Physicists at Penn State and Columbia University have made a groundbreaking discovery, spotting the “smoking gun” signature of semi-Dirac fermions, a type of quasiparticle predicted by theorists 16 years ago. These quasiparticles exhibit a unique property, behaving like they have mass only when moving in a certain direction. The team used a crystal of the…
Unusually dry conditions and hurricane-force seasonal winds have fueled multiple fast-moving and destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County, forcing over 100,000 people to evacuate and killing at least two people. The blazes, driven by Santa Ana winds and high fuel loads, have burned over 6,400 hectares and destroyed around 1,000 structures. Climate scientists warn that…
A team of astronomers has discovered that Sun-like stars produce “superflares” around once every 100 years, which is a significant increase from previous estimates of every 3000 to 6000 years. This finding could have important implications for forecasting space weather and understanding the potential impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere, electrical grids, and radio communications. The…
A recent study published in Nature Medicine has revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly improve breast cancer detection rates. The research, conducted in Germany, found that AI-assisted mammography screening identified one more cancer case per 1,000 screened individuals compared to traditional methods. This breakthrough has the potential to streamline the screening process and reduce…
Physicists in the US have made a significant breakthrough in the development of nuclear clocks, a technology that could revolutionize timekeeping and open up new possibilities for scientific research. By using physical vapour deposition (PVD) to create layers of thorium fluoride, researchers have been able to reduce the amount of expensive and radioactive thorium-229 needed…
A recent study published in Science suggests that the demise of most of Australia’s kangaroo species 40,000 years ago may have been caused by human hunters rather than climate change. The researchers analyzed the teeth of 937 kangaroos and found that they were generalists, consuming a variety of foods, which contradicts previous assumptions that they…
Researchers at the University of Strathclyde have made a groundbreaking discovery in recycling colloidal quantum dots used in supraparticle lasers. The team developed a simple and practical technique to recover 85% of the quantum dots, which can be reused to build new lasers with a photoluminescence quantum yield comparable to those made from new particles….
Mathematicians have made a groundbreaking discovery in number theory, unlocking the secrets of irrational numbers. A team of researchers has developed a new method for proving the irrationality of numbers, which has been a long-standing challenge in mathematics. The breakthrough, led by Frank Calegari, Vesselin Dimitrov, and Yunqing Tang, has already led to the proof…
Scientists have discovered a new way to study supercell thunderstorms and their devastating tornadoes using muons, subatomic particles produced by cosmic rays. Researchers propose using a large detector to measure the atmospheric pressure within a storm, which could help understand the formation of tornadoes. This breakthrough could lead to improved forecasting and warning systems for…
Physicists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of particle physics by using the principle of entanglement entropy to study the behavior of quarks and gluons in high-energy electron-proton collisions. The research, led by Kong Tu at Brookhaven National Laboratory, reveals that quarks and gluons in protons are deeply entangled and approach a state…
