Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Materials Science
Squid beaks are hardly soft
Water softens squid beaks toward their base, so they don't cut into the squid's own soft tissue.
- Materials Science
Quantum Cocoon
Diamond can hold quantum information even at room temperature, which makes it a candidate material for future quantum computers.
- Materials Science
Live Another Day: African insect survives drought in glassy state
When dehydrated, the larvae of an African fly replace the water in their cells with a sugar, which solidifies and helps keep cellular structures intact.
- Materials Science
A sticky issue
Peeling off adhesive tape can be frustrating, and now researchers know why.
-
- Materials Science
Cellulose that stiffens and softens
A material inspired by sea cucumbers morphs from rigid to soft.
- Physics
Too speedy for gravity?
A new analysis suggests that five different spacecraft gained more speed as they flew past Earth than can be accounted for by Einstein's theory of gravitation.
- Physics
Black Hole of Light: Laser pulses create model of event horizon
Physicists have created the optical analog of a black hole's surface of no return, a setup that could help test whether actual black holes glow.
- Physics
Birds network too
Starlings in a flock adjust their trajectories to those of their closest neighbors, which helps the flock stay together when under attack.
- Physics
Extreme Measures
Physicists use atom interferometry to measure gravity and other forces with unrivaled precision, and the technique could potentially guide airplanes and uncover buried caches of oil and diamonds.
- Materials Science
Fishy flash
Fish alter the growth of crystals in their skin, making it supershiny.
- Physics
Scanner Darkly: Tiny venetian blinds enhance radiography
Microscopic gratings that select scattered X rays might improve luggage screening and cancer detection.
