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Toward practical laser-driven light sails using photonic crystals

Most space missions rely on chemical rockets for propulsion. Rockets must carry fuel, which increases spacecraft mass and limits their speed and travel distance. For decades, researchers have explored light sails as an alternative. ...

Using individual atoms to achieve fossil-free chemistry

Every chemical reaction faces a barrier: For substances to react with one another, it is first necessary to supply energy. In many cases, this energy barrier is low—such as when striking a match. For many key reactions ...

Intermediate phases unlock faster nanoparticle crystallization

Crystalline nanomaterials are valuable because their highly ordered structures give them useful properties for technologies such as data storage and optical devices. But forming nanoparticles from those orderly crystals is ...

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Nanophysics
Catching light in air: Programmable Mie voids boost light matter interaction
Bio & Medicine
Water interactions reveal how surface coatings reshape nanoparticle drug delivery
Bio & Medicine
New 2D membrane reactor improves photocatalytic synthesis
Bio & Medicine
Nanoparticles and AI can help researchers detect pollutants in water, soil and blood
Bio & Medicine
Nanoparticle system shows promise for delivering mRNA to prevent type 1 diabetes
Bio & Medicine
Drug discovery bottleneck? Cell-free platform screens peptides faster, even in harsh conditions
Bio & Medicine
Size-shifting nanoparticles successfully deliver mRNA medicine to the pancreas
Nanomaterials
Most lab testing quietly inflates 2D transistor performance, research reveals
Bio & Medicine
Molecular map reveals Andes hantavirus entry protein at the nanoscale
Nanophysics
A new, useful absorption limit for ultra-thin films
Nanomaterials
Peanut waste can be turned into high-quality futuristic graphene
Bio & Medicine
Laser technique can quickly check mRNA packaging in lipid nanoparticles
Nanophysics
New technique spots hidden defects to boost reliability of ultrathin electronics
Nanomaterials
Nanochannel method makes ion membranes twice as strong for clean energy
Bio & Medicine
Reusable MoS₂ RF biosensor enables cost-effective liquid biopsies for early cancer detection
Nanomaterials
2D memristors could help solve AI's energy problem
Bio & Medicine
Iron nanoparticle eliminates tuberculosis in mice and may pave the way for new treatments
Nanomaterials
LED-powered e-nose detects multiple hazardous gases at room temperature
Nanophysics
Diamond surfaces are covered in thin, ice-like water layers
Bio & Medicine
Color-changing nanopigment sensor tracks pH one to ten with stable, repeatable readings

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Plants & Animals
Japanese scientists discover how falling cats almost always make perfect landings
Archaeology
First absolute dating of Paleolithic paintings in the Dordogne
Mathematics
Student serves up fresh solutions to the pancake problem
Evolution
Why lethal mutations persist: Fruit fly study points to newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors
Cell & Microbiology
Bacteria have a secret engineering trick to keep themselves in shape
Ecology
Ancient stone jars shows how tree cover shapes freshwater ecosystems over millennia
Cell & Microbiology
Why averages fail for bacteria in the open ocean
Biochemistry
How boron helps to produce key proteins for new cancer therapies
Earth Sciences
Glacial lakes in Alaska are expanding rapidly and could quadruple in size
General Physics
Precisely measuring quantum signals in large spin ensembles
Polymers
Moisture-powered polymers could make cleaning CO₂ from air more efficient
Analytical Chemistry
Scientists harness quantum tunneling to boost heavy water production efficiency
Archaeology
Ancient parrot DNA reveals sophisticated, long-distance animal trade network pre-dating the Inca Empire
Cell & Microbiology
Probiotic sugar compound blocks norovirus from attaching to cells
Environment
Subway systems are uncomfortably hot—and worsening, study finds
Environment
Life-limiting heat exposure has doubled since the 1950s, study finds
General Physics
Understanding how wind moves pollen can guide urban planning decisions about green spaces
General Physics
How does snow gather on a roof? Simulation considers turbulence alongside snowflake size
General Physics
Study shows spiral sound can shift sideways
Astronomy
Strange cosmic burst from colliding galaxies shines light on heavy elements

Reshaping gold leads to new electronic and optical properties

By changing the physical structure of gold at the nanoscale, researchers can drastically change how the material interacts with light—and, as a result, its electronic and optical properties. This is shown by a study from ...

Nanotubes with lids mimic real biology

When water and ions move together through channels only a nanometer wide, they behave in unusual ways. In these tight spaces, water molecules line up in single file. This forces ions to shed some of the water molecules that ...

Mini tornadoes spin out dried cellulose nanofibers

Researchers at the University of Maine and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are collaborating on a new way to dry non-aggregated cellulose nanofiber—a material that could replace ...