Geologists produce new timeline of Earth’s Paleozoic climate changes
The record shows ancient temperature variations coinciding with shifts in the planet’s biodiversity.
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Physicists create tunable superconductivity in twisted graphene “nanosandwich”
Structure may reveal conditions needed for high-temperature superconductivity.
Astronomers detect extended dark matter halo around ancient dwarf galaxy
Findings suggest the first galaxies in the universe were more massive than previously thought.
Search for axions from nearby star Betelgeuse comes up empty
Results significantly narrow the range of possible places to find the hypothetical dark matter particles.
Concept for a hybrid-electric plane may reduce aviation’s air pollution problem
Proposed design could reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 95 percent, a new study finds.
Ten “keys to reality” from Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek
To understand ourselves and our place in the universe, “we should have humility but also self-respect,” the physicist writes in a new book.
Scientists discover slimy microbes that may help keep coral reefs healthy
The bacteria scrub out nitrogen, potentially defending against certain nutrient overloads.
Aerosols from pollution, desert storms, and forest fires may intensify thunderstorms
Researchers identify a mechanism by which small particles in the atmosphere can generate more frequent thunderstorms.
New type of atomic clock keeps time even more precisely
The design, which uses entangled atoms, could help scientists detect dark matter and study gravity’s effect on time.
Ultracold atoms reveal a new type of quantum magnetic behavior
The findings may help researchers design “spintronic” devices and novel magnetic materials.
MIT oceanographers have an explanation for the Arctic’s puzzling ocean turbulence
New study suggests waters will become more turbulent as Arctic loses summertime ice.
Model could help determine quarantine measures needed to reduce Covid-19’s spread
A key finding: Early reopening last spring led to a dramatic drop in “quarantine strength” in southern and west-central U.S. states.
A technique to sift out the universe’s first gravitational waves
Identifying primordial ripples would be key to understanding the conditions of the early universe.
Physicists capture the sound of a “perfect” fluid
The results should help scientists study the viscosity in neutron stars, the plasma of the early universe, and other strongly interacting fluids.
Mini-satellite maker
With her students, aerospace engineer Kerri Cahoy is developing small, affordable “CubeSats” to monitor weather and search for exoplanets.