id
stringlengths 64
64
| published
stringlengths 19
25
| title
stringlengths 7
262
| description
stringlengths 6
54.4k
| link
stringlengths 31
227
| category
stringclasses 6
values | image
stringlengths 3
247
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
e39cc4915735fc1e108964ce9396c06b9fcc9cec5d918c6b09a839488b02644b
|
2026-01-22T10:07:39
|
3D-printed surfaces help atoms play ball to improve quantum sensors
|
Scientists have created 3D printed surfaces featuring intricate textures that can be used to bounce unwanted gas particles away from quantum sensors, allowing useful particles like atoms to be delivered more efficiently, which could help improve measurement accuracy.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-3d-surfaces-atoms-play-ball.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
f4f378336378e4942b911cb99d8cf55a8b434d2a1a58e5cba6fccab3719eccea
|
2026-01-22T07:40:01
|
Magnetic 'sweet spots' enable optimal operation of hole spin qubits
|
Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could reliably tackle various computational problems that cannot be solved by classical computers. These systems process information in the form of qubits, units of information that can exist in two states at once (0 and 1).
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-magnetic-sweet-enable-optimal-hole.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
c7510bbc5ee449a7efb0f1adce751cc4a9d3025e0a1bc523e226d96c6b52396e
|
2026-01-21T16:34:40
|
Using magnetic frustration to probe new quantum possibilities
|
Research in the lab of UC Santa Barbara materials professor Stephen Wilson is focused on understanding the fundamental physics behind unusual states of matter and developing materials that can host the kinds of properties needed for quantum functionalities.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-magnetic-frustration-probe-quantum-possibilities.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
7880aab97ecde92159a7334e0343e93a35f68d7c80993cce7d0a2f2055cb07fb
|
2026-01-21T16:21:41
|
Innovative optical atomic clock could combine single-ion accuracy with multi-ion stability
|
For many years, cesium atomic clocks have been reliably keeping time around the world. But the future belongs to even more accurate clocks: optical atomic clocks. In a few years' time, they could change the definition of the base unit second in the International System of Units (SI). It is still completely open, which of the various optical clocks will serve as the basis for this.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-optical-atomic-clock-combine-ion.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
94c9c08c2ec7585df5133d49f7382d89290bc4c3caf457ff6f1511dd920c27ad
|
2026-01-21T15:42:37
|
Optical technique reveals hidden magnetic states in antiferromagnets
|
Imagine computer hardware that is blazing fast and stores more data in less space. That's the promise of antiferromagnets, magnetic materials that do not interfere with each other and can switch states at high speed, opening the door to advanced computing and quantum applications.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-optical-technique-reveals-hidden-magnetic.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
1ba522e46c0566ddca84240af0736dcd2717b664466a18392685e747ed44edc6
|
2026-01-21T15:39:41
|
New insight into light-matter thermalization could advance neutral-atom quantum computing
|
Light and matter can remain at separate temperatures even while interacting with each other for long periods, according to new research that could help scale up an emerging quantum computing approach in which photons and atoms play a central role.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-insight-thermalization-advance-neutral-atom.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
7698f0e2cbaac19e0a526ee81e7991203a557d6d221878827d93c7333df65e32
|
2026-01-21T15:10:01
|
Are your memories illusions? New study disentangles the Boltzmann brain paradox
|
In a recent paper, SFI Professor David Wolpert, SFI Fractal Faculty member Carlo Rovelli, and physicist Jordan Scharnhorst examine a longstanding, paradoxical thought experiment in statistical physics and cosmology known as the "Boltzmann brain" hypothesis—the possibility that our memories, perceptions, and observations could arise from random fluctuations in entropy rather than reflecting the universe's actual past. The work is published in the journal Entropy.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-memories-illusions-disentangles-boltzmann-brain.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
0ab292339214b39995b7c82fa8036c01e197249fcd62becf524c8e6045979a0d
|
2026-01-21T13:22:33
|
Unified framework sorts spacetime fluctuations for quantum-gravity experiments
|
A team of researchers led by the University of Warwick has developed the first unified framework for detecting "spacetime fluctuations"—tiny, random distortions in the fabric of spacetime that appear in many attempts to unite quantum physics and gravity.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-framework-spacetime-fluctuations-quantum-gravity.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
16e5126f86fee6e85049ebfcd736ba63a129fb4d109635e88395dc08d2b6f1fa
|
2026-01-21T13:19:25
|
Metal clumps in a quantum state: Physicists place thousands of sodium atoms in a 'Schrödinger's cat state'
|
Can a small lump of metal be in a quantum state that extends over distant locations? A research team at the University of Vienna answers this question with a resounding yes. In the journal Nature, physicists from the University of Vienna and the University of Duisburg-Essen show that even massive nanoparticles consisting of thousands of sodium atoms follow the rules of quantum mechanics. The experiment is currently one of the best tests of quantum mechanics on a macroscopic scale.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-metal-clumps-quantum-state-physicists.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
4651167f5366952d649961d2330cd13b6182aefaa5c2975de18213471a514231
|
2026-01-21T12:10:05
|
Chiral phonons create orbital current via their own magnetism
|
In a new study, an international group of researchers has found that chiral phonons can create orbital current without needing magnetic elements—in part because chiral phonons have their own magnetic moments. Additionally, this effect can be achieved in common crystal materials. The work has potential for the development of less expensive, energy-efficient orbitronic devices for use in a wide array of electronics.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-chiral-phonons-orbital-current-magnetism.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
f3197b96f468f7bab439951759eecfbebc241c878c96ee54e88fe9e25652237c
|
2026-01-21T11:51:35
|
EAST achieves new plasma confinement regime using small 3D magnetic perturbations
|
A research group has achieved a new plasma confinement regime using small 3D magnetic perturbations that simultaneously suppress edge instabilities and enhance core plasma confinement in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The research results are published in PRX Energy.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-east-plasma-confinement-regime-small.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
95a1878f939bb09010d73e948fc46109bd9b8dfae365d4395a0abd927ece5744
|
2026-01-21T11:00:14
|
Velocity gradients prove key to explaining large-scale magnetic field structure
|
All celestial bodies—planets, suns, even entire galaxies—produce magnetic fields, affecting such cosmic processes as the solar wind, high-energy particle transport, and galaxy formation. Small-scale magnetic fields are generally turbulent and chaotic, yet large-scale fields are organized, a phenomenon that plasma astrophysicists have tried explaining for decades, unsuccessfully.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-velocity-gradients-key-large-scale.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
56b8431a5bcb714b3e2f3533c4980aa34c35f894a3a4e811b117b3a75684ff03
|
2026-01-21T10:30:01
|
Too much entanglement? Quantum networks can suffer from 'selfish routing,' study shows
|
Quantum technologies, systems that process, transfer or store information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could tackle some real-world problems faster and more effectively than their classical counterparts. In recent years, some engineers have been focusing their efforts on the development of quantum communication systems, which could eventually enable the creation of a "quantum internet" (i.e., an equivalent of the internet in which information is shared via quantum physical effects).
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-entanglement-quantum-networks-selfish-routing.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
e9aef47ae4bb2c0c44db1d92f0127f4b4091489280f12ef48acccfaa189b54cb
|
2026-01-21T07:30:03
|
Bionic LiDAR system achieves beyond-retinal resolution through adaptive focusing
|
In a recent study, researchers from China have developed a chip-scale LiDAR system that mimics the human eye's foveation by dynamically concentrating high-resolution sensing on regions of interest (ROIs) while maintaining broad awareness across the full field of view.
