Physicists in Germany have made a groundbreaking discovery by developing a new way to define the standard unit of electrical resistance. The new technique, based on the quantum anomalous Hall effect, does not require the use of applied magnetic fields, making it a significant improvement over the current method. This breakthrough could lead to the…
Science on The Soothsayer / page 10
The recent devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have left over two dozen people dead and destroyed over 10,000 structures and homes. As survivors return to their charred homes or await permission to reenter their neighborhoods, they face tremendous uncertainty about their future. Experts warn that the emotional trauma of the disaster will have long-term effects…
Researchers at Stanford University and Columbia University have made groundbreaking discoveries in using nanocrystals to measure tiny forces on tiny length scales. The breakthroughs, published in Nature, could revolutionize biomedical research, enabling scientists to study forces involved in processes such as stem cell differentiation. The techniques, which utilize the optical properties of nanocrystals, have the…
Mathematicians have long relied on calculus to understand the world around us, but a groundbreaking discovery by Karl Weierstrass in 1872 shook the foundations of the subject. Weierstrass’ “monster function” revealed that continuity does not imply differentiability, forcing mathematicians to re-examine their understanding of calculus. This breakthrough has far-reaching implications for fields such as physics,…
Scientists are racing against time to assess the risk of debris flows in areas scorched by the recent Los Angeles wildfires. With heavy rainfall forecasted in the region, emergency planners and responders are on high alert, as debris flows can be devastating and are often triggered by intense wildfires. The terrain in the affected areas…
A recent study by Rahul Shastri and colleagues has made significant strides in understanding how quantum batteries can be charged faster and more efficiently. By harnessing decoherence, a phenomenon typically seen as a challenge in quantum systems, the researchers have developed a method that speeds up the charging process while maintaining stability. This breakthrough could…
Astronomers have discovered that stars in the thick disk of the Milky Way galaxy have fewer planets than those in the thin disk. Researchers believe that the intense radiation from the galaxy’s chaotic past may have destroyed planet-forming disks around older stars, hindering their ability to grow and retain planets. This finding sheds new light…
Researchers from the Centre for Medical Radiation Physics at the University of Wollongong in Australia have made a significant breakthrough in brain cancer treatment by combining microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) with targeted radiosensitizers. This innovative approach has shown promising results in killing cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues. The study, published in Cancers, demonstrates the…
Researchers have discovered the remains of an ancient glacier in the Canadian Arctic, which could be over a million years old. The glacier’s icy layers contain trapped gases, compounds, and particulates that can provide valuable information about the atmospheres and climates of bygone millennia. This rare find could offer insights into the climate of the…
Physicists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Researchers have found that permanent distortions in spacetime caused by the passage of gravitational waves, known as “gravitational memory,” could be detectable from Earth. This phenomenon is predicted to occur most prominently when the core of a supernova collapses, providing a…