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How can physics models prevent deadly stampedes at mass gatherings?

The death of at least 56 people in a stampede at a soccer stadium in Nzérékoré, Guinea, is the latest example of how quickly mass gatherings can turn catastrophic.

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Judging knot strength throws people for a loop: Experiment reveals new blind spot in our physical reasoning

We tie our shoes, we put on neckties, we wrestle with power cords. Yet despite deep familiarity with knots, most people cannot tell a weak knot from a strong one by looking at them, new Johns Hopkins University research finds.

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Controlling polaritons at room temperature paves the way for high-speed computing

Researchers have found a way to manipulate special hybrid particles called polaritons—which behave like both light and matter—at room temperature. The breakthrough enables the use of polaritons in high-speed computing and data processing.

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Self-organization in action: Exploring Abrikosov clusters in a liquid crystal droplet

Science often surprises us with its ability to connect seemingly unrelated phenomena. Have you ever stopped to marvel at how nature arranges itself into intricate patterns, like the spirals of a sunflower or the crystals in frost? These patterns are the result of self-organization, a phenomenon that continues to fascinate scientists and drive exploration.

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Quantum mechanical principle of strong coupling leads to better optical sensors

A team of researchers from the University of Cologne, Hasselt University (Belgium) and the University of St Andrews (Scotland) has succeeded in using the quantum mechanical principle of strong light-matter coupling for an optical technology that overcomes the long-standing problem of angular dependence in optical systems.

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Particle research gets closer to answering why we’re here: Physicists outline next 10 years of neutrino research

Physicists soon will be closer than ever to answering fundamental questions about the origins of the universe by learning more about its tiniest particles.

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X-ray data-enhanced computational method can determine crystal structures of multiphase materials

A joint research team led by Yuuki Kubo and Shiji Tsuneyuki of the University of Tokyo has developed a new computational method that can efficiently determine the crystal structures of multiphase materials, powders that contain more than one type of crystal structures. The method can predict the structure directly from powder X-ray diffraction patterns, the […]

Scientists reveal superconductivity secrets of an iron-based material

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have uncovered the atomic-scale mechanics that enhance superconductivity in an iron-based material, a finding published recently in Nature.

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Researchers reveal the mechanism of runaway electron generation in tokamak fusion reactors

A research team has clarified the mechanism behind the generation of runaway electrons during the startup phase of a tokamak fusion reactor. The paper, “Binary Nature of Collisions Facilitates Runaway Electron Generation in Weakly Ionized Plasmas,” was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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Polarization photodetector that mimics desert ant offers pathway for more sensitive, miniaturized imaging systems

Polarization photodetectors (pol-PDs) have widespread applications in geological remote sensing, machine vision, and biological medicine. However, commercial pol-PDs usually require bulky and complicated optical components and are difficult to miniaturize and integrate.

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Scientists exploit photo-induced chirality in thin films to improve authentication tech

In today’s world, the fight against counterfeiting is more critical than ever. Counterfeiting affects about 3% of global trade, posing significant risks to the economy and public safety. From fake pharmaceuticals to counterfeit currency, the need for secure and reliable authentication methods is paramount. Authentication labels are commonly used—such as holograms on bank notes and […]

World War One dazzle camouflage was not as well understood as it might have been, researchers suggest

Researchers from Aston University and Abertay University have found that World War One dazzle ships—vessels painted in a type of camouflage pattern to make it difficult for enemies to identify and destroy—weren’t as effective as originally thought.

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New quantum resistance standard can operate without an external magnetic field

Scientists at the University of Würzburg and the German national metrology institute (PTB) have carried out an experiment that realizes a new kind of quantum standard of resistance. It’s based on the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect.

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A path towards applying topology in quantum computing

Can insights from topology—the study of the properties of 3D objects that persist when an object is stretched or compressed—be applied in the field of quantum information processing? Juan Lin, Shou-Bang Yang, Fan Wu, and Zhen-Biao Yang, researchers at Fuzhou University, China, believe so.

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Getting a grip on quark mixing: Physicists introduce framework to determine amount of mixing between up and down quarks

The quarks that make up the nuclei of all atoms around us are known to “mix”: the different types of quark occasionally change into one another. The amounts in which these processes happen are not very well known, though—and the theoretical values don’t even add up to 100%. UvA-IoP physicist Jordy de Vries and colleagues […]