Physics
- Materials Science
Spooky! Grooved surface sends ice sailing — no outside push needed
Boulders that have mysteriously moved across Death Valley’s landscape inspired the work. The new surface can slingshot ice in a chosen direction.
- Space
Let’s learn about spooky ‘dark energy’
No one knows exactly what this stuff is, but it’s shaping our universe on the largest scales.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Infrasound
“Listening” for changes in these deep rumblings can allow scientists to predict earthquakes and other geological events.
- Chemistry
Structures that work like Hermione’s magic handbag land a chemistry Nobel
Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi developed these metal-organic frameworks, which can trap pollutants, collect water from air and more.
- Physics
Discoveries behind quantum computers win the Nobel Prize in physics
John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis turned up quantum effects in an electric circuit. This 1980s find underlies today’s quantum computers.
- Physics
Comb-like wings help the tiniest insects swim through ‘syrupy’ air
When you're the size of a grain of sand, flying through air is like swimming through a syrup. Bristled wings help the tiniest insects manage this.
- Materials Science
Scientists transform pee into a golden opportunity
By transforming urine into a valuable medical product, scientists hope to change how we view this human waste.
- Physics
New theory may at last explain a swamp’s ghostly will-o’-the-wisps
Chemists have spotted tiny zaps of electricity moving between “swamp-gas” bubbles. Could they ignite methane gas to glow as dancing blue flames?
- Physics
Could we ever build the tech to shrink ourselves?
The atoms that make us up couldn’t be shrunk or smashed closer together — at least, not without catastrophic consequences.
- Physics
How to make a pitched ball curve to your will
A range of tricks pitchers use to get curve all come down to the thin layers of air next to the ball — and how a ball’s spin and seams affect them.
- Plants
Physics explains how rose petals get their iconic shape
Scientists thought they knew what was behind rose petals’ geometry. They were wrong.
- Physics
Zap! Peeling off tape can spark chemical reactions in the air
Ripping tape off a roll triggers flashes of lightning. Harnessing these micro-sparks might one day lead to greener chemistry.