|
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-bionic-lidar-retinal-resolution-focusing.html
|
Space & Physics
| |
c34ed7bed51423a52cae9d814465046dae15fe7b4008391bc52a971a93cca38e
|
2026-01-23T03:33:33
|
Scientists just overturned a 100-year-old rule of chemistry, and the results are “impossible”
|
Chemists at UCLA are showing that some of organic chemistry’s most famous “rules” aren’t as unbreakable as once thought. By creating bizarre, cage-shaped molecules with warped double bonds—structures long considered impossible—the team is opening the door to entirely new kinds of chemistry.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122073618.htm
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
914b49d62a2570cf755ca82a552f206bdc806bd9b52c8834934508b1739285e2
|
2026-01-22T00:03:43
|
Researchers unlocked a new shortcut to quantum materials
|
Scientists are learning how to temporarily reshape materials by nudging their internal quantum rhythms instead of blasting them with extreme lasers. By harnessing excitons, short-lived energy pairs that naturally form inside semiconductors, researchers can alter how electrons behave using far less energy than before. This approach achieves powerful quantum effects without damaging the material, overcoming a major barrier that has limited progress for years.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121233404.htm
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
c31dc536a32ddc9e46b97780281611af107d6b6ff7d0d8cceff78b5b309cf010
|
2026-01-22T02:27:26
|
Physicists challenge a 200-year-old law of thermodynamics at the atomic scale
|
A long-standing law of thermodynamics turns out to have a loophole at the smallest scales. Researchers have shown that quantum engines made of correlated particles can exceed the traditional efficiency limit set by Carnot nearly 200 years ago. By tapping into quantum correlations, these engines can produce extra work beyond what heat alone allows. This could reshape how scientists design future nanoscale machines.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034140.htm
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
924a8b926de8db1e068eb50e55580284ae344067f618018b8292071a1b9ed5ac
|
2026-01-23T13:40:59+00:00
|
Cosmic time capsules: the search for pristine comets
|
In this episode of Physics World Stories, host Andrew Glester explores the fascinating hunt for pristine comets – icy bodies that preserve material from the solar system’s beginnings and even earlier. Unlike more familiar comets that repeatedly swing close to the Sun and transform, these frozen relics act as time capsules, offering unique insights into our cosmic history. The first guest is Tracy Becker, deputy principal investigator for the Ultraviolet Spectrograph on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. Becker describes how the Jupiter-bound spacecraft recently turned its gaze to 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar visitor that appeared last July. Mission scientists quickly reacted to this unique opportunity, which also enabled them to test the mission’s instruments before it arrives at the icy world of Europa. Michael Küppers then introduces the upcoming Comet Interceptor mission, set for launch in 2029. This joint ESA–JAXA mission will “park” in space until a suitable comet arrives from the outer reaches of the solar system. They will deploy two probes to study it from multiple angles – offering a first-ever close look at material untouched since the solar system’s birth. From interstellar wanderers to carefully orchestrated intercepts, this episode blends pioneering missions and cosmic detective work. Keep up to date with all the latest space and astronomy developments in the dedicated section of the Physics World website. The post Cosmic time capsules: the search for pristine comets appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/cosmic-time-capsules-the-search-for-pristine-comets/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
4ddf8e93b5785b70664388fde45ba391693ae77e886d2fc82f01eef27ac85655
|
2026-01-23T11:30:13+00:00
|
Hot ancient galaxy cluster challenges current cosmological models
|
As with people, age in cosmology does not always extrapolate. An early-career politician may be more likely to win a debate with a student than with a seasoned diplomat, but put all three in a room with a toddler and the toddler will almost certainly get their own way – they are following a different set of rules. A team of global collaborators noticed a similar phenomenon when peering at a cluster of developing galaxies from a time when the universe was just a tenth of its current age. Cosmological theories suggest that such infant clusters should host much cooler and less abundant gas than more mature clusters. But what the researchers saw was at least five times hotter than expected – apparently not abiding by those rules. “That’s a massive surprise and forces us to rethink how large structures actually form and evolve in the universe,” says first author Dazhi Zhou, a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia. Looking into distant outer space allows us to peer into the past. The protocluster of developing galaxies that Zhou and collaborators investigated – known as SPT2349–56 – is 12.4 billion light years away, so the light observed from it left home when the universe was just 1.4 billion years old. Light from so far away will be quite faint and hard to detect by the time it reaches us, so the researchers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to study SPT2349–56 using a special type of shadow. As this type of protocluster develops, Zhou explains, the gas around its galaxies becomes so hot that electrons in the gas interact with, and confer some of their energy upon, passing photons. This leaves light passing through the gas with more photons at the higher energy end of the spectrum and fewer at the lower end. When viewing the cosmic microwave background radiation – the “afterglow” left behind by the Big Bang – this results in a shadow at low energies. This energy shift, discovered by physicists Rashid Sunyaev and Yakov Zeldovich, not only reveals the presence of the protocluster, but the strength of this signature indicates the thermal energy of the gas in the protocluster. The team’s observations were not easy. “This shadow is actually pretty tiny,” Zhou explains. In addition, there is thermal emission from the dust inside galaxies at radio wavelengths, originally estimated to be 20 times stronger than the Sunyaev–Zeldovich signature. “It really is like finding a needle in a haystack,” he adds. Nonetheless, the team did identify a definite Sunyaev–Zeldovich signature from SPT2349–56, with a thermal energy indicating that it was at least five times hotter than expected – thousands of times hotter than the surface of our Sun. SPT2349–56 has some quirks that may explain its high thermal energy, including three supermassive black holes shooting out jets of high-energy matter – a known but rare phenomenon for these supermassive black holes. However, simulations that take these outbursts into account as a heating mechanism that’s more efficient and occurs much earlier than heating from gravitational collapse (as current models suggest) still do not give the high temperatures observed, perhaps pointing to gaps in our knowledge of the underlying physics. Eiichiro Komatsu from the Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik describes the work as “a wonderful measurement”. Although not directly involved in this research, Komatsu has also looked at what the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect can reveal about the cosmos. “The amount of thermal energy measured by the authors is staggering, yet its origin is a mystery,” he tells Physics World. He suggests these results will motivate further observations of other systems in the early universe. “We need to be cautious rather than making any big claim,” adds Zhou. This is the first Sunyaev–Zeldovich detection of a protocluster from the first three billion years of the universe’s existence. Next, he aims to study similar protoclusters, and he hopes others will also work to corroborate the observations. The research is reported in Nature. The post Hot ancient galaxy cluster challenges current cosmological models appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/hot-ancient-galaxy-cluster-challenges-current-cosmological-models/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
71c517283ad2e206f4ccb249225e191711bb9fd3bbb3dbfec5e7ed4bc1284e0e
|
2026-01-22T15:01:44+00:00
|
Laser fusion: Focused Energy charts a course to commercial viability
|
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with the plasma physicist Debbie Callahan who is chief strategy officer at Focused Energy – a California and Germany based fusion-energy startup. Prior to that she spent 35 years working at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US. Focused Energy is developing a commercial system for generating energy from the laser-driven fusion of hydrogen isotopes. Callahan describes LightHouse, which is the company’s design for a laser-fusion power plant, and Pearl, which is the firm’s deuterium–tritium fuel capsule. Callahan talks about the challenges and rewards of working in the fusion industry and also calls on early-career physicists to consider careers in this burgeoning sector. The post Laser fusion: Focused Energy charts a course to commercial viability appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/laser-fusion-focused-energy-charts-a-course-to-commercial-viability/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
4709fdcedb4183e2b8c779f3301c5c13a396b73ca4aa0beddafeeeb9734507f6
|
2026-01-22T11:25:19+00:00
|
Fuel cell catalyst requirements for heavy-duty vehicle applications
|
Heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) powered by hydrogen-based proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells offer a cleaner alternative to diesel-powered internal combustion engines for decarbonizing long-haul transportation sectors. The development path of sub-components for HDV fuel-cell applications is guided by the total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis of the truck. TCO analysis suggests that the cost of the hydrogen fuel consumed over the lifetime of the HDV is more dominant because trucks typically operate over very high mileages (~a million miles) than the fuel cell stack capital expense (CapEx). Commercial HDV applications consume more hydrogen and demand higher durability, meaning that TCO is largely related to the fuel-cell efficiency and durability of catalysts. This article is written to bridge the gap between the industrial requirements and academic activity for advanced cathode catalysts with an emphasis on durability. From a materials perspective, the underlying nature of the carbon support, Pt-alloy crystal structure, stability of the alloying element, cathode ionomer volume fraction, and catalyst–ionomer interface play a critical role in improving performance and durability. We provide our perspective on four major approaches, namely, mesoporous carbon supports, ordered PtCo intermetallic alloys, thrifting ionomer volume fraction, and shell-protection strategies that are currently being pursued. While each approach has its merits and demerits, their key developmental needs for future are highlighted. Nagappan Ramaswamy joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Bombay as a faculty member in January 2025. He earned his PhD in 2011 from Northeastern University, Boston specialising in fuel cell electrocatalysis. He then spent 13 years working in industrial R&D – two years at Nissan North American in Michigan USA focusing on lithium-ion batteries, followed by 11 years at General Motors in Michigan USA focusing on low-temperature fuel cells and electrolyser technologies. While at GM, he led two multi-million-dollar research projects funded by the US Department of Energy focused on the development of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells for automotive applications. At IIT Bombay, his primary research interests include low-temperature electrochemical energy-conversion and storage devices such as fuel cells, electrolysers and redox-flow batteries involving materials development, stack design and diagnostics. The post Fuel cell catalyst requirements for heavy-duty vehicle applications appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/fuel-cell-catalyst-requirements-for-heavy-duty-vehicle-applications/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
