The shadow of a laser beam can be seen as the small dark line across the blue lightR. A. Abrahao, H. P. N. Morin, J. T. R. Pagé, A. Safari, R. W. Boyd, J. S. LundeenA new experiment has demonstrated something seemingly impossible: light casting its own shadow. When a laser is manipulated in...
Credit: PixabayThe term "atom," derived from Latin for "indivisible," can be misleading. A recent simulation by U.S. theoretical physicists has provided a detailed microscopic view of how an atom splits in two, shedding light on an energetic event that has significantly impacted science and technology.In 1938, physicists Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner, and Fritz Strassmann...
An artist's impression of the new nuclear clockOliver Diekmann, TU WienAtomic clocks are currently the most precise timekeepers, losing only seconds over billions of years. However, nuclear clocks could potentially surpass them, enhancing GPS and internet technologies. Scientists have now developed and tested the first prototype nuclear clock.Atomic clocks measure time by counting the...
The team used a lab device that beamed laser light at water to observe the evaporative effects of lightBryce VickmarkWe commonly understand that water evaporates with rising temperatures, but researchers have unveiled another critical element. This revelation could unravel enduring atmospheric puzzles and pave the way for future technological strides.The breakthrough by the MIT...
Credit: PixabayOlder mathematical theories may finally clarify the behavior of granular materials, which can act as solids or flow like liquids unpredictably.Consider the sand in an hourglass versus the sand on a beach. When poured slowly through a narrow opening, materials like sand, rice, or coffee flow easily. However, pouring or compressing these materials...
They aimed to capture footage of the swiftest phenomenon known to humanity. Credit: Shutterstock.If you're an avid Internet user, chances are you're familiar with the Slow Mo Guys, the YouTube sensation dedicated to capturing a wide array of intriguing moments in slow motion. From bullets colliding mid-air to Will Smith wielding a formidable flamethrower,...
Despite sharing the same charge, which traditionally leads to repulsion, scientists from Kiel and Dresden have observed a peculiar behavior in hydrogen. Under specific circumstances, electrons in hydrogen form pairs, a phenomenon notably visible when subjected to X-ray irradiation. Credit: Jan Vorberger.Hydrogen, the fundamental element that shapes the cosmos, stars, and planets while also...
Credit: Unsplash.The discovery of quantum Hall effects in the 1980s revealed the existence of new forms of matter known as "Laughlin states," named after the American Nobel laureate who successfully characterized them theoretically.These great states manifest uniquely in two-dimensional materials under extremely cold conditions and intense magnetic fields. In a Laughlin state, electrons form an unusual...
An isolated blob of turbulence is created by the repeated collision of eight vortex rings. (Left) Contained turbulence is illustrated by the breakdown of the blob's energy into the mean flow (yellow) and fluctuating (blue) components. (Right) Inside the chaotic blob, highly erratic tracer particle trajectories are shown. Credit: Matsuzawa et al.According to a...
Coffee. Credit: Portfolio coffee.Espresso coffee is a popular beverage brewed by grinding roasted coffee beans into grains and then forcing hot water at high pressure through a bed of coffee grains to dissolve the soluble content of the coffee and produce espresso. However, recent research has found that more finely ground coffee beans make...
