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From pitcher plants to printing presses, study shows how sticky films can be tamed

A recent Cambridge study reveals why sticky liquids don’t always spread evenly, knowledge that could help cut waste, improve product quality and make everyday technologies more reliable.

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Weak points in diamond fusion fuel capsules identified

Scientists at the University of California San Diego have uncovered how diamond—the material used to encase fuel for fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory—can develop tiny structural flaws that may limit fusion performance.

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Ultrabroadband laser ‘comb’ can enable rapid identification of chemicals with extreme precision

Optical frequency combs are specially designed lasers that act like rulers to accurately and rapidly measure specific frequencies of light. They can be used to detect and identify chemicals and pollutants with extremely high precision.

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Falling water forms beautiful fluted films

When water drains from the bottom of a vertical tube, it is followed by a thin film of liquid that can adopt complex and beautiful shapes. KAUST researchers have now studied exactly how these “fluted films” form and break up, developing a mathematical model of their behavior that could help improve the performance, safety, and […]

New model describes result of non-reciprocal interactions between two non-linear molecules

Asymmetric interactions between different species of molecules have previously been demonstrated to result in self-organized patterns and functions. If one species A is attracted to B, but in turn, B is repelled by A, run-and-chase dynamic emerges.

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Researchers develop novel miniaturized lidar technology based on cross dual-microcomb

Optical frequency combs, as a time and frequency “ruler,” have important applications in precision ranging. Conventional dual-comb ranging schemes utilize the optical Vernier effect to achieve long-distance measurements, and they typically require asynchronously secondary sampling, either after changing the repetition rates or swapping dual-comb roles.

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Room-temperature reactor uses electrochemistry to boost nuclear fusion rates

Using a small bench-top reactor, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have demonstrated that electrochemically loading a solid metal target with deuterium fuel can boost nuclear fusion rates.

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New AI model advances fusion power research by predicting the success of experiments

Practical fusion power that can provide cheap, clean energy could be a step closer thanks to artificial intelligence. Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a deep learning model that accurately predicted the results of a nuclear fusion experiment conducted in 2022. Accurate predictions can help speed up the design of new experiments and […]

Deep beneath the French Alps, scientists hunt for dark matter

The mysterious substance called dark matter is intrinsically invisible. It cannot be directly observed—rather, its presence is inferred by its gravitational influence on the universe, such as binding galaxy clusters together and moving stars around their galaxy faster than they should.

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Single quantum device that measures amperes, volts and ohms could revolutionize how we measure electricity

A team of scientists has revealed how a single quantum device can accurately measure the three fundamental units of electricity—the ampere (unit of electrical current), the volt (unit of electrical potential) and the ohm (unit of electrical resistance). This is a significant breakthrough because until now, no single instrument could measure all three primary electrical […]

Ultra-thin materials twist light into optical vortices for faster data transmission

Imagine a whirlpool spinning in a river, or a tornado swirling through the sky. They don’t just spin on the spot: they travel forward while maintaining that spiraling motion inside them. These twisting motions, called vortices, are powerful and organized spirals. Now, imagine light that behaves the same way: a beam of light that spins […]

3D computational fluid dynamics illustrate badminton’s ‘spin serve’ phenomenon

One of the world’s most popular sports, badminton is played by around 220 million people across the globe. As with other racket sports, a well-executed serve can establish a consequential advantage at the start of a rally.

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Physicists create stable, ‘breathing’ solitons in settings without energy conservation

Solitonic waves—waves that keep their shape and direction of motion for a long time—have intrigued physicists for almost two centuries. In real-world circumstances, these waves eventually die out due to energy loss. A team of UvA physicists have now discovered how a particular type of interaction can be used to create very stable solitons, even […]

LHCb collaboration observes ultra-rare baryon decay

Baryons, composite particles made up of three quarks bound together via the so-called strong force, make up the most visible matter and have thus been the focus of numerous physics studies. Studying the rare processes via which unstable baryons decay into other particles could potentially contribute to the discovery of new physics that is not […]

Theoretical study reveals failure of key quark-gluon plasma probe in low-energy region

According to theoretical predictions, within a millionth of a second after the Big Bang, nucleons had not yet formed, and matter existed as a hot, dense “soup” composed of freely moving quarks and gluons. This state of matter is known as quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Finding definitive evidence for the existence of QGP is crucial for […]