Phys.org news
Phys.org / Leafcutter ants have blind spots, just like truck drivers
We have all been in that situation: The moving boxes are large and heavy, but we are determined to carry them all in one trip, even if that means we can't see where we're going. In the tropics, some leafcutter ants face a ...
Phys.org / Splitting water: How order and disorder direct chemical reactivity
In nature, the behavior of systems—whether large or small—is always governed by a few fundamental principles. For instance, objects fall downward because it minimizes their energy. At the same time, order and disorder ...
Phys.org / Bamboo-based plastic can be made to biodegrade quickly, but still holds up in tough conditions
A new method to produce strong, biodegradable plastic from bamboo is reported in Nature Communications this week. The bioplastic resembles oil-based plastics in strength, shapability, and thermal stability but can biodegrade ...
Phys.org / The world's snow leopards are very similar genetically—findings suggest that doesn't bode well for their future
There are relatively few snow leopards in the world, and it has likely been that way for a long time, a new study indicates. This situation increases their risk of extinction in a changing environment.
Phys.org / Observing quantum weirdness in our world: Nobel physics explained
The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists on Tuesday for discovering that a bizarre barrier-defying phenomenon in the quantum realm could be observed on an electrical circuit in our classical world.
Phys.org / Neutron scanning of coral fossils reveals Earth's hidden climate history
A University of Sydney student has developed a completely new way to peer inside coral fossils to recover lost records of past climate change.
Phys.org / Between rain and snow, machine learning finds nine precipitation types
In research that could improve weather forecasting and winter driving safety, a University of Michigan-led study distinguished nine distinct precipitation types—varieties of rain, snow and mixed-phase (e.g., sleet)—using ...
Phys.org / A safer solvent for organic chemistry labs
The solvent dichloromethane, or DCM, is commonly used to strip paint and cut grease. It's also what generations of chemistry students have used to dissolve pain reliever tablets in a lab exercise designed to teach them how ...
Phys.org / Two-step excitation unlocks and steers exotic nanolight
An international team of researchers has developed a novel technique to efficiently excite and control highly-confined light-matter waves, known as higher-order hyperbolic phonon polaritons. Their method not only sets new ...
Phys.org / First device based on 'optical thermodynamics' can route light without switches
A team of researchers at the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has created a new breakthrough in photonics: the design of the first optical device that follows the emerging framework of optical ...
Phys.org / Polymer scaffold can self-assemble in tissue to deliver multiple vaccine components over time
Sometimes, the best way to achieve a big outcome is to start small. That principle is at the center of new work from a University of Virginia researcher who specializes in nanotechnology and controlled delivery of medical ...
Phys.org / Powerful and precise multi-color lasers now fit on a single chip
A few years ago, researchers in Michal Lipson's lab noticed something remarkable. They were working on a project to improve LiDAR, a technology that uses lightwaves to measure distance. The lab was designing high-power chips ...
