily Snaps in Peril
Digital photography appears to be far more ephemeral than camera sales people have led us to believe.
By Janet Raloff -
PhysicsLife’s code in soap
The mathematics of soapy water yields some clues to the origin of the genetic code.
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PhysicsSuction hunters
Scientists reveal new details on how extendable jaws help fish capture prey.
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ClimateScience academies call for climate action
Thirteen national academies of science today called on world leaders to “to limit the threat of climate change.” Read more in the current Science & the Public blog by Janet Raloff.
By Janet Raloff -
ChemistrySmall, But Super
These 'atoms' can't leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they have special powers.
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AgricultureGreen Living, Chinese-Style
Chinese is developing eco-cities to take their citizens straight from the agricultural to the ecological age.
By Janet Raloff -
ChemistryKavli Awardees Named
Norwegian Academy awards three novel and hefty prizes to three teams of scientists.
By Janet Raloff -
PhysicsTight deadline
Light behaves like waves or particles, but it doesn’t know what it will do in advance.
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AstronomyWhen Worlds Collide
Parallel universes aren’t supposed to be observable, but a cosmic crash might leave a visible sign of their existence.
By Diana Steele