Life
Scientists Say: Biophoton
All living things glow with this mysterious light. But scientists need ultra-sensitive tools to detect it.
Physics
More Stories in Physics
- Physics
Scientists Say: Entropy
To understand the universe, we must look to entropy — the chaos engine of the cosmos.
- Tech
Backyard leafhoppers inspire next-generation cloaking tech
Engineers are borrowing this insect’s trick, an "invisibility cloak" of anti-reflective spheres. It could lead to new clean energy tech or military gear.
- Tech
This Band Aid-like device could let you ‘feel’ the virtual world
Using a grid of tiny, fast-moving dots, this device realistically renders virtual textures by mimicking the feel of real-world objects.
- Tech
Scientists Say: Technofossil
Experts predict that the durability of modern, human-made materials will give rise to a radical new form of fossil.
- Space
Supermassive black holes might trace back to huge, ancient stars
Hefty stars might have collapsed into “intermediate mass” black holes — the building blocks of supermassive ones, a teen’s research suggests.
- Physics
Physics explains why sneakers squeak on the basketball court
We’re hearing a shoe’s sole wrinkling in bursts that repeat thousands of times each second.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Discharge
In physics, this release of energy can rebalance electrical charges. In biology, such a release might cool you down on a hot day.
- Physics
Could a Star Wars lightsaber work?
The main problem with real-world lightsabers is that they would pass through each other. This means no intergalactic duels between Jedis and Siths.
- Animals
Intricate silk helps net-casting spiders trap prey in webs
Rufous net-casting spiders can adjust the stiffness and stretchiness of their webs thanks to looping strands of silk.
