Ward: Education

696

Rare Hall effect reveals design pathways for advanced spintronic materials

Scientists at Ames National Laboratory, in collaboration with Indranil Das's group at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (India), have found a surprising electronic feature in transitional metal-based compounds that could pave the way for a new class of spintronic materials for computing and memo…

543

Mysterious, thermally insulating patches at the base of Earth's mantle

With modern seismic tomography, Earth scientists have discovered that above Earth's core-mantle boundary (CMB), about 2,900 kilometers beneath our feet, there is a thin layer about 300 kilometers thick with remarkable structural complexity and compositional heterogeneity. Among these features are sm…

458

Promising new superconducting material discovered with the help of AI

Tohoku University and Fujitsu Limited have successfully used AI to derive new insights into the superconductivity mechanism of a new superconducting material.

449

Promising new superconducting material discovered with the help of AI

Tohoku University and Fujitsu Limited have successfully used AI to derive new insights into the superconductivity mechanism of a new superconducting material.

436

Ultra-high-resolution lidar reveals hidden cloud structures

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have developed a new type of lidar—a laser-based remote-sensing instrument—that can observe cloud structures at the scale of a single centimeter. The scientists used this high-resolution lidar to dir…

440

Hidden brain maps that make empathy feel physical

When we watch someone move, get injured, or express emotion, our brain doesn’t just see it—it partially feels it. Researchers found eight body-like maps in the visual cortex that organize what we see in the same way the brain organizes touch. These maps help us instantly understand actions, emotions…

441

Next-Level Quantum Computers Will Almost Be Useful

SummaryQuantum computing aims for error correction by 2026, with Microsoft, Atom Computing, and QuEra leading efforts to deliver small, error-corrected machines.Neutral atoms offer maneuverability and parallelism, enabling error correction and a plausible path to scaling up.Industry perspectives var…

355

Why a chiral magnet is a direction-dependent street for electrons

RIKEN physicists have discovered for the first time why the magnitude of the electron flow depends on direction in a special kind of magnet. This finding could help to realize future low-energy devices.

355

Passive adaptation mechanism reveals how cells balance their protein levels

Every cell depends on proteins to function and stay healthy. These proteins are made inside the cell from amino acids, but cannot simply accumulate inside the cell forever. Once they have done their job or become damaged, the cell needs to clear them out.

331

A quantum leap for antimatter measurements

The demonstration of the first antimatter quantum bit paves the way for substantially improved tests of nature’s fundamental symmetries.

331

Fire-blocking chemicals promise safer buildings

New treatments promise to make buildings fire-resistant without using older, toxic chemicals.

338

New tool predicts road expansion, deforestation and disease hotspots

Researchers have developed a tool that reliably predicts where destructive new roads are likely to carve through tropical forests, giving environmentalists and public health officials a head-start in identifying at-risk areas and potential disease outbreaks in humans.

333

Did you solve it? The forgotten Dutch invention that created the modern world

The answer to today’s engineering challengeEarlier today I asked you to reinvent a component of the sixteenth century Dutch sawmill, which – according to a new book – was the world’s first industrial machine. You can read that post here, along with some great BTL discussion about the world’s greates…

318

Ultrasound Treatment Takes on Cancer’s Toughest Tumors

For many years, doctors and technicians who performed medical ultrasound procedures viewed bubbles with wary concern. The phenomenon of cavitation—the formation and collapse of tiny gas bubbles due to changes in pressure—was considered an undesirable and largely uncontrollable side effect. But in 20…

333

The Hidden Brain Trick That Can Make Exercise Feel Easier

An international team of researchers is studying how vibration applied to tendons influences how people experience physical effort during exercise. Why does a brief jog leave some people feeling worn out while others appear to run with ease? Training level and muscle strength explain part of the dif…

320

Opinion: STAT+: China biotech’s Cambrian explosion

Chinese biotech is in the midst of a full-blown Cambrian explosion, writes Brian Finrow.

314

Emphasizing immigrants' deservingness can shift attitudes

A study conducted during the 2024 French elections finds that information about immigrants' efforts to overcome poverty and learn French reduces negative beliefs about immigration and modestly decreases opposition to immigration among voters. The study is published in the journal PNAS Nexus.

320

One pull of a string is all it takes to deploy these complex structures

A new method could enable users to design portable medical devices, like a splint, that can be rapidly converted from flat panels to a 3D object without any tools.

320

Revisited: why do we age in dramatic bursts, and what can we do about it? – podcast

Scientists are beginning to understand that ageing is not simply a linear process and we age, according to recent research, in three accelerated bursts: at about 40, 60 and 80 years old. In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to Stanford University’s Prof Michael Snyder, who explains what the d…

321

This ultra-sensitive imaging system can spot cancer earlier

A new imaging technology can distinguish cancerous tissue from healthy cells by detecting ultra-weak light signals. It relies on nanoparticles that bind to tumor markers, making cancerous areas easier to identify. The system is far more sensitive than existing tools and could speed up cancer screeni…