How a really cold bath can help unravel the mysteries of the cosmos

A new “bathtub” experiment has allowed physicists to measure the lifetime of a free neutron far more precisely than ever before. The breakthrough could help probe the fringes of the Standard Model of particle physics, as well as mysteries like dark mat… Continue reading How a really cold bath can help unravel the mysteries of the cosmos

Scientists map the boundary of interstellar space for the first time

As a massive bubble encasing the solar system that stretches across tens of billions of miles and protects us from harmful interstellar radiation, there is a lot for us to learn about the heliosphere. Scientists have uncovered some new details around t… Continue reading Scientists map the boundary of interstellar space for the first time

Scientists map the boundary of interstellar space for the first time

As a massive bubble encasing the solar system that stretches across tens of billions of miles and protects us from harmful interstellar radiation, there is a lot for us to learn about the heliosphere. Scientists have uncovered some new details around t… Continue reading Scientists map the boundary of interstellar space for the first time

Nuclear tests forged “impossible” crystals out of sand and copper wiring

Scientists have discovered a strange new form of crystal that was forged in the world’s first nuclear weapons test. Known as a “quasicrystal,” the curious creation is made out of desert sand and copper wiring arranged in an extremely rare atomic struct… Continue reading Nuclear tests forged “impossible” crystals out of sand and copper wiring

Quantum time travel doesn’t follow Back to the Future rules

Time travel movies have different rules about what happens when you start messing around with the timeline. If you’ve ever wondered which ones make the most sense, we may now have an answer. According to experiments using a quantum time travel simulato… Continue reading Quantum time travel doesn’t follow Back to the Future rules

US government outlines plans for “unhackable” national quantum internet

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced and detailed a blueprint for a national quantum internet that would be super-fast and nigh on unhackable. The document describes four research areas that need to be given priority in order to develop the … Continue reading US government outlines plans for “unhackable” national quantum internet

Fractal void cubes could make for better shock-dissipating armor

The microscopic structure of a material plays a huge role in how well it absorbs impacts, and now researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have hit upon a structure that works particularly well. The team 3D-printed cubes with fractal voids inside … Continue reading Fractal void cubes could make for better shock-dissipating armor

Artificial intelligence chips benefit from a good night’s sleep

Artificial neurons are already far more human-like than traditional computers, and now it turns out they might also need sleep to function at their peak. And it’s not just a matter of turning them off every now and then – a new study shows that the neu… Continue reading Artificial intelligence chips benefit from a good night’s sleep

Scientists give quantum dot solar cells a detox

Among their many uses, quantum dots have shown promise as photovoltaic materials in solar cells. Now, researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have developed a new type of quantum dot solar cell that isn’t made with the toxic elements found… Continue reading Scientists give quantum dot solar cells a detox