Asymmetry

A team of researchers has uncovered a novel way that molecules can interact non-reciprocally without external forces, through a mechanism involving kinetic asymmetry. This discovery challenges traditional views on molecular interactions and could have profound implications for understanding life’s evolution and designing molecular machines. Credit: SciTechDaily.comScientists have found that molecules can interact in a non-reciprocal manner without external forces, a discovery that could change our understanding of…

(a) Latitudinal variability in the temperature responses to LCCs (ΔTLCC) and in the ratios of ΔTLCC to the overall temperature variation (ΔT) at the same location over the same period; (b) seasonal ΔTLCC patterns in four latitude zones. Credit: Science China Press Land cover changes (LCCs) affect surface temperatures at local scale through biophysical processes. However, limited by the coarse spatial resolution of available…

Mountain glacier in China. Credit: Gene Taylor via Unsplash. Earth has experienced significant changes in its climate over the past ~2.6 million years (the Quaternary) with a series of glacial and interglacial cycles that have transformed our landscapes. This involves erosive action directly from glaciers moving across the area, as well as fluvial erosion from subsequent meltwater. In particular, mountain glaciers can erode…

Researchers conducted a record-breaking precision measurement of the electron’s electric dipole moment (eEDM) in search of asymmetry that could explain the existence of matter. Despite their improved precision, their results showed the electron to be symmetric, with no discernible asymmetry. Their study, though not providing a definitive answer, advances the understanding of the universe’s fundamental nature and points to alternatives beyond expensive particle accelerators for such investigations.JILA physicists make…

Representation of the time-asymmetry in the heterogeneous network dynamics unveiled by the study. Credit: KyotoU/Robin Hoshino Life, from the perspective of thermodynamics, is a system out of equilibrium, resisting tendencies towards increasing their levels of disorder. In such a state, the dynamics are irreversible over time. This link between the tendency toward disorder and irreversibility is expressed as the 'arrow of…

Jupiter isn't alone along its orbital path around the Sun. Two giant swarms of asteroids have been snared in the gravitational interaction between the gas giant and our star, leading and trailing Jupiter as it treads its cosmic measure.Between these swarms, known collectively as trojans, we've identified more than 12,000 asteroids to date, but there's a curious mystery that has baffled scientists: The leading swarm, known as the Greeks or L4 swarm, has significantly more asteroids than the trailing Trojans or L5, even…