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Phys.org / Measuring time at the quantum level depends on material symmetry

EPFL physicists have found a way to measure the time involved in quantum events and found it depends on the symmetry of the material. "The concept of time has troubled philosophers and physicists for thousands of years, and ...

4 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Tuning topological superconductors into existence by adjusting the ratio of two elements

Today's most powerful computers hit a wall when tackling certain problems, from designing new drugs to cracking encryption codes. Error-free quantum computers promise to overcome those challenges, but building them requires ...

21 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / MXenes for energy storage: More versatile than expected

MXene materials are promising candidates for a new energy storage technology. However, the processes by which the charge storage takes place were not yet fully understood. A team at HZB has examined, for the first time, individual ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Reading the moon's diary, one speck of dust at a time

Magnetism on the moon has always been a bit confusing. Remote sensing probes have noted there is some magnetic signature, but far from the strong cocoon that surrounds Earth itself. Previous attempts to detect it in returned ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Tech Xplore / Neptunium study yields plutonium insights for space exploration

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are breathing new life into the scientific understanding of neptunium, a unique, radioactive, metallic element—and a key precursor for production of ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Energy & Green Tech
Phys.org / One-of-a-kind 'plasma tunnel' recreates extreme conditions spacecraft face upon reentry

Picture a spacecraft returning to Earth after a long journey. The vehicle slams into the planet's atmosphere at roughly 17,000 miles per hour. A shockwave erupts. Molecules in the air are ripped apart, forming a plasma—a ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Tech Xplore / A programmable, Lego-like material for robots emulates life's flexibility

Mechanical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a proof-of-concept method for programming mechanical properties into solid Lego-like building blocks. By controlling the solidity of hundreds of individual cells in ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Robotics
Phys.org / Solid, iron-rich megastructure under Hawaii slows seismic waves and may drive plume upwelling

Mantle plumes beneath volcanic hotspots, like Hawaii, Iceland, and the Galapagos, seem to be anchored into a large structure within the core-mantle boundary (CMB). A new study, published in Science Advances, takes a deeper ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / AI challenges established norms in higher education

Studies from the Department of Communication and Learning in Science show that AI tools such as ChatGPT are not merely being used as support in students' studies. In fact, they may be reshaping how students perceive knowledge ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Weight-loss drugs are creating an environmental disaster—a new water-based method aims to change that

The world is in the middle of a peptide drug revolution. These short chains of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—sit at the heart of some of the most successful medicines ever created, from weight-loss injections ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Ultra-thin metasurface chip turns invisible infrared light into steerable visible beams

The invention of tiny devices capable of precisely controlling the direction and behavior of light is essential to the development of advanced technologies. Researchers at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Physics
Tech Xplore / Mechanical engineers' wood-based material could cut energy costs

University of Texas at Dallas researchers and their collaborators have developed and patented a wood-based material that can store and discharge heat to help make building temperatures more comfortable without using electricity. ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Engineering