Physicists have developed a new optical centrifuge that can precisely spin molecules inside a superfluid for the first time。 The advance could help unravel some of the biggest mysteries of quantum liquids and reveal how superfluidity breaks down at the atomic scale
Researchers found that a Chinese sodium-ion battery performs far better than expected, with production quality and design features comparable to Tesla’s batteries。 If engineers can improve cold-weather charging and energy density, sodium could become a cheaper and more abundant alternative to lithium for EVs and large-scale energy storage
The global cobalt supply chain is more interconnected—and more vulnerable—than previously thought, with disruptions capable of triggering far-reaching cascades across multiple countries and industries。 Researchers warn that protecting battery supply chains will require system-wide coordination because critical bottlenecks can turn local shocks into
Quantum mechanics has journeyed from a strange and controversial idea to the foundation of some of humanity’s most advanced technologies。 Now researchers are pushing its boundaries even further, with potential breakthroughs in energy, medicine, computing, and our understanding of the universe
Male dragonflies' dramatic aerial combat maneuvers emerge from relatively simple vision-based rules
Ancient asteroid impacts may have done more than reshape Earth's surface—they could have helped spark life itself。 New computer models show the collisions created enormous underground hydrothermal systems by cracking the planet's crust and allowing hot water to flow through it。 These long-lasting, life-friendly environments may have covered much of
A strange gamma-ray glow at the center of the Milky Way has long sparked debate over whether it comes from hidden neutron stars or elusive dark matter。 By applying machine learning to more than a million simulated observations, researchers included photon energy data for the first time and reached a different conclusion than many earlier studies
Top robotics researchers and founders explain how robot autonomy is evolving
A newly proposed quantum sensing technique could make it much easier to identify one of physics’ newest and most intriguing classes of magnets: altermagnets。 These unusual materials, discovered only a few years ago, appear to combine the speed and efficiency of antiferromagnets with some of the useful electronic properties of traditional magnets, m
Researchers found that twisting layered sheets of hexagonal boron nitride can dramatically change the light produced by quantum emitters embedded within the material。 The technique offers an unexpected new level of control over components that could power future quantum computers, communications systems, and sensors
Researchers have proposed that black holes stop evaporating at the last moment, leaving behind tiny remnants that preserve all the information they contain。 The same seven-dimensional geometry behind this idea could also help explain why elementary particles have mass
A strange "chirping" signal from a distant supernova has revealed the birth of a magnetar, confirming that these incredibly magnetic neutron stars can power the universe's brightest stellar explosions。 The discovery also marks the first time Einstein's general relativity has been used to explain the mechanics of a supernova
A new study suggests Earth may have been sending tiny hitchhikers to Venus for billions of years。 Researchers found that asteroid impacts could launch microbes into space, where some might survive the journey and end up suspended in Venus' clouds。 If future missions detect life there, there's a surprising chance it didn't originate on Venus at all—
Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth。 They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism could have unpredictable effects on Earth's ecosystems。 By using robotic handling systems on the Moon, researchers hope to eliminate the risk of accident
A new sunlight-powered material can convert visible light into higher-energy UV light, overcoming a challenge that has frustrated scientists for years。 The breakthrough could enable cleaner air purification, solar-driven chemistry, and advanced manufacturing technologies using nothing more than natural sunlight
Astronomers may have witnessed one of the rarest and most dramatic cosmic events ever seen: a long-sought intermediate-mass black hole ripping apart a dense white dwarf star and devouring it。 The Einstein Probe space telescope caught the explosion in its earliest moments, revealing an unusual sequence of intense X-ray flashes unlike anything seen i