Natural Antifreeze: Ice-Binding Molecules Stop Ice Growth
Certain molecules bind tightly to the surface of ice, creating a curved interface that can halt further ice growth. Some insects, plants, and sea-dwelling creatures…
Molecular Physics
New Liquid Crystals Created That Resemble Solid Crystals – Could Improve Computer and TV Displays
Scientists create liquid crystals that look a lot like their solid counterparts. A team at the University of Colorado Boulder has designed new kinds of…
Quantum Causal Loops: Exotic Processes With Cause-Effect Cycles
Causal reasoning is ubiquitous — from physics to medicine, economics and social sciences, as well as in everyday life. Whenever we press the button, the…
Lasing Mechanism Discovered in Water Droplets
Lasing mechanism at the surface of water droplets can be used to record mechanical changes at biointerfaces. Tiny molecular forces at the surface of water…
Harvard Scientists Trilayer Graphene Breakthrough Opens the Door for High Temperature Superconductors
In 2018, the physics world was set ablaze with the discovery that when an ultrathin layer of carbon, called graphene, is stacked and twisted to…
First-Ever Shot With Explosives Conducted at the National Ignition Facility
The first-ever shot to study a high explosive sample was recently conducted at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s most energetic laser. The results…
Physics of Snakeskin Sheds Light on Specialized Sidewinding Locomotion of Sidewinder Snakes
Microscopic look reveals differences in the surfaces of snakes’ bellies. Most snakes get from A to B by bending their bodies into S-shapes and slithering…
Giving Computers a Keen Sense of Smell – Researchers Create a Biohybrid Olfactory Sensor
A keen sense of smell is a powerful ability shared by many organisms. However, it has proven difficult to replicate by artificial means. Researchers combined…
Hidden Symmetry Could Be Key to Ultra-Powerful Quantum Computers
Researchers have found a way to protect highly fragile quantum systems from noise, which could aid in the design and development of new quantum devices,…
Supercomputer Simulations Target the Deadly Coils of Ebola
Stampede2, Bridges simulations show weak spots in virus nucleocapsid. In the midst of a global pandemic with COVID-19, it’s hard to appreciate how lucky those…
Order and Disorder in Crystalline Ice: Fundamental Property of Very Low Temperature Ice Explained
A new theoretical model enlightens the structure and the electrical properties of pure and doped ice. A fascinating substance with unique properties, ice has intrigued…
Two, Six, Many: Physicists Observe the Emergence of Collective Behavior
Phase transitions describe dramatic changes in properties of a macroscopic system – like the transition from a liquid to a gas. Starting from individual ultracold…
New Discoveries Will Increase the Effectiveness of Magnetic Fluids in Medicine
Researchers discovered new effects in magnetic fluids, which will increase its effectiveness for medical purposes. Magnetic fluids are used in many different areas, including medicine,…
Atomic-Scale Nanowires for Next-Generation Electronics
Scalable synthesis of transition metal chalcogenide nanowires for next-gen electronics. Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered a way to make self-assembled nanowires of transition…
VENUS Apparatus: Device Mimics Life’s First Steps in Outer Space
Called VENUS, the device will give scientists an unprecedented ability to study how molecules form in the icy clouds of space. A device developed by…
New Material System Developed to Convert and Generate Terahertz Waves for Tomorrow’s Technologies
On the electromagnetic spectrum, terahertz light is located between infrared radiation and microwaves. It holds enormous potential for tomorrow’s technologies: Among other things, it might…
Progress Toward a Universal Theory of Glass Formation
Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo used molecular dynamics calculations to simulate the glass-forming ability of metallic mixtures. They…
How Coronavirus Can Be Stopped: 3D Atomic Map of COVID-19’s Viral Replication Mechanism
To better understand how the novel coronavirus behaves and how it can be stopped, scientists have completed a three-dimensional map that reveals the location of…