2815c70b508ded97cf9c1204147602032ac706d5ecb2121a787b447e5cf3cde6
|
2026-01-22T11:00:23+00:00
|
Ask me anything: Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė – ‘Above all, curiosity drives everything’
|
Much of my time is spent trying to build and refine models in quantum optics, usually with just a pencil, paper and a computer. This requires an ability to sit with difficult concepts for a long time, sometimes far longer than is comfortable, until they finally reveal their structure. Good communication is equally essential – I teach students; collaborate with colleagues from different subfields; and translate complex ideas into accessible language for the broader public. Modern physics connects with many different fields, so being flexible and open-minded matters as much as knowing the technical details. Above all, curiosity drives everything. When I don’t understand something, that uncertainty becomes my strongest motivation to keep going. What I like the best is the sense of discovery – the moment when a problem that has evaded understanding for weeks suddenly becomes clear. Those flashes of insight feel like hearing the quiet whisper of nature itself. They are rare, but they bring along a joy that is hard to find elsewhere. I also value the opportunity to guide the next generation of physicists, whether in the university classroom or through public science communication. Teaching brings a different kind of fulfilment: witnessing students develop confidence, curiosity and a genuine love for physics. What I like the least is the inherent uncertainty of research. Questions do not promise favourable answers, and progress is rarely linear. Fortunately, I have come to see this lack of balance not as a weakness but as a source of power that forces growth, new perspectives, and ultimately deeper understanding. I wish I had known that feeling lost is not a sign of inadequacy but a natural part of doing physics at a high level. Not understanding something can be the greatest motivator, provided one is willing to invest time and effort. Passion and curiosity matter far more than innate brilliance. If I had realized earlier that steady dedication can carry you farther than talent alone, I would have embraced uncertainty with much more confidence. The post Ask me anything: Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė – ‘Above all, curiosity drives everything’ appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/ask-me-anything-mazena-mackoit-sinkeviciene-above-all-curiosity-drives-everything/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
4df7396ee055dc85c2aff3ee9b131fc1f6a9753d67c7ffc1f007d2a6a5b1bc39
|
2026-01-22T09:30:19+00:00
|
Modelling wavefunction collapse as a continuous flow yields insights on the nature of measurement
|
“God does not play dice.” With this famous remark at the 1927 Solvay Conference, Albert Einstein set the tone for one of physics’ most enduring debates. At the heart of his dispute with Niels Bohr lay a question that continues to shape the foundations of physics: does the apparently probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics reflect something fundamental, or is it simply due to lack of information about some “hidden variables” of the system that we cannot access? Physicists at University College London, UK (UCL) have now addressed this question via the concept of quantum state diffusion (QSD). In QSD, the wavefunction does not collapse abruptly. Instead, wavefunction collapse is modelled as a continuous interaction with the environment that causes the system to evolve gradually toward a definite state, restoring some degree of intuition to the counterintuitive quantum world. To appreciate the distinction (and the advantages it might bring), imagine tossing a coin. While the coin is spinning in midair, it is neither fully heads nor fully tails – its state represents a blend of both possibilities. This mirrors a quantum system in superposition. When the coin eventually lands, the uncertainty disappears and we obtain a definite outcome. In quantum terms, this corresponds to wavefunction collapse: the superposition resolves into a single state upon measurement. In the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics, wavefunction collapse is considered instantaneous. However, this abrupt transition is challenging from a thermodynamic perspective because uncertainty is closely tied to entropy. Before measurement, a system in superposition carries maximal uncertainty, and thus maximum entropy. After collapse, the outcome is definite and our uncertainty about the system is reduced, thereby reducing the entropy. This apparent reduction in entropy immediately raises a deeper question. If the system suddenly becomes more ordered at the moment of measurement, where does the “missing” entropy go? Returning to the coin analogy, imagine that instead of landing cleanly and instantly revealing heads or tails, the coin wobbles, leans, slows and gradually settles onto one face. The outcome is the same, but the transition is continuous rather than abrupt. This gradual settling captures the essence of QSD. Instead of an instantaneous “collapse”, the quantum state unfolds continuously over time. This makes it possible to track various parameters of thermodynamic change, including a quantity called environmental stochastic entropy production that measures how irreversible the process is. Another benefit is that whereas standard projective measurements describe an abrupt “yes/no” outcome, QSD models a broader class of generalized or “weak” measurements, revealing the subtle ways quantum systems evolve. It also allows physicists to follow individual trajectories rather than just average outcomes, uncovering details that the standard framework smooths over. “The QSD framework helps us understand how unpredictable environmental influences affect quantum systems,” explains Sophia Walls, a PhD student at UCL and the first author of a paper in Physical Review A on the research. Environmental noise, Walls adds, is particularly important for quantum technologies, making the study’s insights valuable for quantum error correction, control protocols and feedback mechanisms. At first glance, QSD might seem to resemble decoherence, which also arises from system–environment interactions such as noise. But the two differ in scope. “Decoherence explains how a system becomes a classical mixed state,” Walls clarifies, “but not how it ultimately purifies into a single eigenstate.” QSD, with its stochastic term, describes this final purification – the point where the coin’s faint shimmer sharpens into heads or tails. In this view, measurement is not a single act but a continuous, entropy-producing flow of information between system and environment – a process that gradually results in manifestation of one of the possible quantum states, rather than an abrupt “collapse”. “Standard quantum mechanics separates two kinds of dynamics – the deterministic Schrödinger evolution and the probabilistic, instantaneous collapse,” Walls notes. “QSD connects both in a single dynamical equation, offering a more unified description of measurement.” This continuous evolution makes otherwise intractable quantities, such as entropy production, measurable and meaningful. It also breathes life into the wavefunction itself. By simulating individual realizations, QSD distinguishes between two seemingly identical mixed states: one genuinely entangled with its environment, and another that simply represents our ignorance. Only in the first case does the system dynamically evolve – a distinction invisible in the orthodox picture. Could this diffusion-based framework also illuminate other fundamental questions beyond the nature of measurement? Walls thinks it’s possible. Recent work suggests that stochastic processes could provide experimental clues about how gravity behaves at the quantum scale. QSD may one day offer a way to formalize or test such ideas. “If the nature of quantum gravity can be studied through a diffusive or stochastic process, then QSD would be a relevant framework to explore it,” Walls says. The post Modelling wavefunction collapse as a continuous flow yields insights on the nature of measurement appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/modelling-wavefunction-collapse-as-a-continuous-flow-yields-insights-on-the-nature-of-measurement/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
26078d5c4a3ea8df5112b1641db357560a16ff0d558ba97601b32e47b6ed41f8
|
2026-01-21T17:23:16+00:00
|
NPL unveils miniature atomic fountain clock
|
A miniature version of an atomic fountain clock has been unveiled by researchers at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Their timekeeper occupies just 5% of the volume of a conventional atomic fountain clock while delivering a time signal with a stability that is on par with a full-sized system. The team is now honing its design to create compact fountain clocks that could be used in portable systems and remote locations. The ticking of an atomic clock is defined by the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed and emitted by a specific transition between atomic energy levels. Today, the second is defined using a transition in caesium atoms that involves microwave radiation. Caesium atoms are placed in a microwave cavity and a measurement-and-feedback mechanism is used to tune the frequency of the cavity radiation to the atomic transition – creating a source of microwaves with a very narrow frequency range centred at the clock frequency. The first atomic clocks sent a fast-moving beam of atoms through a microwave cavity. The precision of such a beam clock is limited by the relatively short time that individual atoms spend in the cavity. Also, the speed of the atoms means that the measured frequency peak is shifted and broadened by the Doppler effect. These problems were addressed by the development of the fountain clock, in which the atoms are cooled (slowed down) by laser light, which also launches the atoms upwards. The atoms pass through a microwave cavity on the way up, and again as they fall back down. The atoms travel at much slower speeds than in a beam clock. The atoms spend much more time in the cavity and therefore the time signal from an atomic clock is much more precise than a beam clock. However, long times result in greater thermal spread of the atomic beam – which degrades clock performance. Trading-off measurement time with thermal spread means that the caesium fountain clocks that currently define the second have drops of about 30 cm. Other components are also needed to operate fountain clocks – including a vacuum system and laser and microwave instrumentation. This pushes the height of a typical clock to about 2 m, and makes it a complex and expensive instrument that cannot be easily transported. Now, Sam Walby and colleagues at NPL have shrunk the overall height of a rubidium-based fountain clock to 80 cm, while retaining the 30 cm drop. The result is an instrument that is 5% the volume of one of NPL’s conventional caesium atomic fountain clocks. “That’s taking it from barely being able to fit though a doorway, to something one could pick up and carry with one arm,” says Walby. Despite the miniaturization, the mini-fountain achieved a stability of one part in 1015 after several days of operation – which NPL says is comparable to full-sized clocks. Walby told Physics World that the NPL team achieved miniaturization by eliminating two conventional components from their clock design. One is a dedicated chamber used to measure the quantum states of the atoms. Instead, this measurement is make within the clock’s cooling chamber. Also eliminated is a dedicated state-selection microwave cavity, which puts the atoms into the quantum state from which the clock transition occurs. “The mini-fountain also does this [state] selection,” explains Walby, “but instead of using a dedicated cavity, we use a coax-to-waveguide adapter that is directed into the cooling chamber, which creates a travelling wave of microwaves at the correct frequency.” The NPL team also reduced the amount of magnetic shielding used, which meant that the edge-effects of the magnetic field had to be more carefully considered. The optics system of the clock was greatly simplified and the use of commercial components