Scientists at Michigan State University have discovered how to use ultrafast lasers to wiggle atoms in exotic materials, temporarily altering their electronic behavior. By combining cutting-edge microscopes with quantum simulations, they created a nanoscale switch that could revolutionize smartphones, laptops, and even future quantum computers.
Read moreScientists at Harvard have discovered how salts like lithium bromide break down tough proteins such as keratin—not by attacking the proteins directly, but by altering the surrounding water structure. This breakthrough opens the door to a cleaner, more sustainable way to recycle wool, feathers, and hair into valuable materials, potentially replacing plastics and fueling new industries.
Read moreScientists have cracked a century-old physics mystery by detecting magnetic signals in non-magnetic metals using only light and a revamped laser technique. Previously undetectable, these faint magnetic “whispers” are now measurable, revealing hidden patterns of electron behavior. The breakthrough could revolutionize how we explore magnetism in everyday materials—without bulky instruments or wires—and may open new doors for quantum computing, memory storage, and advanced electronics.
Read moreTo inspire advanced robotic technology, researchers have published the most complete description of how flying insects land upside-down.
Read moreResearchers have built a self-assembled nanocage with a very unusual nanospace: Its walls are made of antiaromatic molecules, which are generally considered too unstable to work with. By overturning assumptions about the limits of nano-chemical engineering, the study creates an entirely new nanospace for scientists to explore. Nanometer-sized cavities are already finding a range of useful applications in chemistry, medicine and environmental science.
Read moreNacre, the rainbow-sheened material that lines the insides of mussel and other mollusk shells, is known as nature's toughest material. Now, a team of researchers has revealed precisely how it works, in real time.
Read moreScientists are studying the toll climate change may take on aging US infrastructure, which includes over 600,000 bridges. A new study links the potential impacts of climate change with the structural integrity of thousands of bridges transecting America's highways and towns. The analysis demonstrates a need to rethink the nation's priority order of bridge repair, as climate change looms and infrastructure funding remains limited.
Read moreResearchers have recently been able to monitor the corrosion of bioresorbable magnesium alloys at the nanoscale over a time scale of a few seconds to many hours. This is an important step towards accurately predicting how fast implants are resorbed by the body to enable the development of tailored materials for temporary implant applications.
Read moreResearchers have developed a new catalyst that can cleave plastic's strong carbon-carbon, converting it into higher value products.
Read moreResearchers have compiled a dataset that captures the detailed behavior of a robotic system physically pushing hundreds of different objects. Using the dataset — the largest and most diverse of its kind — researchers can train robots to 'learn' pushing dynamics that are fundamental to many complex object-manipulation tasks, including reorienting and inspecting objects, and uncluttering scenes.
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