Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 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.
- Physics
Alliance of Opposites: Electrons and positrons make new molecule
Positronium, consisting of electrons and their antimatter counterparts, has been made into a molecular form.
- Physics
Crueltyfree: Counting photons without killing them
A delicate quantum measurement counts photons without destroying them.
- Physics
Frizzed molecular carpets
Measurements of the speed with which heat travels along single hydrocarbon molecules could aid in the design of molecular electronics.
- Physics
Road Bumps: Why dirt roads develop a washboard surface
Experiments and a computer simulation show why dirt roads develop a washboard surface, and indicate the only way to prevent it: Drive very slowly.
- Materials Science
Shocking Sheets: Power paper packs a punch
Ultrathin sheets made from cellulose and carbon nanotubes could serve as flexible, versatile batteries.
- Physics
Newton’s Dusty Mirror: Old experiment inspires ultrafast imaging
An experiment devised by Isaac Newton inspires a modern successor, in which X rays capture the image of a microscopic explosion.
- Materials Science
Pliable carbon
The layers of carbon atoms that form graphite can be assembled into strong but flexible "graphene paper."