mean that the clock is low maintenance and easy to operate – according to NPL. “By radically simplifying and shrinking the atomic fountain, we’re making ultra-precise timing technology available beyond national labs,” said Walby. “This opens new possibilities for resilient infrastructure and next-generation navigation.” According to Walby, one potential use of a miniature atomic fountain clock is as a holdover clock. These are devices that produce a very stable time signal when not synchronized with other atomic clocks. This is important for creating resilience in infrastructure that relies on precision timing – such as communications networks, global navigation satellite systems (including GPS) and power grids. Synchronization is usually done using GNSS signals but these can be jammed or spoofed to disrupt timing systems. Holdover clocks require time errors of just a few nanoseconds over a month, which the new NPL clock can deliver. The miniature atomic clock could also be used as a secondary frequency standard for the SI second. The small size of the clock also lends itself to portable and even mobile applications, according to Walby: “The adaptation of the mini-fountain technology to mobile platforms will be subject of further developments”. However, the mini-clock is large when compared to more compact or chip-based clocks – which do not perform as well. Therefore, he believes that the technology is more likely to be implemented on ships or ground vehicles than aircraft. “At a minimum, it should be easily transportable compared to the current solutions of similar performance,” he says. Atomic-clock expert Elizabeth Donley tells Physics World, “NPL has been highly innovative in recent years in standardizing fountain clock designs and even supplying caesium fountains to other national standards labs and organizations around the world for timekeeping purposes. This new compact rubidium fountain is a continuation of this work and can provide a smaller frequency standard with comparable performance to the larger fountains based on caesium.” Donley spent more than two decades developing atomic clocks at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and now works as a consultant in the field. She agrees that miniature fountain clocks would be useful for holding-over timing information when time signals are interrupted. She adds, “Once the international community decides to redefine the second to be based on an optical transition, it won’t matter if you use rubidium or caesium. So I see this work as more of a practical achievement than a ground-breaking one. Practical achievements are what drives progress most of the time.” The new clock is described in Applied Physics Letters. The post NPL unveils miniature atomic fountain clock appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/npl-unveils-miniature-atomic-fountain-clock/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
96ce01908b419aea3d583e65abc0843b46bd9978c5d712c61de22081e4d1692c
|
2026-01-21T14:00:49+00:00
|
Shining laser light on a material produces subtle changes in its magnetic properties
|
Researchers in Switzerland have found an unexpected new use for an optical technique commonly used in silicon chip manufacturing. By shining a focused laser beam onto a sample of material, a team at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and ETH Zürich showed that it was possible to change the material’s magnetic properties on a scale of nanometres – essentially “writing” these magnetic properties into the sample in the same way as photolithography etches patterns onto wafers. The discovery could have applications for novel forms of computer memory as well as fundamental research. In standard photolithography – the workhorse of the modern chip manufacturing industry – a light beam passes through a transmission mask and projects an image of the mask’s light-absorption pattern onto a (usually silicon) wafer. The wafer itself is covered with a photosensitive polymer called a resist. Changing the intensity of the light leads to different exposure levels in the resist-covered material, making it possible to create finely detailed structures. In the new work, Laura Heyderman and colleagues in PSI-ETH Zürich’s joint Mesoscopic System group began by placing a thin film of a magnetic material in a standard photolithography machine, but without a photoresist. They then scanned a focused laser beam over the surface of the sample while modulating the beam’s wavelength of 405 nm to deliver varying intensities of light. This process is known as direct write laser annealing (DWLA), and it makes it possible to heat areas of the sample that measure just 150 nm across. In each heated area, thermal energy from the laser is deposited at the surface and partially absorbed by the film down to a depth of around 100 nm). The remainder dissipates through a silicon substrate coated in 300-nm-thick silicon oxide. However, the thermal conductivity of this substrate is low, which maximizes the temperature increase in the film for a given laser fluence. The researchers also sought to keep the temperature increase as uniform as possible by using thin-film heterostructures with a total thickness of less than 20 nm. Members of the PSI-ETH Zürich team applied this technique to several technologically important magnetic thin-film systems, including ferromagnetic CoFeB/MgO, ferrimagnetic CoGd and synthetic antiferromagnets composed of Co/Cr, Co/Ta or CoFeB/Pt/Ru. They found that DWLA induces both crystallization and interdiffusion effects in these materials. During crystallization, the orientation of the sample’s magnetic moments gradually changes, while interdiffusion alters the magnetic exchange coupling between the layers of the structures. The researchers say that both phenomena could have interesting applications. The magnetized regions in the structures could be used in data storage, for example, with the direction of the magnetization (“up” or “down”) corresponding to the “1” or “0” of a bit of data. In conventional data-storage systems, these bits are switched with a magnetic field, but team member Jeffrey Brock explains that the new technique allows electric currents to be used instead. This is advantageous because electric currents are easier to produce than magnetic fields, while data storage devices switched with electricity are both faster and capable of packing more data into a given space. Team member Lauren Riddiford says the new work builds on previous studies by members of the same group, which showed it was possible to make devices suitable for computer memory by locally patterning magnetic properties. “The trick we used here was to locally oxidize the topmost layer in a magnetic multilayer,” she explains. “However, we found that this works only in a few systems and only produces abrupt changes in the material properties. We were therefore brainstorming possible alternative methods to create gradual, smooth gradients in material properties, which would open possibilities to even more exciting applications and realized that we could perform local annealing with a laser originally made for patterning polymer resist layers for photolithography.” Riddiford adds that the method proved so fast and simple to implement that the team’s main challenge was to investigate all the material changes it produced. Physical characterization methods for ultrathin films can be slow and difficult, she tells Physics World. The researchers, who describe their technique in Nature Communications, now hope to use it to develop structures that are compatible with current chip-manufacturing technology. “Beyond magnetism, our approach can be used to locally modify the properties of any material that undergoes changes when heated, so we hope researchers using thin films for many different devices – electronic, superconducting, optical, microfluidic and so on – could use this technique to design desired functionalities,” Riddiford says. “We are looking forward to seeing where this method will be implemented next, whether in magnetic or non-magnetic materials, and what kind of applications it might bring.” The post Shining laser light on a material produces subtle changes in its magnetic properties appeared first on Physics World.
|
https://physicsworld.com/a/shining-laser-light-on-a-material-produces-subtle-changes-in-its-magnetic-properties/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
58dfa8c92170f77a37726bba02293ee2e1c3765573648f12873b177989ec8bfc
|
2026-01-23T13:00:00+00:00
|
Rocket Lab's new Neutron rocket suffers fuel tank rupture during test
|
Rocket Lab's first Neutron rocket buckled under pressure when its main stage tank ruptured during an overnight test in Wallops, Virginia.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/rocket-labs-new-neutron-rocket-suffers-fuel-tank-rupture-during-test
|
Space & Physics
| |
e53686baa71be65a896bd0d83227b81944cd0e0525fa130f76574c5403b335b6
|
2026-01-23T11:00:00+00:00
|
Sinking ice on Jupiter's moon Europa may be slowly feeding its ocean the ingredients for life
|
"Most excitingly, this new idea addresses one of the longstanding habitability problems on Europa and is a good sign for the prospects of extraterrestrial life in its ocean."
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/jupiter/sinking-ice-on-jupiters-moon-europa-may-be-slowly-feeding-its-ocean-the-ingredients-for-life
|
Space & Physics
| |
424824bf12715453456034f310d21dd9c2ce39d2a095ea6959021fed56bf2561
|
2026-01-22T22:00:00+00:00
|
A black hole 'feeding frenzy' could help explain a cosmic mystery uncovered by the James Webb Space Telescope
|
"It is exciting to think that Little Red Dots may represent the first direct observational evidence of the birth of the most massive black holes in the universe."
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/a-black-hole-feeding-frenzy-could-help-explain-a-cosmic-mystery-uncovered-by-the-james-webb-space-telescope
|
Space & Physics
| |
8668ba7cb8ad5f54af21af6bfffb00941ea1463b86fa2032d3b4b5bbda6fab71
|
2026-01-22T20:00:00+00:00
|
'Vitus Reflux' may be the lowest stakes episode of 'Star Trek' ever. Luckily, it's also a lot of fun
|
Starfleet Academy's third mission is remarkably light on peril, but that isn't necessarily a problem
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/vitus-reflux-may-be-the-lowest-stakes-episode-of-star-trek-ever-luckily-its-also-a-lot-of-fun
|
Space & Physics
| |
db6358a8000ec3fb409fb6959428629bf41e0b1c6b5fe4cc1bfac9f293e3a522
|
2026-01-22T19:00:00+00:00
|
Cult sci-fi series 'Blake's 7' reboot in the works, helmed by 'The Last of Us' director Peter Hoar
|
‘Blake’s 7’ is heading back to deep space as Emmy-nominated director Peter Hoar launches a new indie studio and plans a reboot of the cult British sci-fi drama.
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/cult-sci-fi-series-blakes-7-reboot-in-the-works-helmed-by-the-last-of-us-director-peter-hoar
|
Space & Physics
| |
2137cce45a2e783efc0c331d1f2d405b58a7e6e82382f1d4b553c428901e86ee
|
2026-01-22T17:31:49+00:00
|
Vaonis Hestia smartphone-powered telescope review
|
The Vaonis Hestia, through clever means, turns your smartphone into a smart telescope.
|
https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/vaonis-hestia-smartphone-powered-telescope-review
|
Space & Physics
| |
dc12e958d430f29ccbcc9184cba95e1a5cc4743a4842d44e60e03d750e9c59a8
|
2026-01-22T16:48:07+00:00
|
Blue Origin launches 6 space tourists to the final frontier after last-minute crew swap (video)
|
Blue Origin launched six people to suborbital space today (Jan. 22). It was the 17th human spaceflight for the company, which was founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/blue-origin-ns-38-space-tourist-launch
|
Space & Physics
| |
ed7e37d8e08653281d18a69ee8ec0f0fd816f23e86d4af42ac0565a42a8d8c6b
|
2026-01-22T16:14:17+00:00
|
SpaceX launches 25 Starlink satellites into orbit from California (video)
|
SpaceX lit up the night sky over Vandenberg Space Force Base today (Jan. 22) with the launch of 25 more satellites for its Starlink broadband internet service.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-satellite-launch-vandenberg-group-17-30
|
Space & Physics
| |
cd455db107c5af4bfdd697a1efe47d56c787ff3ef2f226116e19e3aed786c958
|
2026-01-22T16:00:00+00:00
|
James Webb Space Telescope discovers what remains after two stars collide and explode as a red nova
|
"Until now, it was unknown what type of star would remain after the merger."
