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Why petting your cat leads to static electricity

Anyone who has ever pet a cat or shuffled their feet across the carpet knows that rubbing objects together generates static electricity. But an explanation for this phenomenon has eluded researchers for more than two millennia.

Metasurfaces: Tiny tech with big potential

Imagine manipulating light with ultra-thin, flat sheets instead of bulky lenses and mirrors. That's the promise of metasurfaces, a nanostructure technology that can twist and bend light in ways never before possible.

Illuminating the unavoidable imperfections of nanostructures

A new study by a collaborative team from the University of Twente and the e-Science Center in Amsterdam compares the transmission of light through a utopian model with a real 3D nanostructure. These nanostructures are integral ...

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Nanophysics
Advancing nanoscale imaging capabilities with dynamic nuclear polarization
Nanophysics
World's first micromachine twists 2D materials at will
Nanophysics
A world first: Qubit coherence decay traced to thermal dissipation
Nanophysics
Unveiling the power of hot carriers in plasmonic nanostructures
Nanophysics
Team develops method for control over single-molecule photoswitching
Nanophysics
Quantum pumping in molecular junctions: Theoretical model could lead to switches and amplifiers
Nanophysics
Photolithography research shows computer chips have the potential to become even smaller
Nanophysics
Carbon nanotubes study finds local solvation is decisive for fluorescence of biosensors
Nanophysics
Novel X-ray imaging technique resolves fusion-related nanofoams in 3D
Nanophysics
Precise stirring conditions key to optimizing nanostructure synthesis
Nanophysics
New X-ray world record: Looking inside a microchip with 4 nanometer precision
Nanophysics
Researchers reveal atomic-scale details of catalysts' active sites
Nanophysics
Understanding the forces that regulate crystallization by particle attachment
Nanophysics
First 3D visualization of an aluminum nanocomposite for the auto industry
Nanophysics
Investigation into the regime between the nano- and microscale could pave the way for nanoscale technologies
Nanophysics
Researchers identify unique phenomenon in Kagome metal
Nanophysics
New, more sustainable method for manufacturing microchips and other nanoscale devices
Nanophysics
Confined water gets electric: Study reveals dielectric response of water in nanopores
Nanophysics
Tunable metasurface can control optical light in space and time, offering path to wireless communication channels
Nanophysics
3D printing method reveals light emission from nanowires for the first time

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Planetary Sciences
New study uncovers unexpected interaction between Mars and the solar wind
Archaeology
10,000-year-old human DNA provides insights into South African population history
Polymers
Mussel-inspired adhesive comes unglued on command
Astrobiology
Volcanoes may help reveal interior heat on Jupiter moon
Ecology
Fossil site in Massachusetts reveals 320-million-year-old ecosystem
Social Sciences
Learning mindset could be key to addressing medical students' alarming burnout
Planetary Sciences
NASA develops process to create very accurate eclipse maps
Plants & Animals
Scientists unearth key clues to cuisine of resident killer whale populations
Analytical Chemistry
AI model can reveal the structures of crystalline materials
Cell & Microbiology
The mystery of human wrinkles: What do the cells say?
Plants & Animals
How do coexisting animals find enough to eat? Biologists unlock insights into foraging habits in Yellowstone
Astronomy
Astronomers' new technique measures temperature of a star with high precision
Plants & Animals
Buzz-pollinating bees shake pollen loose with rapid vibrations and biting, study shows
Astronomy
Observations provide crucial insights into the nature of a white dwarf–brown dwarf binary
Earth Sciences
Lake ice quality degrading as planet warms—skaters, hockey players, ice truckers on thin ice
Earth Sciences
Tropical cyclone intensity exacerbated by increasing depth of ocean mixed layer, finds study
General Physics
Findings hint at a superfluid phase in ²⁹F and ²⁸O
Condensed Matter
Topological quantum computers a step closer with new method to 'split' electrons
Cell & Microbiology
Researchers uncover why cells struggle to fully change identity in reprogramming efforts
Analytical Chemistry
Visible-light-antenna ligand enhances samarium-catalyzed reactions