Life
Spikes, claws and stingers have no single best shape
A study of 143 piercing tools, from tusks to love darts, finds they trade off piercing ability for durability. And no one shape wins out.
Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
More Stories in Physics
- Space
Stars’ plasma spurts may be blocked by magnetic fields
The sun frequently flings plasma into space, but sightings of such eruptions on other stars are rare. Magnetic fields could explain why.
- Space
A shoebox-sized satellite could expose hidden nuclear weapons in space
There’s never been a good method to check for violations of the Outer Space Treaty’s prohibition of nuclear weapons in space.
- Physics
Pickles glow when you plug them in. Science explains why
A scientist, a jar of pickles and a power strip walk into a room. The punchline involves physics, glowing condiments and a scientific party trick.
- Particle Physics
CERN shutters the Large Hadron Collider for a major transformation
The High-Luminosity LHC, planned to switch on in 2030, could help physicists unravel mysteries about the Higgs boson, dark matter and more.
- Physics
A potential hindrance to fusion power may help instead
Researchers were unsure whether alpha particles would aid or hinder fusion. Simulations suggest they help, by dampening turbulence.
- Physics
Here’s what would happen if you tried to break a photon in half
A mathematical model shows that attempting to sever a fundamental particle of light could conjure new ones out of thin air.
- Physics
Clocks made from an atomic nucleus just ticked on for the first time
First dreamed up decades ago, the world's first nuclear clocks are set to improve quickly, becoming more precise and aiding the hunt for dark matter.
- Quantum Physics
Microsoft’s quantum chip got an upgrade. Critics are still skeptical
Swapping materials in its Majorana 2 chip boosted the effectiveness of quantum bits that rely on the math of topology to reduce errors, Microsoft says.
- Physics
Physics explains why gold stays pristine
Metals like copper oxidize — reacting with oxygen in the air — but gold doesn’t, thanks to a quick switch in atom arrangement on its surface.