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/james-webb-space-telescope-discovers-what-remains-after-two-stars-collide-and-explode-as-a-red-nova
|
Space & Physics
| |
598e83aab67213d91bce6e01ce72d605130156fac4748a9143cb209b1795d7e1
|
2026-01-22T15:51:48+00:00
|
Rocket Lab launches its 1st mission of 2026, sending 2 satellites to orbit (video)
|
Rocket Lab launched its first mission of 2026 this morning (Jan. 22), sending two satellites aloft for the European company Open Cosmos.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-electron-first-launch-2026-open-cosmos-satellites
|
Space & Physics
| |
82bd5a154d19cbd19ddf686e6970c6be756284333d8884b7b563467cdc3e716f
|
2026-01-22T15:30:00+00:00
|
Watch comet 3I/ATLAS race toward interstellar space in free livestream tonight
|
3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar visitor ever to visit the solar system having been formed around a distant star.
|
https://www.space.com/stargazing/watch-comet-3i-atlas-race-toward-interstellar-space-in-free-livestream-tonight
|
Space & Physics
| |
1c7f30c25164ebf107a1393f7187718a4763f32da592654d1eb99bd80f96e1e1
|
2026-01-22T15:00:00+00:00
|
ISS astronaut spots Artemis 2 moon rocket on the launch pad from space (photo)
|
A NASA astronaut on the ISS captured the Space Launch System rocket for Artemis 2, a mission that aims to bring four astronauts around the moon as soon as Feb. 6.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/iss-astronaut-spots-artemis-2-moon-rocket-on-the-launch-pad-from-space-photo
|
Space & Physics
| |
a5fa940269ece1a91ac2263e1cbd9deaadc83f7a25524f7f53b62b029e692b31
|
2026-01-22T14:00:00+00:00
|
Searching for newborn stars with CAFFEINE | Space photo of the day for Jan. 22, 2026
|
The Core And Filament Formation/Evolution In Natal Environments (CAFFEINE) survey is an "astronomer's best friend," according to the European Southern Observatory.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/searching-for-newborn-stars-with-caffeine-space-photo-of-the-day-for-jan-22-2026
|
Space & Physics
| |
f3b25a5cc11ba826be69787306442d1701bd776866142b48fef976dd9b715cf3
|
2026-01-22T13:00:00+00:00
|
See a slender crescent moon shine with Saturn in the western sky tonight
|
The lunar crescent will disappear below the horizon before midnight on Jan. 22.
|
https://www.space.com/stargazing/see-a-slender-crescent-moon-shine-with-saturn-in-the-western-sky-tonight-jan-22-2025
|
Space & Physics
| |
d274a0ab64182b9e7319f00b6172daa777a1cdc8e5ea846af48c567a47455494
|
2026-01-22T11:03:51+00:00
|
iOptron 80mm White Light Solar Scope review
|
The iOptron 80mm scope is easy to use and suited to both white-light solar viewing and nighttime observations.
|
https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/ioptron-80mm-white-light-solar-scope-review
|
Space & Physics
| |
14ecf4b0603bdff649fbae21f991947f6a004dd5ca2d18280fd2e8f8affb6d93
|
2026-01-22T11:00:00+00:00
|
Wobbling exoplanet hints at a hidden exomoon so massive it could redefine the word 'moon' altogether
|
"In our solar system, the most massive moon is Ganymede, which is still extremely small compared to what we are inferring here."
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/wobbling-exoplanet-hints-at-a-hidden-exomoon-so-massive-it-could-redefine-the-word-moon-altogether
|
Space & Physics
| |
84b94b727328419446d96aeababe7c35f724e5ab241c7affb9c0083ec5d27b44
|
2026-01-21T23:00:00+00:00
|
'We can handle any kind of difficult situation': Crew-11 astronauts say 1st medical evacuation from ISS had a silver lining
|
The fact that Crew-11 returned to Earth safely despite unprecedented circumstances bodes well for the success of future missions that go farther afield, astronauts said.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/we-can-handle-any-kind-of-difficult-situation-crew-11-astronauts-say-1st-medical-evacuation-from-iss-had-a-silver-lining
|
Space & Physics
| |
927e8c84a7d93f02419586d3accb3f6ef175e351287f12e0ba8314758d648e8b
|
2026-01-21T22:00:00+00:00
|
'Eye of God' nebula looks like a cosmic lava lamp in new James Webb Space Telescope image
|
It may be one of the most iconic sights in the night sky, but astronomers have never seen the Helix Nebula like this before.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/galaxies/eye-of-god-nebula-looks-like-a-cosmic-lava-lamp-in-new-james-webb-space-telescope-image
|
Space & Physics
| |
67eff1197cf9a986e27012b0fe3622334dd82cc7a05bf1dfdfad8b0a806a59de
|
2026-01-21T21:00:00+00:00
|
'Legends of Tomorrow' at 10: Celebrating DC's scrappy version of 'Back to the Future'
|
Great Scott! Legends of Tomorrow still rocks even 10 years later.
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/legends-of-tomorrow-at-10-celebrating-dcs-scrappy-version-of-back-to-the-future
|
Space & Physics
| |
59726ea5cfed4022c149e76fe6c6ff1b92a2ecfda9ad8c477b7b199c69f82ba3
|
2026-01-21T20:00:00+00:00
|
Record-setting astronaut Suni Williams retires from NASA after 27 years
|
Astronaut Suni Williams left NASA late last month after 27 years of service. She spent a total of 608 days in space, more than all but one other American astronaut.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/record-setting-astronaut-suni-williams-retires-from-nasa-after-27-years
|
Space & Physics
| |
45712adcbafad24ca36100520b89fd9536be729634ed6d096f6627a559c3c4cd
|
2026-01-21T19:30:00+00:00
|
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to build 5,400-satellite megaconstellation
|
Blue Origin just announced "TeraWave," a planned satellite megaconstellation designed for customers who need super-high-throughput communication services.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-plans-to-build-5-400-satellite-megaconstellation
|
Space & Physics
| |
84869e30923efbd7ba09998184b85cf0207e734f6117161fd49b5c38162bb383
|
2026-01-21T19:00:00+00:00
|
You're getting warmer! Hot dark matter could refine cosmic game of hide and seek
|
"Dark matter can be red hot when it is born, but still have time to cool down before galaxies begin to form."
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/dark-universe/youre-getting-warmer-hot-dark-matter-could-refine-cosmic-game-of-hide-and-seek
|
Space & Physics
| |
c985ce3ba96112398c1365a59f7fe190cfc25365df1f001dfe461276dc3c4d8c
|
2026-01-21T18:00:00+00:00
|
Sci-fi extraction shooter 'Marathon' is coming March 5, with new trailer showcasing all-star voice cast, collector's edition & more (video)
|
Bungie's next game returns with a new in-engine trailer and more details ahead of its long-awaited release.
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/sci-fi-extraction-shooter-marathon-is-coming-march-5-with-new-trailer-showcasing-all-star-voice-cast-collectors-edition-and-more
|
Space & Physics
| |
b65459239cc4570482a88d70eb44764b8f1c7bf4fdd1c47dba95919a38e013a2
|
2026-01-21T17:19:00+00:00
|
Save 33% and watch Disney+ for just £3.99 a month. Don't miss out, this offer ends in January!
|
With a host of exciting new Marvel and Star Wars releases landing this year, Disney Plus is the streaming subscription to have in 2026 and now it's a third cheaper with this UK-only deal.
|
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/save-33-percent-and-watch-disney-for-just-gbp3-99-a-month-dont-miss-out-this-offer-ends-in-january
|
Space & Physics
| |
17d06b42f38a96b1a0ab5e62b888f8badc681929a89f267ed77c15c673363d42
|
2026-01-21T17:00:00+00:00
|
'The most incredible display of aurora I've ever seen in my 20 years of flying'. Pilot captures historic northern lights show from 37,000 feet (photos)
|
The photos were taken during a severe G4 geomagnetic storm, one of the strongest in years.
