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Tech Xplore / Why solid-state batteries keep short-circuiting
Batteries that use solid metal as their charge-carrying electrolyte could potentially be a safer and far more energy-dense alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, these solid-state batteries have been plagued ...
Phys.org / Finding order in disorder: New mechanism amplifies transverse electron transport
For decades, it has been widely believed that electrons move most efficiently in materials that are clean and highly ordered. Much like water flowing more easily through a smooth pipe, conventional wisdom has held that electrical ...
Phys.org / Is nectar naturally spiked? What widespread low-level ethanol could mean for pollinators
As bees and hummingbirds flit from flower to flower, greedily sipping nectar in exchange for pollination, the animals often get another treat: alcohol. In the first broad analysis of the alcohol content of flower nectars, ...
Phys.org / Trapped subsurface heat may have triggered Antarctica's sudden sea ice loss
In 2016, Antarctic sea ice, which had previously shown record expansion, shifted rapidly toward unusually low levels. This abrupt shift left scientists scratching their heads, wondering why it had vanished so quickly despite ...
Tech Xplore / Harvesting heat and electricity from the sun, when you need it
Solar energy is abundant and frustratingly ill-timed. A sunbeam can become either electricity (useful for running modern life) or heat (useful for keeping spaces warm). But conventional solar hardware is single-minded: Photovoltaic ...
Tech Xplore / Turning biomass into graphite could help the US secure a critical mineral supply
Soft, dark-gray graphite is not just useful in pencils: The highly conductive and heat-resistant mineral is uniquely suited for advanced manufacturing. Yet the United States imports nearly half of the graphite it needs to ...
Medical Xpress / How inflammation may prime the gut for cancer
Chronic inflammation can raise a person's risk of cancer, and a new study reveals key details about how that might happen in the gut and points to better ways to identify and reduce risk. Scientists at the Broad Institute ...
Phys.org / First microlasers capable of detecting individual molecules and ions could one day aid diagnosis
Scientists have created the first microlasers capable of detecting individual molecules and even single atomic ions, a breakthrough that could significantly advance early disease diagnosis and molecular-scale medical testing. ...
Phys.org / Now you see it, now you don't: Material can transition between quantum states
A team of scientists led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has identified a rare, switchable quantum property in a new type of nickel sulfide material. The discovery could have applications ...
Phys.org / Protein modification discovery opens cancer therapy possibilities
A research team led by Purdue University's W. Andy Tao has discovered a new type of protein modification related to cellular mutation that impairs a crucial enzyme's ability to help drive energy processes. Their discovery, ...
Phys.org / Importance of sublimation for the Rocky Mountain snowpack highlighted in study
This past winter, the Rocky Mountains experienced an historic snow drought, a worrying development for the tens of millions of people in the arid American West who depend on snowmelt for water. Now, a new study in the journal ...
Tech Xplore / Fragmented phone use—not total screen time—is the main driver of information overload, study finds
Amid hot discussion on screen time, social media use and the impact of digital devices on our well-being, a seven-month study from Aalto University in Finland sheds new light on what overwhelms users the most—and the results ...
