Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Materials Science
Superflexible, 3-D printed “bones” trigger new growth
New ultraflexible material could be the future of bone repair, but awaits human testing.
- Physics
A metallic odyssey, what’s causing sunspots and more reader feedback
Metallic hydrogen, sunspot formation, salty desalination leftovers and more in reader feedback.
- Physics
Nobel awarded for using math of shapes to explain exotic matter
The three scientists who won the 2016 Nobel Prize in physics predicted new materials using mathematics illustrated by bagels and pretzels.
- Particle Physics
Evidence for new form of matter-antimatter asymmetry observed
Particles known as baryons show their first hints of antimatter-matter discrepancies.
- Physics
Trio wins physics Nobel for math underlying exotic states of matter
The 2016 Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded for theoretical discoveries of topological phases of matter.
- Physics
Rarest nucleus reluctant to decay
Tantalum-180m has a half-life more than a million times the age of the universe.
- Materials Science
Qian Chen makes matter come alive
Materials scientist Qian Chen is coaxing nanomaterials to self-assemble in new and unexpected ways.
- Physics
Tenio Popmintchev fits X-ray laser on a tabletop
Laser physicist Tenio Popmintchev has created a Swiss-army-knife tool made of light.
- Quantum Physics
Taming photons, electrons paves way for quantum internet
Scientists are gearing up to create supersecure global quantum networks.
- Particle Physics
Supersymmetry’s absence at LHC puzzles physicists
Accelerator experiments find no evidence to support popular particle physics theory known as supersymmetry.
- Astronomy
Black hole app lets you blow up stars
NOVA’s Black Hole app for iPad is an addictive game that teaches lessons about gravity and astronomy while letting you hurl stars at one another.
- Materials Science
High-tech cloth could make summer days a breeze
A plastic material like kitchen cling wrap may be the next big thing in high-tech clothing. The fabric lets heat pass through, but blocks visible light, making it opaque enough to wear.
