Metallic rutile oxides break the rules of cooling

by quasarn01 | Jul 7, 2026 | Latest in Physics

Physicists have long puzzled over a strange contradiction inside a family of minerals called rutile oxides. These materials all share the same crystal structure—but while some of them, like titanium dioxide, are firmly insulating, others, like ruthenium dioxide,...

‘Cosmic wallflowers’ may hold the key to the origin of globular clusters

by quasarn01 | Jul 7, 2026 | Astronomy

Astronomers using computer simulations have investigated whether a class of star clusters nicknamed “cosmic wallflowers” could be the long-sought ancestors of the globular clusters we see orbiting galaxies today. Their paper, posted to the arXiv preprint...

Researchers break a fundamental rule to create a new concept: Heat that can be directed and ‘programmed’

by quasarn01 | Jul 7, 2026 | Latest in Physics

Normally, a material absorbs and emits heat in a linked way: A surface that absorbs heat well at a certain wavelength and direction will also emit heat in the same way. This fundamental relationship, known as reciprocity, limits the ability to independently control...

It’s disturbingly easy to trick AI into seeing aliens, say researchers

by quasarn01 | Jul 7, 2026 | Astronomy

Are we alone in the universe? Consider mysterious “extraterrestrial” radio signals. Unexplained gases on other planets. Things mistaken for UFOs. Go to Source

Bulk ferromagnetic quasicrystals emerge without rapid quenching, unlocking stable magnetic studies

by quasarn01 | Jul 7, 2026 | Latest in Physics

Ferromagnetism has long been studied in a wide range of periodic crystals and amorphous materials. In quasicrystals (QCs), which possess long-range quasiperiodic order and unconventional rotational symmetries, such as 10-fold symmetry, ferromagnetism remained elusive...