How physics can help us make sense of multiverse madness
If you're a fan of science fiction films, you'll likely be familiar with the idea of alternate universes—hypothetical planes of existence with different versions of ourselves. As far from reality as it sounds, it is a question that scientists have.....»»
Do bacteria age?
Any organism that lives, grows and reproduces must also age. People often think of aging in the physical sense—gray hair, slowed movements and wrinkles—but aging fundamentally occurs on a molecular level, inside of cells......»»
Cosmology is at a tipping point—we may be on the verge of discovering new physics
For the past few years, a series of controversies have rocked the well-established field of cosmology. In a nutshell, the predictions of the standard model of the universe appear to be at odds with some recent observations......»»
Researchers simulate novel metal-filtered VCSEL modal control
A study led by researchers from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed a novel metal-dielectric film mode filter structure that can flexibly regulate transverse modes in vertical-cavi.....»»
Remembering where your meals came from key for a small bird’s survival
For small birds, remembering where the food is beats forgetting when it's gone. Enlarge (credit: BirdImages) It seems like common sense that being smart should increase the chances of survival in wild animals. Yet for a.....»»
How bacteria actively use passive physics to make biofilms
When we think about bacteria, we may imagine single cells swimming in solution. However, similarly to humans, bacterial cells often socialize, using surfaces to coalesce into complex heterogeneous communities called biofilms. Within a group, bacteria.....»»
Novel Mössbauer scheme proposed for gravitation wave detection
Scientists at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed an innovative method to realize gravitational wave detection by utilizing Mössbauer resonance. Their findings, recently published in Science B.....»»
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope produces its first magnetic field maps of the sun"s corona
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, the world's most powerful solar telescope, operated by the NSF National Solar Observatory (NSO), achieved a major breakthrough in solar physics by successfully producing its first detailed maps of the sun's coron.....»»
Making sense of the strikingly different ways consumers and economists view markets
When it comes to the very basics of economics—production, trade and labor—average consumers and economists are on vastly different pages......»»
25 years ago, this underrated supernatural thriller was overshadowed by The Sixth Sense
Twenty-five years ago, this acclaimed supernatural thriller was overshadowed at the box office by The Sixth Sense. Does it still hold up after all this time?.....»»
Fluctuating hydrodynamics theory could describe chaotic many-body systems, study suggests
Although systems consisting of many interacting small particles can be highly complex and chaotic, some can nonetheless be described using simple theories. Does this also pertain to the world of quantum physics?.....»»
Researchers examine protein arrangement in cell membrane that triggers programmed cell death
How can molecular structures be analyzed when the resolution of the techniques available is not sufficient? Researchers from the fields of physics, chemistry and medicine at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have combined and further develo.....»»
Surf therapy connects people to water—ocean health depends on this "blue attunement"
As a lifelong surfer, born to pioneering surfing parents and named after a wave, the ocean has shaped my identity and sense of belonging. The movement and touch of ocean waves ignites a whole cascade of changes in emotions in me and affects how I sen.....»»
Making sense of crime scene DNA patterns
Piecing together the evidence to accurately replicate the movements of a culprit at a crime scene is becoming a more exact science, with new investigations by Flinders University and other experts on various DNA transfer scenarios......»»
AI shines a new light on exoplanets
Researchers from LMU, the ORIGINS Excellence Cluster, the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), and the ORIGINS Data Science Lab (ODSL) have made an important breakthrough in the analysis of exoplanet atmospheres......»»
Ars Technica system guide: Falling prices are more exciting than new parts
Falling prices mean you can get more for your money than you could last year. Enlarge / AMD's Ryzen 7700X makes enough sense to feature in our higher-end gaming build. (credit: Andrew Cunningham) It's been a while since.....»»
BOLT-1B hypersonic experiment soars and collects vital data
The Boundary Layer Transition 1B (BOLT-1B) experiment, a joint research project of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), blasted off from Andøya Spac.....»»
Adding an alternating magnetic field to layers of twisted graphene creates even more exotic properties
Magnetic fields can engineer flat bands in twisted graphene layers to create a new playground for exotic physics, RIKEN physicists have shown......»»
Long-range-interacting topological photonic lattices breaking channel-bandwidth limit
Topological physics, which focuses on physical quantities that remain invariant under deformations, has garnered widespread interest in different areas of physics—photonics, quantum computing, solid-state physics, acoustics, and electronic circuits.....»»
RNA editing plays critical role in fruit flies" sense of smell and social interactions
Imagine your DNA as a set of instructions or a recipe book that tells your body how to make everything it needs to function, from proteins to cells. Every time the body needs to build something, it reads these instructions. But sometimes, the body ca.....»»
FX releases chilling teaser and logline for Alien: Earth, Noah Hawley’s sci-fi series
More Xenomorph madness is on the way in the first teaser for FX's Alien: Earth, the upcoming series from creator Noah Hawley......»»