Breakthrough

The magnetic properties of a material can affect how it interacts with light. Credit: Ihar Faniayeu/University of GothenburgResearchers have discovered how to make an optical metamaterial that would underpin a variety of new technologies.A new approach has allowed researchers at Aalto University to create a kind of metamaterial that has so far been beyond the reach of existing technologies. Unlike natural materials, metamaterials and metasurfaces can be tailored to have specific electromagnetic properties, which means…

An illustration of a brain cell in a person with Alzheimer’s disease, showing the accumulation and clumping of tau proteins (blue squiggles) in the cytoplasm of a brain cell. Protein clumps, also known as aggregates, are thought to lead to cell death and dementia. New research suggests that such clumps may not cause brain cell death directly, but rather throw the cell’s response to stress off balance so that it never gets switched off. Credit: National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of HealthResearch from UC…

Researchers have developed a new catalyst that enhances the degradation of harmful pollutants at lower temperatures, using nitrogen-doped biomass carbon. This breakthrough, detailed in a study by Zhejiang University, offers a sustainable and cost-effective approach to environmental pollution mitigation, emphasizing the potential of biomass-derived materials in improving environmental protection efforts.Scientists have achieved notable progress in reducing environmental pollution by improving the performance of…

An agar plate containing colonies of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, one of the drug-resistant strains the synthetic compound cresomycin has shown to combat. Credit: Myers Research GroupCresomycin, a groundbreaking antibiotic developed by Harvard scientists, targets drug-resistant bacteria with improved binding to ribosomes, offering hope against global antimicrobial resistance.A new antibiotic created by Harvard researchers overcomes antimicrobial resistance mechanisms that have rendered many modern drugs ineffective and…

The weak gravitational pull on a particle just half the mass of a grain of sand has been measured for the first time. This most precise measurement of its kind is a breakthrough towards the quantum realm and a potential Theory of Everything.Of the universe’s four fundamental forces – gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces – gravity is the one we’re most familiar with in everyday life, but it’s actually the only one that we can’t currently explain using the Standard Model of particle physics, our…

San Francisco-based startup IndyKite has unveiled an enterprise data platform that leverages identity to ensure trust and accuracy in AI and analytics applications. Powered by an identity knowledge graph, IndyKite provides a unified data layer that brings together siloed identity and business data sources into a single validated data asset.   This enables organizations to enhance security, build trust in data, drive revenue through intelligence products and subscriptions, and simplify compliance across the enterprise data…

The fractional quantum Hall effect has generally been seen under very high magnetic fields, but MIT physicists have now observed it in simple graphene. In a five-layer graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) moire superlattice, electrons (blue ball) interact with each other strongly and behave as if they are broken into fractional charges. Credit: Sampson Wilcox, RLEAn exotic electronic state observed by MIT physicists could enable more robust forms of quantum computing.The electron is the basic unit of electricity, as it…

In what many of us would consider a true public service to one of the world's best food groups, scientists have flicked the switch on a mechanism that causes cold-stored potatoes to produce the carcinogen acrylamide. Growing these genetically tinkered potatoes could eradicate known cancer risks associated with darkened chips, making them much healthier regardless of processing."This discovery represents a significant advancement in our understanding of potato development and its implications for food quality and health,”…

New research has uncovered the importance of atomic ring structures in glass, revealing how their stability influences glass’s performance and transition temperatures. This advance in understanding glass’s molecular dynamics aids in designing better glass products for high-performance applications.Glass is increasingly utilized in various high-performance areas, covering consumer and industrial applications, military and aerospace electronics, as well as coatings and optics. Given the stringent accuracy required in…

An international research team has made a pivotal discovery in high-temperature superconductivity by quantifying the pseudogap pairing in fermionic lithium atoms. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of quantum superfluidity but also holds promise for enhancing global energy efficiency through advancements in computing, storage, and sensor technologies. Credit: SciTechDaily.comScientists have made a discovery that may help to unlock the microscopic mystery of high-temperature superconductivityThe paper…