Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Cosmology
New data fuel debate on universe’s expansion rate
Quasar observations add to discrepancy in measurements of the universe’s expansion speed.
- Astronomy
Five gamma-ray blazars set new distance record
Intensely bright galaxies are the farthest blazars ever detected in gamma rays.
- Physics
Physicists seek neutron lifetime’s secret
Updated experiments hope to resolve neutron lifetime discrepancy.
- Physics
Possible sign of dark matter shows up again
Excess of X-rays could indicate decaying sterile neutrinos.
- Physics
New claim staked for metallic hydrogen
Scientists report transforming hydrogen into a metal at high pressure, but some experts dispute the claim.
- Tech
Legos inspire versatile fluid-filled devices
Tiny devices shuttle fluid around using reconfigurable Lego-like bricks.
- Physics
Construction of tiny, fluid-filled devices inspired by Legos
Tiny devices shuttle fluid around using reconfigurable Lego-like bricks.
- Physics
Chemists strike gold, solve mystery about precious metal’s properties
A longstanding puzzle about gold’s properties has been solved with more complex theoretical calculations.
- Materials Science
New ‘smart’ fibers curb fires in lithium-ion batteries
To stifle battery fires, scientists create component with heat-release flame retardant.
- Chemistry
New molecular knot is most complex yet
The knot is woven from 192 atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen and forms a triple braid with eight crossing points.
- Paleontology
Readers weigh in on dinos, dark matter and more
Ancient bird calls, the search for dark matter and more in reader feedback.
- Particle Physics
Dark matter still missing
The XENON100 experiment found no evidence of an annually varying dark matter signal.
