All Stories by Emily Conover
- Physics
Single atoms become teensy data storage devices
Most people consider a thumb drive to be an amazingly small device for storing data. But this new system uses a ten-thousandth the number of atoms of today’s data-storage devices.
- Physics
Star caught passing gas before exploding
Stars can become unstable as they near death, a new study suggests. Some may even spew gas for a year or so before they explode.
- Physics
Strange X-rays point to possible ‘dark’ matter
Scientists have been looking for “dark” matter. It’s supposed to make up most of the universe — but it’s also invisible. X-rays may now point to where some of this weird stuff is.
- Chemistry
Scientists claim to have turned hydrogen into a metal
Most people know hydrogen as a gas. But under high pressure, scientists now think they’ve converted it into a reflective metal. Not everyone is convinced.
- Chemistry
Here’s how hot water might freeze faster than cold
There’s a new explanation for how hot water freezes faster than cold water. But not everyone agrees it’s right, or that the effect can happen at all.
- Physics
Weird physics warps nearby star’s light
Scientists have observed a bizarre effect of quantum physics in light coming from a nearby neutron star.
- Physics
Math predicts weird materials; leads to 2016 physics Nobel
The 2016 Nobel Prize in physics will go to three researchers that have made discoveries about exotic states of matter.
- Space
Some white dwarf stars point to possible dark matter
Certain white-hot stars are cooling too fast for scientists to explain — unless they consider the presence of “axions.” These never-seen, but suspected particles could be shuttling away the extra energy from these cooling dwarf stars.
- Brain
Our eyes can see single specks of light
The human eye can detect a single photon. This discovery answers questions about how sensitive our eyes are. It hints at the possibility of using our eyes to study issues of quantum-scale physics.
- Physics
Falling through Earth might be a long and fruitless trip
A classic physics problem asks what would happen if you plunged through Earth’s center. A new study contends you could never make it to the other side.
- Physics
Why the knuckleball takes such a knucklehead path
They used to say it was how the seams interacted with the air. The new explanation is different. Scientists say its due to a ”drag crisis.”
- Animals
Snout goo may help sharks sense prey
Scientists may be one step closer to understanding how sharks sense their prey. Pores on their snout and face are lined with a gel that may help relay electrical currents created by prey’s movements.