|
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/the-most-incredible-display-of-aurora-ive-ever-seen-in-my-20-years-of-flying-pilot-captures-historic-northern-lights-show-from-37-000-feet-photos
|
Space & Physics
| |
dccb6377e13571b16bf94e2804fa1b7ca37bb03a1190c05cda52045ac2622553
|
2026-01-21T16:00:00+00:00
|
Chinese capsule damaged by space-junk strike returns to Earth (video)
|
The first emergency operation in the history of China's human spaceflight program ended on Jan. 19 when an uncrewed Shenzhou 20 capsule damaged by a space-junk strike came safely down to Earth.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/chinese-capsule-damaged-by-space-junk-strike-returns-to-earth-video
|
Space & Physics
| |
68108e166548aefbc40737d467ef63ca0808f0686719693276c1f82cca715508
|
2026-01-21T15:00:00+00:00
|
Hubble sees baby stars in Large Magellanic Cloud | Space photo of the day for Jan. 21, 2026
|
The Large Magellanic Cloud, or LMC, is a key spot for astronomers to study star formation.
|
https://www.space.com/astronomy/hubble-space-telescope/hubble-sees-baby-stars-in-large-magellanic-cloud-space-photo-of-the-day-for-jan-21-2026
|
Space & Physics
| |
322fd38a0f7b0d44417b20d85bc097d76981502a8e112c7e222dcbe9e1d04b2c
|
2026-01-21T14:00:00+00:00
|
US Space Force awards 1st-of-its-kind $52 million contract to deorbit its satellites
|
Starfish Space just scored a $52.5 million contract to deorbit satellites for the U.S. Space Force, the first deal ever signed for such "end of life" disposal services for a constellation in low Earth orbit.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/us-space-force-awards-1st-of-its-kind-usd52-million-contract-to-deorbit-its-satellites
|
Space & Physics
| |
30f680e8132b87fe15dd99af7bda40b4857a5e61f480726fc73f798eef4b8d71
|
2026-01-21T13:00:00+00:00
|
NASA's Crew-11 astronauts to discuss medical evacuation from International Space Station today: Watch it live
|
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission will discuss their shorter-than-expected stay aboard the International Space Station today (Jan. 21), and you can watch it live.
|
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/medically-evacuated-crew-11-astronauts-to-discuss-their-shortened-iss-mission-today-watch-it-live
|
Space & Physics
| |
c5170d676df29cfe5338d74af03276101186dc6669dfc5018b711a900f75acf2
|
2026-01-23T11:54:56+00:00
|
Electric Shocks Could Enforce a Lunar Speed Limit
|
As they roll across shadowed regions of the moon's surface, future lunar rovers could develop hazardous buildups of electric charge on their wheels. Through new analysis published in Advances in Space Research, Bill Farrell at the Space Science Institute in Colorado, together with Mike Zimmerman at Johns Hopkins University, outline realistic precautions for mitigating this risk—offering valuable guidance for engineers designing future lunar missions.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/electric-shocks-could-enforce-a-lunar-speed-limit
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
4cfdd622996f11972e714d2a0db6b8e9d60d18108cb1a1a3bd5ecd38cc1eeeb0
|
2026-01-22T23:35:56+00:00
|
Mysterious No More: Astronomers Used The Hubble To Solve The Blue Straggler Problem
|
How do blue stragglers defy the aging that turns their mates red? Blue stragglers are found in ancient star clusters, where they outshine stars the same age, looking far bluer and younger than their true age. Astrophysicists have tried to understand blue stragglers for decades. New research using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is finally revealing how these ageless stars come to be and why they thrive in quieter cosmic neighbourhoods.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mysterious-no-more-astronomers-used-the-hubble-to-solve-the-blue-straggler-problem
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
9f3e89db861cd522fe1c01bf3510957e3b4f8fa2d82ad04597330177bdd42d23
|
2026-01-22T20:24:49+00:00
|
Gazing Into The Eye Of Sauron With The JWST
|
The Helix Nebula is one of the closest and brightest planetary nebula. It's what's left of a dying star and has nothing to do with planets. Our Sun will end up as one of these sumptuous displays, and a new JWST image reveals even more detail in the stunning nebula.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/gazing-into-the-eye-of-sauron-with-the-jwst
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
84348e860f61023b880dea4fedae5922af1d5d1308440e33c463a4e2e703e425
|
2026-01-22T17:27:00+00:00
|
Probing the Mysteries of the Solar Corona with ESA’s Proba-3
|
Some really unique science can be done during a total solar eclipse. Totality is the one time we can see the elusive corona of the Sun, the pearly white segment of our host star’s lower atmosphere where space weather activity originates. The trouble is, totality is fleeting. What researchers really need are eclipses on demand. ESA’s innovative Proba-3 mission does just that, by making use of a free-flying occulting disk. Launched in late 2024, we’re now seeing some unique science and images from the space observatory.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/probing-the-mysteries-of-the-solar-corona-with-esas-proba-3
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
e21626797be0197ad85ee1e223493ffa14f3e28ca504d630441eb693f7439881
|
2026-01-22T11:45:19+00:00
|
Mutations from Space Might Solve an Antibiotic Crisis
|
If humans are ever going to expand into space itself, it will have to be for a reason. Optimists think that reason is simply due to our love of exploration itself. But in history, it is more often a profit motive that has led humans to seek out new lands. So, it stands to reason that, in order for us to truly begin space colonization, we will have to have a business-related reason to do so. A new paper from the lab of Srivatsan Raman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and recently published in PLOS Biology, describes one potential such business case - genetically modifying bacteriophages to attack antibiotic resistant bacteria.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mutations-from-space-might-solve-an-antibiotic-crisis
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
0842eabfaa7e6d4d5206480abd3665870750a35a4d3b50bc3093c75c90940884
|
2026-01-21T22:06:43+00:00
|
A New Study of Lunar Rocks Suggests Earth's Water Might Not Have Come from Meteorites
|
High-precision oxygen isotopes in Apollo lunar soils reveal a persistent impactor fingerprint, showing that impacts contributed only a tiny fraction of Earth’s water.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-new-study-of-lunar-rocks-suggests-earths-water-might-not-have-come-from-meteorites
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
fe04a9b1e90a27544686f62e978c3a63c502c5bb4d73691b9c324a6298fd7172
|
2026-01-21T21:35:50+00:00
|
Hunting For T-Tauri Stars In A Dark Cloud
|
The Hubble Mission Team has released another image of the space telescope's study of star formation. This image shows the dark cloud Lupus 3, a star-forming region about 500 light-years away. Lupus 3 contains bright young T-Tauri stars, and 2 hot young stars that are creating a beautiful nebula.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hunting-for-t-tauri-stars-in-a-dark-cloud
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
d8de0a72c4d6c05cd2d9b873582b8349b28f716483c0342b4ec202e8adea9007
|
2026-01-21T16:21:17+00:00
|
Radio Telescopes on the Moon Could Let Us Observe Dozens of Black Hole Shadows
|
The resolution of the Event Horizon Telescope is limited by the diameter of Earth, and our observations of the black hole in M87 and in our own galaxy are at the edge of that limit. To observe other, more distant black holes we will need radio telescopes on the Moon.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/radio-telescopes-on-the-moon-could-let-us-observe-dozens-of-black-hole-shadows
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
def8400b2c7c6184e23e768258ff8260662289b29c4d2f8d5b3a246095194e00
|
2026-01-21T14:39:00+00:00
|
ALMA Observes The Missing Link In Exoplanet Formation
|
Back in 2014, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) captured an image of a young protoplanetary disk around a young star named HL Tauri. The image showed gaps and rings in the disk, substructures indicating that young planets forming there. This meant that planet formation began around young stars a lot sooner than thought. ALMA is continuing its investigation of protoplanetary disks in its ARKS survey (ALMA survey to Resolve exoKuiper belt Substructures).
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/alma-observes-the-missing-link-in-exoplanet-formation
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
b28fe9dbd1652aeef2d88c2856cac4c690d20e089213be76e38d9a8590332f7a
|
2026-01-21T12:55:30+00:00
|
The New Composite That Heals Itself 1,000 Times
|
Material science plays an absolutely critical role in space exploration. So when a new type of self-healing composite is announced, it’s worth a look–especially when the press release specifically calls out its ability to repair microtears associated with micrometeoroid impacts on satellites. It sounds like just such a composite material was recently invented at North Carolina State University - and it’s even already been spun out into a start-up company.
