Atomic ‘Swiss Army knife’ precisely measures materials for quantum computers
It images single atoms. It maps atomic-scale hills and valleys on metal and insulating surfaces. And it records the flow of current across atom-thin...
New evidence helps form digital reconstruction of most important medieval shrine
The shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, the most important pilgrimage destination in medieval England—visited for hundreds of years by pilgrims seeking miraculous healing—has been...
Making plastic more transparent while also adding electrical conductivity
In an effort to improve large touchscreens, LED light panels and window-mounted infrared solar cells, researchers at the University of Michigan have made plastic...
‘Pregnancy test for water’ delivers fast, easy results on water quality
A new platform technology can assess water safety and quality with just a single drop and a few minutes.
Likened to a pregnancy test, the handheld...
Researchers foresee linguistic issues during space travel
It lacks the drama of a shape-shifting alien creature, but another threat looms over the prospect of generations-long, interstellar space travel: Explorers arriving on...
A tiny ancient relative of dinosaurs and pterosaurs discovered
Dinosaurs and flying pterosaurs may be known for their remarkable size, but a newly described species from Madagascar that lived around 237 million years...
How does Earth sustain its magnetic field?
How did the chemical makeup of our planet's core shape its geologic history and habitability?
Life as we know it could not exist without Earth's...
Behind the dead-water phenomenon
What makes ships mysteriously slow down or even stop as they travel, even though their engines are working properly? This was first observed in...
First direct evidence of ocean mixing across the Gulf Stream
New research provides the first direct evidence for the Gulf Stream blender effect, identifying a new mechanism of mixing water across the swift-moving current....
2-D semiconductors found to be close-to-ideal fractional quantum Hall platform
Columbia University researchers report that they have observed a quantum fluid known as the fractional quantum Hall states (FQHS), one of the most delicate...
Dying stars breathe life into Earth: study
As dying stars take their final few breaths of life, they gently sprinkle their ashes into the cosmos through the magnificent planetary nebulae. These...
