Laser Fusion Experiment Unleashes an Energetic Burst of Optimism
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: Scientists have come tantalizingly close to reproducing the power of the sun -- albeit only in a speck of hydrogen for a fraction of a second. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.....»»
Engineers pair laser light to crystal lattice vibrations to enhance optical properties of 2D material
Engineers at Columbia University and theoretical collaborators at the Max Planck for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter have found that pairing laser light to crystal lattice vibrations can enhance the nonlinear optical properties of a layered 2D m.....»»
Constraining the dynamics of rotating black holes via the gauge symmetry principle
In 2015, the LIGO/Virgo experiment, a large-scale research effort based at two observatories in the United States, led to the first direct observation of gravitational waves. This important milestone has since prompted physicists worldwide to devise.....»»
5 best Prime Video shows of 2023, ranked
The five best Prime Video shows of 2023 include a hilarious hidden camera experiment, a David Cronenberg remake, and a bloody superhero spinoff......»»
Hubble sights a galaxy with "forbidden" light
This whirling image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014, which is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. In addition to being a well-defined spiral galaxy, MCG-01-24-014 has an extremely energetic core known as an active.....»»
A new map shows all above-ground biomass in the Brazilian Amazon
Publication of a new map showing all the above-ground biomass in the Brazilian Amazon is good news in the context of the severe crisis afflicting the world's largest contiguous tropical rainforest. Using airborne laser scanning and satellite imagery.....»»
Research team develops optical technique for simultaneously producing and shaping gigahertz burst pulses
The generation and manipulation of high-repetition pulses hold great promise across various applications, including high-speed photography, laser processing, and acoustic wave generation. Gigahertz (GHz) burst pulses, with intervals ranging from ~0.0.....»»
NASA"s GUSTO prepares to map space between the stars
On a vast ice sheet in Antarctica, scientists and engineers are preparing a NASA experiment called GUSTO to explore the universe on a balloon. GUSTO will launch from the Ross Ice Shelf, near the U.S. National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station rese.....»»
The feline frontier: NASA sends cat video from deep space
NASA on Monday announced it had used a state-of-the-art laser communication system on a spaceship 19 million miles (31 million kilometers) away from Earth—to send a high-definition cat video......»»
A NASA cat video in deep space just did something very special
NASA has streamed the first ultra-HD video (of a cat!) via laser from deep space, paving the way for higher-data-rate communications in future missions......»»
Breakthrough Listen scans entire galaxies for signals from extremely advanced civilizations
In 1960, Dr. Frank Drake led the first Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) experiment at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. In the more than sixty years that have since passed, astronomers have conducte.....»»
If you love Dead Cells, you need to try this sci-fi roguelike next
Trinity Fusion is a sci-fi roguelike that fans of Dead Cells (and Metroid) will want to check out......»»
Newly developed material gulps down hydrogen, spits it out, protects fusion reactor walls
University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers have used a spray coating technology to produce a new workhorse material that can withstand the harsh conditions inside a fusion reactor......»»
Ultrafast laser technology could offer improved cancer treatment
Ultrafast laser technology continues to surprise. While research in this field may seem rather abstract at first glance, it very often leads to concrete applications. This is particularly true in health care, where the technology can be used to treat.....»»
NASA"s space station laser comm terminal achieves first link
A NASA technology experiment on the International Space Station completed its first laser link with an in-orbit laser relay system on Dec. 5, 2023. Together, they complete NASA's first two-way, end-to-end laser relay system......»»
"Weak tea": Climate scientists push back against COP28 cheer
A UN climate deal that approved a call to transition away from fossil fuels has been hailed as a major milestone and a cause for at least cautious optimism......»»
Webb identifies tiniest free-floating brown dwarf
Brown dwarfs are sometimes called failed stars, since they form like stars through gravitational collapse, but never gain enough mass to ignite nuclear fusion. The smallest brown dwarfs can overlap in mass with giant planets. In a quest to find the s.....»»
Researchers create stable hybrid laser by 3D printing micro-optics onto fibers
For the first time, researchers have shown that 3D-printed polymer-based micro-optics can withstand the heat and power levels that occur inside a laser. The advance enables inexpensive, compact, and stable laser sources that would be useful in a vari.....»»
Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned, or thinned
A 20-year experiment in the Sierra Nevada confirms that different forest management techniques—prescribed burning, restoration thinning or a combination of both—are effective at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire in California......»»
Scientists use large scientific facilities to test the synthesis and characterization of polymeric nitrogen
Polymeric nitrogen (PN), formed under high temperature and pressure conditions, is considered an ideal high energy density material (HEDM). Its application prospects extend beyond the field of energetic materials, showing significant relevance in the.....»»
Potential signs of life on Mars might be easier to find than first thought
A school science experiment is answering questions that are out of this world. While there had been concerns that any evidence of organic matter on Mars might be obscured by the planet's geology, new research suggests this might not be the case......»»