Physics
- Physics
Powering ball lightning
A new study might help explain what fuels bouncing balls of fire that occasionally form in nature.
- Physics
Diamond glow
Rare diamonds that glow in the dark may help scientists distinguish real gems from fake ones.
- Physics
Explainer: How a synchrotron works
Giant magnets direct superfast light into beams up to 30 million times as bright as those produced by a laser pointer.
- Tech
Big Machine Reveals Small Worlds
A football-field-sized machine is giving researchers insight into medicine, forensics, and even chocolate.
- Physics
Road bumps
Scientists have discovered why dirt roads develop ridges that make for a bumpy ride.
- Animals
Cacophony acoustics
How do frogs hear each other in a noisy pond? Just the way we would, as it turns out.
- Tech
A New Basketball Gets Slick
Sweat seems to make a new basketball for professional players more slippery.
- Tech
Space umbrellas to shield Earth
A swarm of small spacecraft could help protect Earth from the sun's rays.
- Tech
Switchable Lenses Improve Vision
Special lenses that automatically focus can help people wearing eyeglasses see more clearly.
- Physics
Snowflakes and avalanches
To protect people from avalanches, researchers are taking a close look at snowflakes and the snowpack.
- Physics
A butterfly’s electric glow
The brilliant color of some butterfly wings comes from tiny scales that absorb and give off light in a special way.
- Physics
Earth’s lowly rumble
From rumbling volcanoes to grumbling elephants, scientists are eavesdropping on the lowest sounds on Earth.
