Science

A research team has developed liquid-processed thin-film transistors that can maintain high performance at low temperatures -- They are expected to be used in the next generation of high-performance flexible electronics and wearable devices as they can operate on plastic substrates and maintain stable performance under repeated mechanical bending.

A research team has developed liquid-processed thin-film transistors that can maintain high performance at low temperatures -- They are expected to be used in the next generation of high-performance flexible electronics and wearable devices as they can operate on plastic substrates and maintain stable performance under repeated mechanical bending.

Scientists developed next-generation energy technology to produce eco-friendly hydrogen from ingredients in coffee.

The term 'Digital Twin of the Earth' creates the idea of the availability of a highly accurate virtual copy of our planet, enabling researchers to predict the most complex future climate developments and extreme natural events. In fact, such a replica -- or model representation of the Earth systems -- is the goal of the Destination Earth project.

You reach for a glass of water only to knock it to the floor, shattering the glass and shooting shards all over the place. If only the glass was unbreakable. Now, researchers have brought this possibility closer to reality after they uncovered crucial insights into how glass becomes more resistant to fractures.

A study has unveiled new insights into the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 using nickel-based catalysts. The research marks a significant advancement in the quest for sustainable and efficient CO2 conversion technologies aimed to close the artificial carbon cycle.

Clay minerals are a major constituent of the earth's surface and are mainly found in the sediments of lakes, rivers and oceans. The properties of clay and claystone crucially depend on how the tiny sediment particles are orientated. A research team has now succeeded for the first time in observing in detail how some of the processes work.

This week I’ll be at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and I’ll be giving a public talk for a general audience at 4 pm on Thursday, December 5th. If you are in the area, please attend! And if you know someone at the University of Michigan or in the Ann Arbor area who might be interested, please let them know. (For physicists: I’ll also be giving an expert-level seminar at the Physics Department the following day.)

Here are the logistical details:

The Quantum Cosmos and Our Place Within It

Thursday, December 5, 2024, 4:00-5:00 PM ; Rackham Graduate School , 4th Floor Amphitheatre

Click to enlarge map

When we step outside to contemplate the night sky, we often imagine ourselves isolated and adrift in a vast cavern of empty space—but is it so? Modern physics views the universe as more full than empty. Over the past century, this unfamiliar idea has emerged from a surprising partnership of exotic concepts: quantum physics and Einstein’s relativity. In this talk I’ll illustrate how this partnership provides the foundation for every aspect of human experience, including the existence of subatomic particles (and the effect of the so-called “Higgs field”), the peaceful nature of our journey through the cosmos, and the solidity of the ground beneath our feet.

Since the first fiber optic cables rolled out in the 1970s, they've become a major part of everything from medical devices to high-speed internet and cable TV. But as it turns out, one group of marine mollusks was way ahead of us. A new study reveals that clams called heart cockles have unique structures in their shells that act like fiber optic cables to convey specific wavelengths of light into the bivalves' tissues.

Since the first fiber optic cables rolled out in the 1970s, they've become a major part of everything from medical devices to high-speed internet and cable TV. But as it turns out, one group of marine mollusks was way ahead of us. A new study reveals that clams called heart cockles have unique structures in their shells that act like fiber optic cables to convey specific wavelengths of light into the bivalves' tissues.

New research suggests that large language models like GPT-4 could streamline the process of gene set enrichment, an approach what genes do and how they interact. Results bring science one step closer to automating one of the most widely used methods in genomics research.

Researchers have demonstrated a new technique for self-assembling electronic devices. The proof-of-concept work was used to create diodes and transistors, and paves the way for self-assembling more complex electronic devices without relying on existing computer chip manufacturing techniques.

Researchers have demonstrated a new technique for self-assembling electronic devices. The proof-of-concept work was used to create diodes and transistors, and paves the way for self-assembling more complex electronic devices without relying on existing computer chip manufacturing techniques.

A theoretical study suggests that small black holes born in the early universe may have left behind hollow planetoids and microscopic tunnels, and that we should start looking within rocks and old buildings for them. The research proposes thinking both big and small to confirm the existence of primordial black holes, suggesting that their signatures could range from very large -- hollow planetoids in space -- to minute -- microscopic tunnels in everyday materials found on Earth, like rocks, metal and glass.

A theoretical study suggests that small black holes born in the early universe may have left behind hollow planetoids and microscopic tunnels, and that we should start looking within rocks and old buildings for them. The research proposes thinking both big and small to confirm the existence of primordial black holes, suggesting that their signatures could range from very large -- hollow planetoids in space -- to minute -- microscopic tunnels in everyday materials found on Earth, like rocks, metal and glass.

Scientists have a new way to use data from high-energy particle smashups to peer inside protons. Their approach uses quantum information science to map out how particle tracks streaming from electron-proton collisions are influenced by quantum entanglement inside the proton. The results reveal that quarks and gluons, the fundamental building blocks that make up a proton's structure, are subject to so-called quantum entanglement.

Scientists have a new way to use data from high-energy particle smashups to peer inside protons. Their approach uses quantum information science to map out how particle tracks streaming from electron-proton collisions are influenced by quantum entanglement inside the proton. The results reveal that quarks and gluons, the fundamental building blocks that make up a proton's structure, are subject to so-called quantum entanglement.

An international team has tracked at BESSY II how heavy molecules -- in this case bromochloromethane -- disintegrate into smaller fragments when they absorb X-ray light. Using a newly developed analytical method, they were able to visualize the ultrafast dynamics of this process. In this process, the X-ray photons trigger a 'molecular catapult effect': light atomic groups are ejected first, similar to projectiles fired from a catapult, while the heavier atoms -- bromine and chlorine -- separate more slowly.

An international team has tracked at BESSY II how heavy molecules -- in this case bromochloromethane -- disintegrate into smaller fragments when they absorb X-ray light. Using a newly developed analytical method, they were able to visualize the ultrafast dynamics of this process. In this process, the X-ray photons trigger a 'molecular catapult effect': light atomic groups are ejected first, similar to projectiles fired from a catapult, while the heavier atoms -- bromine and chlorine -- separate more slowly.

Scientists have invented a liquid ink that doctors can print onto a patient's scalp to measure brain activity. The technology offers a promising alternative to the cumbersome process currently used for monitoring brainwaves and diagnosing neurological conditions. It also has the potential to enhance non-invasive brain-computer interface applications.