We have a new upper limit for the light mass. According to measurements of pulsating stars scattered across the Milky Way and mysterious radio signals from other galaxies, a particle of light – called a photon – cannot be heavier than 9.52 × 10-46 kilograms. It’s a small limit, but if we discover that light … Read more
“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.” Scientists at North Carolina State University have successfully “squeezed” infrared light to 10 percent of the wavelength while retaining its frequency. This breakthrough was achieved using a thin membrane of strontium titanate and the phonopolaritons it produced after using synchrotron … Read more
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, editor of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter. Serbia is preparing to give Rio Tinto the green light to develop Europe’s largest lithium mine, two years after Belgrade canceled the project, paving the way for a significant boost to the continent’s electric car … Read more
The vast expanse of the night sky, a canvas studded with countless stars, is about to reveal a rare and spectacular phenomenon. Brace yourself for a stellar light show as T Coronae Borealis, a seemingly inconspicuous star nestled in the Corona Borealis constellation, is on the verge of a dramatic nova explosion. T Coronae Borealis … Read more
This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread OK! Multi-electron reduction of esters photocatalyzed by N-BAP. Credit: Shintaro Okumura × close to Multi-electron reduction of esters photocatalyzed by N-BAP. Credit: Shintaro Okumura The sweet smell of strawberries and other fruits is due to a chemical compound called ester, which … Read more
This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread OK! A tardigrade is given a dose of CRISPR tools to change one of its genes, and those of the eggs it will produce. Credit: 2024 Tokiko Saigo et al. × close to A tardigrade is given a dose of CRISPR … Read more
A tardigrade is given a dose of CRISPR tools to change one of its genes, and those of the eggs it will produce. Credit: 2024 Tokiko Saigo et al. Some species of tardigrades are highly and unusually resilient to various extreme conditions that are fatal to most other life forms. The genetic basis for these … Read more
Enlarge / Artist’s rendering of how the angle of the polarized light from a fast radio burst changes as it travels through space. CHIME/Dunlap Institute Astronomers have been concerned about the origins of mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) since the first one was spotted in 2007. Researchers are now looking for the first time at … Read more
Five years after the launch of the Light Phone 2, co-founder Kaiwei Tang says it is selling better than ever. This is both extremely unusual for a phone and the point of the matter: Tang, co-founder Joe Hollier, and their team built a phone that was designed to do very little and last virtually forever. … Read more
Preparation and structural characterization of SrTiO3 membranes. Credit: Nature communication (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47917-x Researchers have shown for the first time that a specific class of oxide membranes can limit or ‘squeeze’ infrared light – a finding that holds promise for the next generation of infrared imaging technologies. The thin-film membranes retain infrared light much better … Read more