How hidden quantum “curves” could transform future electronics
Imagine if electricity could flow without resistance, or if computers could process data at unimaginable speeds.
Achieving this dream requires new kinds of materials that...
Astronomers detect protostellar jets in the Milky Way’s outskirts
Astronomers have made a remarkable discovery that sheds new light on how stars are born.
Using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile,...
Scientists discover why ice is really slippery
For generations, students have been taught that we slip on ice because pressure and friction cause it to melt beneath our feet.
The idea was...
Scientists detect traces of ancient magnetic fields in the early universe
Magnetism is everywhere in the universe today—from the Earth’s protective magnetic shield to the powerful fields surrounding stars and galaxies.
But where did it all...
Scientists uncover mystery behind white dwarfs escaping the Milky Way
Astronomers have uncovered the origins of some of the fastest stars in the Milky Way—hypervelocity white dwarfs, which can travel at speeds exceeding 2,000...
Why the universe loves a double helix, from the Sun to the stars
The Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the solar corona, is a strange and violent place.
It is a million times hotter than the Sun’s surface...
Why the bubbles in Belgian beers refuse to pop
For beer lovers, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a frothy head of foam on a freshly poured glass.
But while some beers lose their...
How warped cosmic disks are changing our view of planet formation
For decades, scientists have imagined planet formation as a calm and orderly process.
The picture was simple: young stars surrounded by flat, pancake-like disks of...
What, exactly, is space-time?
Few ideas in modern science have reshaped our understanding of reality more profoundly than space-time—the interwoven fabric of space and time at the heart...
Scientists use bent crystals to steer particles toward new physics
Physicists at CERN have achieved a world first that could help unlock mysteries lying beyond our current understanding of particle physics.
In a new proof-of-principle...