Science Made Simple: What Are Catalysts?
A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction, or lowers the temperature or pressure needed to start one, without itself being consumed during the…
DOE
Harvesting Light Like Nature Does: Synthesizing a New Class of Bio-Inspired, Light-Capturing Nanomaterials
Inspired by nature, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), along with collaborators from Washington State University, created a novel material capable of capturing light…
Quantum Machine Learning Hits a Limit: A Black Hole Permanently Scrambles Information That Can’t Be Recovered
A black hole permanently scrambles information that can’t be recovered with any quantum machine learning algorithm, shedding new light on the classic Hayden-Preskill thought experiment….
Actor in a Supporting Role: Substrate Effects on Atomically Thin Semiconductors
Researchers detected non-negligible interactions between technologically intriguing 2D materials and the substrates that physically support them. Atomically thin layers are of great technological interest because…
To Speed Discovery, High-Dimensional Infrared Microscopy Goes “Off the Grid”
A highly efficient way to collect infrared microscopy data avoids the use of slow, grid-based raster scans. Question: What do a roundworm, a Sharpie pen,…
US Power Sector Is Already Halfway to Zero Carbon Emissions
New Berkeley Lab study reviews progress towards a carbon-free power sector. Concerns about climate change are driving a growing number of states, utilities, and corporations…
X-ray Experiments and Machine Learning Innovation Could Trim Years off Battery R&D
An X-ray instrument at Berkeley Lab contributed to a battery study that used an innovative approach to machine learning to speed up the learning curve…
Quantum Leap for Quantum Computing: Ion Beams Create Chains of Closely Coupled Qubits
A new way to form self-aligned ‘color centers’ promises scalability to over 10,000 qubits for applications in quantum sensing and quantum computing. Achieving the immense…
Revolutionary Eco-Friendly Plastic: The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic
A new environmental and technological analysis suggests that a revolutionary eco-friendly plastic is almost ready to hit the shelves. Plastics are a part of nearly…
Supercomputer Simulations Reveal How Dominant COVID-19 Strain Binds to Host, Succumbs to Antibodies
Dominant G-form Spike protein ‘puts its head up’ more frequently to latch on to receptors, but that makes it more vulnerable to neutralization. Large-scale supercomputer…
Twin Supernovae Open Up New Possibilities for Precision Cosmology
Cosmologists have found a way to double the accuracy of measuring distances to supernova explosions – one of their tried-and-true tools for studying the mysterious…
Science Made Simple: What Are Batteries and How Do They Work?
Batteries and similar devices accept, store, and release electricity on demand. Batteries use chemistry, in the form of chemical potential, to store energy, just like…
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Welcomes First Baby Bison of the Year
Fermilab is known for cutting-edge experiments, particle physics research—and an adorable herd of bison. On April 26, baby bison season officially began at the lab….
Physicists Open New Window Into Dark Energy
For the first time, DES scientists can combine measurements of the distribution of matter, galaxies, and galaxy clusters to advance our understanding of dark energy….
Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking in a Superconductor
This unusual electronic energy structure could be harnessed for technologies of interest in quantum information science and electronics. Electrons in a solid occupy distinct energy…
Highly Accurate Measurements Show Neutron Star “Skin” Is Less Than a Millionth of a Nanometer Thick
Nuclear physicists make new, high-precision measurement of the layer of neutrons that encompass the lead nucleus, revealing new information about neutron stars. Nuclear physicists have…
Little Swirling Mysteries: Dynamics of Ultrasmall, Ultrafast Groups of Atoms Uncovered
Exploring and manipulating the behavior of polar vortices in material may lead to new technology for faster data transfer and storage. Researchers used the Advanced…
Science Made Simple: What Is Quantum Computing?
Quantum computing may revolutionize our ability to solve problems that are hard to address with even the largest supercomputers. Quantum computers consist of quantum bits, or…