When energy is added to uranium under pressure, it creates a shock wave, and even a tiny sample will be vaporized like a small explosion. By using smaller, controlled explosions, physicists can test on a microscale in a safe ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 23, 2019
4
688
In an experiment designed to mimic the conditions deep inside the icy giant planets of our solar system, scientists were able to observe "diamond rain" for the first time as it formed in high-pressure conditions. Extremely ...
Astronomy
Aug 21, 2017
3
551
Immediately after its 2008 launch, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, spotted a curiosity in a thin slice of space: More particles streamed in through a long, skinny swath in the sky than anywhere else. The origin ...
Space Exploration
Feb 27, 2016
14
2411
The electric eel has always been noted for its impressive ability to shock and subdue its prey. It's recently become clear that electric eels also use a clever trick to deliver an intense, Taser-like jolt to potential predators: ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 14, 2017
0
331
The Mount Etna volcano erupted on Monday, spewing ash as several minor earthquakes hit the region, and prompting a partial closure of the Sicilian airspace around the mountain.
Environment
Dec 24, 2018
3
684
In Hollywood blockbusters, explosions are often among the stars of the show. In space, explosions of actual stars are a focus for scientists who hope to better understand their births, lives, and deaths and how they interact ...
Astronomy
Mar 16, 2015
3
2020
It's been said that there are no atheists in foxholes, but a new study led by Joseph Henrich has shown that the impact of war on religion extends well beyond the front lines.
Evolution
Mar 6, 2019
92
646
When two neutron stars spiral into one another and merge to form a black hole—an event recorded in 2017 by gravitational wave detectors and telescopes worldwide—does it immediately become a black hole? Or does it take ...
Astronomy
Mar 5, 2022
6
222
Gimball bumps into and ricochets off of obstacles, rather than avoiding them. This 34 centimeter in diameter spherical flying robot buzzes around the most unpredictable, chaotic environments, without the need for fragile ...
Robotics
Oct 30, 2013
1
0
Applying shockwaves can improve conditions for fluid mixing in supersonic combustion engines, paving the way for flights at speeds five times faster than the speed of sound.
General Physics
Jul 31, 2020
14
1480