|
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-new-composite-that-heals-itself-1000-times
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
4414f3cc775068fab671cf1dbb200a44733f5989d5fb0211e9ffce94b2efad1a
|
2026-01-23T09:57:00+00:00
|
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 23 - February 1
|
The waxing Moon marches east across the evening sky. It says hello to binary Gamma Arietis on Saturday, then occults some of the Pleiades for Europe on Tuesday. But it's past them by nightfall in North America. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 23 - February 1 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
|
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-january-23-february-1/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
5abf885f3cd22f1766e06042bc989ce426df1d65f146d2d89924f8adb4db9917
|
2026-01-22T13:00:00+00:00
|
Watch Stellar Explosions Near and Far (Videos)
|
New videos from the Solar Orbiter and the Chandra X-ray Observatory capture magnetic avalanches on the Sun and the exploding remnants of a star 17,000 light-years away. The post Watch Stellar Explosions Near and Far (Videos) appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
|
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/watch-stellar-explosions-near-and-far-videos/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
19b0b372ed3b856232e82806d0cead096118a619fc118bc2361db7ed68e53132
|
2026-01-21T21:10:27+00:00
|
Nights with Mira, a Most Wonderful Star
|
Mira the Wonderful is back! Of course, it's always been there, but now it's near maximum brightness and easily visible with the unaided eye. The post Nights with Mira, a Most Wonderful Star appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
|
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/nights-with-mira-a-most-wonderful-star/
|
Space & Physics
|
svg
|
bee2bb3cb2de53ef6efaf15a817d8b4c5383537da70d9cbc740b80c4b6f7996e
|
2026-01-22T09:41:30
|
The genetic advantage that helps some people stay sharp for life
|
A new study reveals that super agers over 80 have a distinct genetic edge. They are much less likely to carry the gene most associated with Alzheimer’s risk, even when compared with other healthy seniors. Researchers also found higher levels of a protective gene variant in this group. Together, the findings help explain why some people age with remarkably youthful minds.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122093435.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
a1a9f8ba412a7d1d1af7cea8c610f2f68a53720629d8e697e7db10874381ea0f
|
2026-01-22T08:15:47
|
Why some people get bad colds and others don’t
|
Scientists found that nasal cells act as a first line of defense against the common cold, working together to block rhinovirus soon after infection. A fast antiviral response can stop the virus before symptoms appear. If that response is weakened or delayed, the virus spreads and causes inflammation and breathing problems. The study highlights why the body’s reaction matters more than the virus alone.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122074702.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
09486365c007a0d1f925568d1c593a6aaa1fc99ea89190b4d76fa0c8c3142f79
|
2026-01-22T23:58:52
|
Scientists ranked monogamy across mammals and humans stand out
|
A new study suggests humans belong in an elite “league of monogamy,” ranking closer to beavers and meerkats than to chimpanzees. By comparing full and half siblings across species and human cultures, researchers found that long-term pair bonding is unusually common in our species. Even societies that permit polygamy show far more monogamy than most mammals. This rare evolutionary shift may have played a key role in human social success.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122074035.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
f4ba6e520eb4732bb6e1c5e4741d75f952af238466fc599f9ea8a393bbc13998
|
2026-01-23T07:07:44
|
Rare rocks beneath Australia reveal the origins of a critical metal
|
Rare rocks buried deep in central Australia have revealed how a valuable niobium deposit formed during the breakup of an ancient supercontinent. More than 800 million years ago, tectonic rifting opened pathways that allowed metal-rich magma to rise from the mantle. These unusual rocks contain niobium, a key ingredient in high-strength steel, electric vehicles, and emerging energy technologies. The discovery offers fresh insight into how some of Earth’s most important mineral resources reach the surface.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122074028.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
41c7bbc3ddfcf8e1a01747ed110e7395fd88dba7bfb2171be0749231d4110c6c
|
2026-01-23T07:37:31
|
This 2.6-million-year-old jawbone changes the human story
|
A rare fossil discovery in Ethiopia has pushed the known range of Paranthropus hundreds of miles farther north than ever before. The 2.6-million-year-old jaw suggests this ancient relative of humans was surprisingly adaptable, not a narrow specialist as once believed. Instead of being outmatched by early humans, Paranthropus appears to have been just as widespread and resilient. The find forces scientists to rethink how early human relatives lived—and competed.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122073622.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
b0d789f96e8305595e1827f08113d50e5704d96d5bcb21fc39e667ad4a708dcd
|
2026-01-23T06:14:45
|
Europa’s ice may be feeding a hidden ocean that could support life
|
Europa’s subsurface ocean might be getting fed after all. Scientists found that salty, nutrient-rich surface ice can become heavy enough to break free and sink through Europa’s icy shell, delivering essential ingredients to the ocean below. The process is fast, repeatable, and works under many conditions. It offers a promising new explanation for how Europa could support life.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122073620.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
bd36bd56e33b0c252d07d9a5f27c0802646680c04f408b602047a0fdb04b7ab0
|
2026-01-22T04:11:44
|
NASA astronaut Suni Williams retires after 608 days in space and nine spacewalks
|
NASA astronaut Suni Williams has retired after 27 years of service and a career defined by endurance, leadership, and firsts in space. She spent 608 days in orbit, completed nine spacewalks, and twice commanded the International Space Station. Williams flew on everything from the space shuttle to Boeing’s Starliner, playing a key role in shaping modern human spaceflight. Her legacy will influence future missions to the Moon and beyond.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122032004.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
09ce1369d79def83170c17819a769d7e3a028d709345979cd6a5a80824b71ed5
|
2026-01-21T23:43:56
|
A tiny spin change just flipped a famous quantum effect
|
When quantum spins interact, they can produce collective behaviors that defy long-standing expectations. Researchers have now shown that the Kondo effect behaves very differently depending on spin size. In systems with small spins, it suppresses magnetism, but when spins are larger, it actually promotes magnetic order. This discovery uncovers a new quantum boundary with major implications for future materials.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121233400.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
b0e0f8651763f6a45fa332e3aad938c43aae3bc34a1c1bc12561c3b3756a5073
|
2026-01-22T02:05:14
|
After 11 years of research, scientists unlock a new weakness in deadly fungi
|
Fungal infections are becoming deadlier as drug resistance spreads and treatment options stall. Researchers at McMaster University discovered that a molecule called butyrolactol A can dramatically weaken dangerous fungi, allowing existing antifungal drugs to work again. Instead of killing the fungus directly, the molecule sabotages a vital internal system, leaving the pathogen exposed. The breakthrough could help revive an entire class of antifungal medicines once thought obsolete.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034134.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
7ebc4e8c8dfd18ee23d5d9617bec2a25664f3a005db5ee37d950171ed486db5e
|
2026-01-21T11:57:54
|
The hidden microbes that decide how sourdough tastes
|
The microbes living in sourdough starters don’t just appear by chance—they’re shaped by what bakers feed them. New research shows that while the same hardy yeast tends to dominate sourdough starters regardless of flour type, the bacteria tell a more complex story. Different flours—like whole wheat or bread flour—encourage different bacterial communities, which can subtly influence flavor, texture, and fermentation.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034132.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
0d78cfd4c9a5e929e2b3deef5b2bcc6bea445a2787d1f3cc3430852c02a010a1
|
2026-01-21T11:29:55
|
Scientists are building viruses from scratch to fight superbugs
|
Researchers from New England Biolabs (NEB®) and Yale University describe the first fully synthetic bacteriophage engineering system for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium of global concern, in a new PNAS study. The system is enabled by NEB’s High-Complexity Golden Gate Assembly (HC-GGA) platform. In this method, researchers engineer bacteriophages synthetically using sequence data rather than bacteriophage isolates.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034128.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
1f25d8eb1a407aff45f1a1e5516cf7c7835c50332222f003291a24df3349ae19
|
2026-01-21T09:18:29
|
Life’s chemistry may begin in the cold darkness of space
|
New experiments reveal that protein precursors can form naturally in deep space under extreme cold and radiation. Scientists found that simple amino acids bond into peptides on interstellar dust, long before stars and planets exist. This challenges the idea that complex life chemistry only happens on planets. It also boosts the odds that life-friendly ingredients are widespread across the universe.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034125.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
08f071d404cf9f123239f04905e546f8996172c32bb036a458971af78eafe180
|
2026-01-21T08:37:28
|
Walking sharks break the rules of reproduction
|
Epaulette sharks can reproduce without any measurable increase in energy use, stunning researchers who expected egg-laying to be costly. Scientists tracked metabolism, blood, and hormone levels through the entire reproductive cycle and found everything stayed remarkably stable. This efficiency suggests these sharks have evolved to optimize energy in ways not seen before.
