Physics
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, some of plastic’s toxic hazards were exposed
Worker exposure to vinyl chloride became tightly regulated after the chemical was linked with liver cancer. Now, its use may be on the chopping block.
- Physics
A nuclear clock prototype hints at ultraprecise timekeeping
Nuclear clocks could rival atomic clocks and allow for new tests of fundamental physics. A new experiment demonstrates all the ingredients needed.
- Physics
Mayo is weirdly great for understanding nuclear fusion experiments
Mayonnaise’s texture is perfect for mimicking what a fusion fuel capsule goes through after it’s blasted with lasers.
- Particle Physics
The possibilities for dark matter have just shrunk — by a lot
The LZ dark matter experiment has ruled out weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs, with a wide range of properties.
- Physics
The world’s fastest microscope makes its debut
Using a laser and an electron beam, the microscope can snap images of moving electrons every 625 quintillionths of a second.
- Climate
Zigzag walls could help buildings beat the heat
A corrugated exterior wall reflects heat to space and absorbs less heat from the ground, keeping it several degrees cooler than a flat wall.
- Physics
Paper cut physics pinpoints the most hazardous types of paper
Dot matrix printer paper is the most treacherous, physicists report. Magazine paper comes in second.
- Particle Physics
Dark matter experiments get a first peek at the ‘neutrino fog’
The hint of fog marks a new way to observe neutrinos, but points to the beginning of the end for this type of dark matter detection.
- Chemistry
A new element on the periodic table might be within reach
Scientists made the known element 116 with a beam of titanium atoms, a technique that could be used to make the undiscovered element 120.
- Physics
Can light spark superconductivity? A new study reignites debate
Brief blasts of light might make some materials into fleeting superconductors. Magnetic measurements strengthen the case for this controversial claim.
- Materials Science
Jurassic Park’s amber-preserved dino DNA is now inspiring a way to store data
DNA is capable of encoding all sorts of data. Storing it in an amberlike material may keep that information safe for nearly forever.
- Physics
Advanced nuclear reactors need a different type of uranium. Here’s 4 things to know
The nuclear fuel of the future may be HALEU, high-assay low-enriched uranium. But questions about the material remain.
