Research documents domestic cattle genetics in modern bison herds
A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports has revealed the strongest evidence to date that all bison herds in North America carry multiple small, but clearly identifiable, regions of DNA that originated from domestic cattle. In the study, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) researchers, led by James […]
Physicists discover light-induced mechanism for controlling ferroelectric polarization
By applying light, physicists have discovered a surprising mechanism for controlling ferroelectric polarization in a deterministic manner. The physicists namely Peng Chen and Laurent Bellaiche were from University of Arkansas. The finding, made possible by the application of ultrafast laser pulses, enriches fundamental physics research by advancing an understanding of the interactions between light and […]
Computational sleuthing confirms first 3D quantum spin liquid
Computational detective work by U.S. and German physicists has confirmed that cerium zirconium pyrochlore is a 3D quantum spin liquid. Despite the name, quantum spin liquids are solid materials in which quantum entanglement and the geometric arrangement of atoms frustrate the natural tendency of electrons to magnetically order themselves in relation to one another. The […]
On-chip circuit produces up to six microwave photons at the same time
A team of researchers has developed an on-chip circuit that produces up to six microwave photons at the same time. The research team members were from Universit´e Paris-Saclay, the University of Ulm and the Institute of Quantum Technologies has developed an on-chip circuit that produces up to six microwave photons at the same time. In […]
A reconfigurable robotic system for cleaning and maintenance
Reconfigurable robotic system or “transformer” systems are robots or other systems that can adapt their state, configuration, or morphology to perform different tasks more effectively. In recent years, roboticists and computer scientists worldwide have developed new autonomous and reconfigurable systems for various applications, including surveillance, cleaning, maintenance, and search and rescue. Researchers at the Singapore […]
Electric car supplies are running out. This could drastically slow the journey to net-zero
The road map to replacing old fashioned carbon emitting electric cars is well developed—at least in theory. All the major car makers (and even some of the smaller ones) are publicly committed to electric. But actually buying a new electric car? That’s another matter entirely. Volkswagen, the largest car manufacturer in the world, recently announced […]
In a pair of merging supermassive black holes, a new method for measuring the void
Three years ago, the first ever image of a black hole stunned the world. A black pit of nothingness enclosed by a fiery ring of light. That iconic image of the black hole at the center of galaxy Messier 87 came into focus thanks to the Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of synchronized radio […]
Are new carbon sinks appearing in the Arctic?
In 2018, carbon sinks were discovered by an international research group who bored for soil samples in three sites around the Isfjorden fjord in Svalbard, which is part of Norway. The same phenomenon was seen at each boring site: mineral soil covered by a thin layer of organic matter. In other words, this layer contains […]
The standard model of particle physics may be broken, expert says
As a physicist working at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, in particle physics, one of the most frequent questions I am asked is “When are you going to find something?” Resisting the temptation to sarcastically reply “Aside from the Higgs boson, which won the Nobel Prize, and a whole slew of new composite […]
Energy researchers invent chameleon metal that acts like many others
A team of energy researchers led by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have invented a device that electronically converts one metal so that it behaves like another for use as a catalyst in chemical reactions. The device, called a “catalytic condenser,” is the first to demonstrate that alternative materials that are electronically modified to […]