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034119.htm
|
Science
|
svg
|
a01111a41bf81150e5572030ef1e45f07bb7f03122b2bc75b0c17df7cc2853be
|
2026-01-21T15:18:39+00:00
|
How Animals Build a Sense of Direction
|
On a remote island in the Indian Ocean, six closely watched bats took to the star-draped skies. As they flew across the seven-acre speck of land, devices implanted in their brains pinged data back to a group of sleepy-eyed neuroscientists monitoring them from below. The researchers were working to understand how these flying mammals, who have brains not unlike our own, develop a sense of direction… Source
|
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-animals-build-a-sense-of-direction-20260121/
|
Science
| |
5694e209fada65009ab1821739cb8a129c070fd65df9583efb2bb8c93c4fbbfd
|
2026-01-22T17:56:29-05:00
|
REI is blowing out sneakers, hiking boots, and casual shoes during its winter clearance sale
|
The post REI is blowing out sneakers, hiking boots, and casual shoes during its winter clearance sale appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/gear/rei-hiking-boot-sneaker-footwear-deals-winter-clearance/
|
Science
| |
18667ce50851118dfb505d9a6d948fc77bcd5654c87668f9b47bdcb5a9f0d150
|
2026-01-22T16:30:00-05:00
|
550-pound Ice Age kangaroos could still hop
|
The post 550-pound Ice Age kangaroos could still hop appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/science/giant-kangaroos-ice-age-hop/
|
Science
| |
a72380ad49a1a92fda064272db17849e5a2a92b7d197d449bc8722028d1259f0
|
2026-01-22T15:07:00-05:00
|
Adorable ferret-sized martens are rebounding in California
|
The post Adorable ferret-sized martens are rebounding in California appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/environment/endangered-martens-recovery-california/
|
Science
| |
7af56ce0eca63216d6496b307971d767ec02ff6c00606fbd54ea488c2bb98545
|
2026-01-22T14:00:00-05:00
|
Penis size may matter more to men than women
|
The post Penis size may matter more to men than women appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/science/penis-size-study-men/
|
Science
| |
f1805e272cc142a1fc1d70922a09ba5a1359729ff5adb9c17566939da8ff080f
|
2026-01-22T12:00:00-05:00
|
Sony embraces analog and aesthetic with new turntables
|
The post Sony embraces analog and aesthetic with new turntables appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/gear/sony-lx3bt-lx5bt-bluetooth-full-auto-turntables-gen-z-millennials-product-announcement/
|
Science
| |
a1d9d5f0b8ac0a26181a54fdd7eaa86c703c01aa0ca4511e55a5c0771849322c
|
2026-01-22T11:45:00-05:00
|
James Webb Space Telescope solves a comet crystal mystery
|
The post James Webb Space Telescope solves a comet crystal mystery appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/science/comet-mystery-webb/
|
Science
| |
2da8e181ba630cbf7b1ea0ffda1a5d9a9d3bdd1d86bc0a1190b7eed10be7ca2c
|
2026-01-22T10:27:00-05:00
|
This robot hand can detach from its arm and crawl around
|
The post This robot hand can detach from its arm and crawl around appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/technology/robot-hand-crawl/
|
Science
| |
b0611fd6a465026a54cbe74d15954087d86340d40e9b979d85919801a178eab4
|
2026-01-22T09:02:00-05:00
|
Snow isn’t actually white
|
The post Snow isn’t actually white appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/science/why-snow-is-white/
|
Science
| |
b9ff6196d7bc8d7d0d48db52a56633dd54f4dc13b6bf0e831de75fe74ff9968c
|
2026-01-21T16:08:00-05:00
|
Snow monkeys love hot springs. They’re also good for them.
|
The post Snow monkeys love hot springs. They’re also good for them. appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/environment/japanese-snow-monkeys-get-more-than-just-relief-from-hot-springs/
|
Science
| |
df1b3761fe0b3e8076b473484eb7ee4e608601e6a0e515684e1b7f659a6e589d
|
2026-01-21T14:03:14-05:00
|
Do trees really explode in extreme cold?
|
The post Do trees really explode in extreme cold? appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/science/do-trees-explode-from-cold/
|
Science
| |
63feb49f790b7e8090f292589e23e601ee7010974603d18d2705837d4e09e56d
|
2026-01-21T12:00:00-05:00
|
How Nissan improved the wireless charging pad for faster phone juice-ups
|
The post How Nissan improved the wireless charging pad for faster phone juice-ups appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/technology/nissan-phone-charger/
|
Science
| |
b8cc61ea20a33e0a12c25a349dda1306feaa7edc79f69d67cb8e3fc944196a43
|
2026-01-21T11:15:00-05:00
|
Sony’s new LinkBuds Clip make situational awareness look clean
|
The post Sony’s new LinkBuds Clip make situational awareness look clean appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/gear/sony-linkbuds-clip-open-ear-bluetooth-earbuds-product-announcement/
|
Science
| |
ab45a87891ef31a8b0eaae69ce419da6e7e101fe8397d266dcdb2fb4d7b518fe
|
2026-01-21T11:00:00-05:00
|
World’s oldest-known rock art found in Indonesian cave
|
The post World’s oldest-known rock art found in Indonesian cave appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/science/oldest-rock-art/
|
Science
| |
ec581e91737d491f2b7644a73a1909991703f4d1d2ed745bee7be492c0ea360e
|
2026-01-21T10:35:20-05:00
|
The 10 weirdest and wildest musical instruments of 2026
|
The post The 10 weirdest and wildest musical instruments of 2026 appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/technology/weirdest-musical-instruments-2026/
|
Science
| |
be6bbe33313e49908e8bc6dda06df1b09df61986410966e875f431e1adb47c22
|
2026-01-21T09:01:00-05:00
|
Why does chocolate turn white? It’s not mold.
|
The post Why does chocolate turn white? It’s not mold. appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/science/why-chocolate-turns-white/
|
Science
| |
e68f83020432c9f0ce07619813cdfaf73c891332120b71d2fdec06fa748852f2
|
2026-01-21T07:00:00-05:00
|
Meze Audio builds on its success, literally, with new STRADA headphones
|
Need to turn a corner into a STRADA listening station? The recently revealed iFi iDSD Phantom is a $4,499 all-in-one DAC/network streamer/amp that’s hilariously overhill in the best way. This compact stack features quad Burr-Brown conversion, a streaming engine up to 768kHz/DSD512, DSD2048 and K2HD “remastering,” USB-B 3.0, coaxial, AES/EBU, TOSLINK and Ethernet inputs, and enough Class A power (7,747mW peak) to make even the most stubborn headphones behave. No matter what you need to stream or convert, the iDSD Phantom can feed it to 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced, 4-pin XLR, dual 3-pin XLR, and both positive and inverted phase 6.3mm outputs. And then there’s iFi’s signature ability to season to taste, with J-FET solid state snap or GE5670 tube glow, XBass Pro, XSpace Pro, and various filters. Plus, iFi already knows what Meze’s warmth wants. The ZEN CAN Signature MZ99 was tuned around the 99 Classics’ voicing, so synergy isn’t guesswork. The post Meze Audio builds on its success, literally, with new STRADA headphones appeared first on Popular Science.
|
https://www.popsci.com/gear/meze-strada-dynamic-driver-closed-back-headphones-product-announcement/
|
Science
| |
f07b0e64cf0aafb0a696d0e4f41c62edbd9409b55df0f9c186daa14e58a13669
|
2026-01-22T16:00:00-05:00
|
Word Garden in Stamford, Connecticut
|
Nestled on the Great Lawn of the historic Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens in Stamford, Connecticut, the Word Garden is a playful space that invites guests to connect with nature and one another through language and creativity. Visitors are encouraged to create poetry, share messages, or spark conversations that others can enjoy as they stroll the grounds. The Word Garden blends horticulture and human expression, transforming a landscape into a living canvas where words intermingle with seasonal blooms and open sky, inviting reflection, interpretation, and communal storytelling.
|
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/word-garden
|
Science
|
svg
|
cc15ecf25c8b7d0608a7127fbda14dbfaa5d0b68129491b454f06aa63976146c
|
2026-01-22T14:00:00-05:00
|
Paradise Mill in Macclesfield, England
|
During the Industrial Revolution, the city of Macclesfield in Northwest England was particularly well-known for its silk mills. The luxury goods produced in the various city’s mills were sought after across the United Kingdom and around the world. In the mid-twentieth century, however, general textile manufacturing declined in the United Kingdom, including in Macclesfield, and by the twentieth century, most of Macclesfield’s silk mills and related manufacturing businesses had closed. Paradise Mill is one of the few surviving buildings from this era. The mill operated from 1862 until 1981 and was noted for its luxury silks, including custom-made items. After the business closed, the building stood unused for a few decades. However, after considerable restoration efforts, the mill reopened as part of the adjacent Silk Museum. Paradise Mill today preserves a small part of Macclesfield’s industrial past. Most notably, the top floor of the building features 26 restored Jacquard looms that stand in same places that they would have stood when the mill was operational. The looms themselves along with additional exhibits in the loom hall, the designers’ office, and the managers’ office show how raw silk was transformed into luxury goods. However, Paradise Mill functions as more than just a museum. People are also re-learning how to use the looms to create new silk textiles, and they are using the restored looms to do this. In this sense, Paradise Mill is not only preserving the machinery from the Industrial Revolution but also preserving the skills needed to use that machinery.
|
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/paradise-mill
|
Science
|
svg
|
0ff234fbd1872c7b0817509e1d808fea373b3baa93059bb0f4020e8951ceaf81
|
2026-01-22T12:00:00-05:00
|
Museo De Arte Huichol Wixárika in Zapopan, Mexico
|
The Huichol people, or as they call themselves, the Wixárika, are indigenous to the mountains north of Zapopan and Guadalajara, in the area where the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas, and Durango meet. Their religion is noted for the ritual usage of the hallucinogenic peyote cactus, which they consider one of their sacred deities. Although they are not the only people to use it, their usage is considered especially reflective of pre-Colombian traditions. Ancestral spirits are said to be contacted utilizing the peyote. They also hold annual pilgrimages to collect peyote for year-round usage. Another method in which the Huichol's psychedelic traditions are unique is their reflection in art. Divine, brightly colored yarn and bead art aims to capture the visions seen through the peyote rituals. Traditionally, yarn art would be used as offerings to their gods. However, as many Huichol have migrated to cities, they have also begun producing art in new iterations for commercial sale and as a general means of creative expression. As such, Huichol art is today a common sight at tourist hotspots across Mexico. The Museo De Arte Huichol Wixárika at Zapopan Basilica is dedicated to showcasing a wide variety of the Huichol's unique art.
|
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museo-de-arte-huichol-wixarika
|
Science
|
svg
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.