Ordinary matter, when cooled, transitions from a gas into a liquid. Cool it further still, and it freezes into a solid. Quantum matter, however, can behave very differently. In the early 20th century, researchers discovered ...
Soft Matter
Jan 28, 2026
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501
What happens if liquefied natural gas (LNG) hits the wall of the cargo tanks in a ship? New research from the team of physicist Devaraj van der Meer from the University of Twente, published in the Proceedings of the National ...
Soft Matter
Jan 26, 2026
0
222
Several years ago, scientists discovered that a single microscopic particle could rock back and forth on its own under a steady electric field. The result was curious, but lonely. Now, Northwestern University engineers have ...
Soft Matter
Jan 26, 2026
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119
Physicists have used a new optical centrifuge to control the rotation of molecules suspended in liquid helium nano-droplets, bringing them a step closer to demystifying the behavior of exotic, frictionless superfluids.
Optics & Photonics
Jan 22, 2026
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67
The ice in a domestic freezer is remarkably different from the single crystals that form in snow clouds, or even those formed on a frozen pond. As temperatures drop, ice crystals can grow in a variety of shapes: from stocky ...
General Physics
Jan 20, 2026
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230
Foams are everywhere: soap suds, shaving cream, whipped toppings and food emulsions like mayonnaise. For decades, scientists believed that foams behave like glass, their microscopic components trapped in static, disordered ...
Soft Matter
Jan 14, 2026
1
156
A team of New York University scientists has created a gear mechanism that relies on fluids to generate rotation. The invention holds potential for a new generation of mechanical devices that offer greater flexibility and ...
General Physics
Jan 13, 2026
10
3254
Researchers at the University of Konstanz have developed a gentle, contact-free method to collect liquids and remove them from microscopic surface structures. The method uses vapor condensation to generate surface currents ...
Soft Matter
Jan 13, 2026
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26
Glassy materials are everywhere, with applications far exceeding windowpanes and drinking glasses. They range from bioactive glasses for bone repair and amorphous pharmaceuticals that boost drug solubility to ultra-pure silica ...
Condensed Matter
Jan 9, 2026
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55
Encapsulated microbubbles (EMBs), tiny gas-filled bubbles coated in lipid or protein shells, play a central role in biomedical ultrasound. When exposed to ultrasound waves, EMBs contract, resulting in oscillations that enhance ...
Soft Matter
Dec 29, 2025
0
23
