Phys.org news
Phys.org / Thinner wires, faster electrons: Quantum material challenges copper at chip scale
Electrical interconnects may very well be the unsung heroes of modern microchips. These tiny wires—typically made of copper due to its high conductivity—string together the billions of transistors that drive our computers ...
Phys.org / To learn how tough a material is, engineers find its breaking point
A recent study examined a transparent material used in high-impact applications such as helicopter windshields at the molecular level to measure its toughness. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and ...
Phys.org / A scheme to verify gates of a quantum computer without examining devices
Quantum computers, systems that process information using the principles of quantum mechanics, could solve some problems that cannot be tackled by the classical computers currently used worldwide. Despite their potential, ...
Phys.org / Australia's most diverse marsupial predators have been hiding their origins for millions of years
When you think of carnivorous marsupials, you probably picture the Tasmanian devil or perhaps a spotted-tailed quoll. But these famous predators are only the largest members of a remarkable family of marsupials called dasyurids.
Phys.org / Sun holds 55% more silver than estimated, new model reveals
Researchers at Uppsala University have calculated that the sun contains 55% more silver than previously estimated. The results are based on more realistic modeling of the sun's atmosphere and resolve a long-standing problem ...
Phys.org / A source of extremely high-energy particles in the Milky Way identified
Cosmic rays are made primarily of protons with a few electrons sprinkled in, and they can reach energies even higher than what human-made accelerators can produce. Considering human-made accelerators, such as the Large Hadron ...
Phys.org / Portable system cuts PFAS testing time to hours
For communities worried about PFAS contamination, waiting for test results can mean days of uncertainty. A University of Tasmania trial has used a mobile laboratory equipped with portable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry ...
Phys.org / How an influx of salt may affect microbial ecosystems in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters worldwide
As sea levels rise due to climate change, encroaching seawater will likely make freshwater environments saltier. In a new study, MIT researchers have shown how that increase in salinity might affect microbial ecosystems found ...
Phys.org / How human activities compromise coral health and resilience
Human activities are fundamentally altering the chemical makeup of coral reefs, according to a study led by the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and published in Nature Communications. The research team discovered that 25 contaminants ...
Phys.org / Aboriginal people harvested this native grass for millennia: Scientists find an odd trait in its DNA
Seen from the air, Channel Country resembles a vibrant, vast tapestry, with a network of waterways crisscrossing the land. Spread across more than 280,000 square kilometers (108,000 square miles) in outback Australia, it ...
Phys.org / Bones reveal ancient Egyptian princesses born 4,000 years ago used weapons
For decades, scientists have disputed the meaning of the weapons found in the burial chambers of some ancient Egyptian princesses. Were they symbolic or practical tools? Now, a reassessment of five royal women's mummies from ...
Phys.org / Single fission experiment maps excess gamma rays from more than a dozen unstable nuclei
In a single experiment, physicists have measured the "excess" emission of high-energy gamma rays from more than a dozen heavy, unstable atomic nuclei. Mapping the gamma-ray emissions of so many isotopes produced in nuclear ...
