Author: Knut von Salzen, Senior Research Scientist, Marine Cloud Brightening Research Program, University of Washington Winter is setting in across the Northern Hemisphere, and with it, cold and cloudy winter days. Clouds play a vital role in the environment, providing rain but also reflecting sunlight before it reaches the Earth’s surface. But between 2003 and […]
From the burning of wood to the action of medicines, the properties and behavior of matter are governed by the way chemical elements bond with one another. For many of the 118 known elements, the intricate electronic structures of the atoms that are responsible for chemical bonding are well understood. But for the superheavy elements […]
Author: Rohini Subrahmanyam is a PhD biologist turned science journalist. Insects that tuck away wings; a protist with an accordion-like neck — studying these clever creases may inspire foldable structures for drones As the microscopic, tear-shaped Lacrymaria olor swims around hunting for food, it does something remarkable: In a blink, the tiny protist extends its […]
At first glance, molecules seem too small and too chaotic to be controlled with light. Their atoms jiggle ceaselessly, driven by thermal energy, and their vibrations—tiny oscillations of chemical bonds—usually remain hidden in the background. But recent work has shown that we can, in fact, use light not only to measure these vibrations but also […]
Author: Daryl Janzen, Observatory Manager and Instructor, Astronomy, University of Saskatchewan Few ideas in modern science have reshaped our understanding of reality more profoundly than space-time — the interwoven fabric of space and time at the heart of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Space-time is frequently described as the “fabric of reality.” In some accounts […]
Plutonium has captured the attention of scientists since its discovery in the early 1940s. This enigmatic element has an important role to play in emerging energy technologies like nuclear batteries and reactors, but it also has complicated electronic behavior that causes some intriguing effects. Its electron structure contributes to unconventional entropic properties at low temperatures […]
Light can do remarkable things, but it has limitations. Ordinary photons are bound by diffraction, which sets a limit on how tightly they can be confined in space. This is why focusing light to spots smaller than about half its wavelength is so difficult. But in certain materials, photons couple to vibrations of atoms or […]
Imagine a clock that doesn’t have electricity, but its hands and gears spin on their own for all eternity. In a new study, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used liquid crystals, the same materials that are in your phone display, to create such a clock—or, at least, as close as humans can […]
In physics, waves often reveal more than meets the eye. A ripple on a pond looks simple enough, but beneath its surface lies a rich mathematical structure that can connect something as everyday as water to the abstract worlds of optics, acoustics, and even quantum mechanics. A recent work brings this connection vividly to life […]
A team of scientists has discovered a new type of crystal that can “breathe”—releasing and absorbing oxygen repeatedly at relatively low temperatures. This unique ability could transform the way we develop clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, energy-saving windows, and smart thermal devices. The newly developed material is a special kind of metal oxide made […]