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Interdisciplinary Research Centre
 
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Detectors and electronics. Learn about every sort of detector, radar system and more from leading research institutes around the world.
Updated: 1 hour 42 min ago

Scientists crack the explosive secret of how diamonds reach the surface

Wed, 24/09/2025 - 13:56
Diamonds hitch a ride to the surface through explosive kimberlite eruptions, powered by volatile-rich magmas. New simulations show that carbon dioxide and water are the secret ingredients that make these eruptions possible.

The Universe’s first magnetic fields were shockingly weak, but changed everything

Tue, 23/09/2025 - 15:02
Primordial magnetic fields, billions of times weaker than a fridge magnet, may have left lasting imprints on the Universe. Researchers ran over 250,000 simulations to show how these fields shaped the cosmic web, then validated the results with observations. Their study sets a stricter upper limit on the fields’ strength, aligning with other data and suggesting important consequences for early star and galaxy formation.

Sneezing from cats or dust? Safe UV light may neutralize allergens in minutes

Mon, 22/09/2025 - 14:27
Sneezing from cats, dust mites, or mold may one day be preventable with a flip of a switch. Researchers at CU Boulder found that UV222 light can alter allergen proteins, reducing allergic reactions without dangerous side effects. Within 30 minutes, airborne allergens decreased by up to 25%. The team imagines portable devices that could shield people in homes, schools, and workplaces from harmful triggers.

The shocking reason Arctic rivers are turning rusty orange

Mon, 22/09/2025 - 14:09
Researchers found that ice can trigger stronger chemical reactions than liquid water, dissolving iron minerals in extreme cold. Freeze-thaw cycles amplify the effect, releasing iron into rivers and soils. With climate change accelerating these cycles, Arctic waterways may face major transformations.

Scientists finally capture water’s hidden state that’s both solid and liquid

Mon, 22/09/2025 - 13:41
Water, though familiar, still hides astonishing secrets. When squeezed into nanosized channels, it can enter a bizarre “premelting state” that is both solid and liquid at once. Using advanced NMR techniques, Japanese researchers directly observed this strange new phase, revealing that confined water molecules move like a liquid while maintaining solid-like order.

Tiny new lenses, smaller than a hair, could transform phone and drone cameras

Mon, 22/09/2025 - 06:47
Scientists have developed a new multi-layered metalens design that could revolutionize portable optics in devices like phones, drones, and satellites. By stacking metamaterial layers instead of relying on a single one, the team overcame fundamental limits in focusing multiple wavelengths of light. Their algorithm-driven approach produced intricate nanostructures shaped like clovers, propellers, and squares, enabling improved performance, scalability, and polarization independence.

New crystal camera lets doctors see inside the body like never before

Mon, 22/09/2025 - 02:37
Scientists have created a perovskite-based gamma-ray detector that surpasses traditional nuclear medicine imaging technology. The device delivers sharper, faster, and safer scans at a fraction of the cost. By combining crystal engineering with pixelated sensor design, it achieves record imaging resolution. Now being commercialized, it promises to expand access to high-quality diagnostics worldwide.

Ordinary ice found to have shocking electrical powers

Mon, 22/09/2025 - 02:23
Scientists have discovered that ordinary ice is a flexoelectric material, capable of generating electricity when bent or unevenly deformed. At very low temperatures, it can even become ferroelectric, developing reversible electric polarization. This could help explain lightning formation in storms and inspire new technologies that use ice as an active material.

Neutrinos may be the hidden force behind gold and platinum

Sun, 21/09/2025 - 12:53
When two neutron stars collide, they unleash some of the most powerful forces in the universe, creating ripples in spacetime, showers of radiation, and even the building blocks of gold and platinum. Now, new simulations from Penn State and the University of Tennessee Knoxville reveal that elusive particles called neutrinos—able to shift between different “flavors”—play a crucial role in shaping what emerges from these cataclysmic events.

Scientists just made atoms talk to each other inside silicon chips

Sun, 21/09/2025 - 07:01
Researchers at UNSW have found a way to make atomic nuclei communicate through electrons, allowing them to achieve entanglement at scales used in today’s computer chips. This breakthrough brings scalable, silicon-based quantum computing much closer to reality.

This stunning X-ray advance could help detect cancer earlier

Sun, 21/09/2025 - 02:43
Sandia scientists developed a new type of X-ray that uses patterned multi-metal targets to create colorized, high-resolution images. The technology promises sharper scans, better material detection, and transformative applications in security, manufacturing, and medicine.

New cooling breakthrough nearly doubles efficiency

Sat, 20/09/2025 - 16:53
CHESS thin-film materials nearly double refrigeration efficiency compared to traditional methods. Scalable and versatile, they promise applications from household cooling to space exploration.

Lasers just made atoms dance, unlocking the future of electronics

Fri, 19/09/2025 - 01:27
Scientists at Michigan State University have discovered how to use ultrafast lasers to wiggle atoms in exotic materials, temporarily altering their electronic behavior. By combining cutting-edge microscopes with quantum simulations, they created a nanoscale switch that could revolutionize smartphones, laptops, and even future quantum computers.

America is throwing away the minerals that could power its future

Thu, 18/09/2025 - 14:54
America already mines all the critical minerals it needs for energy, defense, and technology, but most are being wasted as mine tailings. Researchers discovered that minerals like cobalt, germanium, and rare earths are discarded in massive amounts, even though recovering just a fraction could eliminate U.S. dependence on imports.

The Moon could finally reveal dark matter

Thu, 18/09/2025 - 08:11
Faint hydrogen signals from the cosmic Dark Ages may soon help determine the mass of dark matter particles. Simulations suggest future Moon-based observatories could distinguish between warm and cold dark matter, providing long-sought answers about the invisible backbone of the Universe.

Harvard’s salt trick could turn billions of tons of hair into eco-friendly materials

Thu, 18/09/2025 - 02:05
Scientists at Harvard have discovered how salts like lithium bromide break down tough proteins such as keratin—not by attacking the proteins directly, but by altering the surrounding water structure. This breakthrough opens the door to a cleaner, more sustainable way to recycle wool, feathers, and hair into valuable materials, potentially replacing plastics and fueling new industries.

Scientists crack a 50-year solar mystery with a scorching discovery

Wed, 17/09/2025 - 11:52
Scientists from the University of St Andrews have discovered that ions in solar flares can reach scorching temperatures more than 60 million degrees—6.5 times hotter than previously believed. This breakthrough challenges decades of assumptions in solar physics and offers a surprising solution to a 50-year-old puzzle about why flare spectral lines appear broader than expected.

Rare Einstein cross with extra image reveals hidden dark matter

Wed, 17/09/2025 - 11:45
A strange “Einstein Cross” with an extra, impossible fifth image has revealed the hidden presence of a massive dark matter halo. An international team of astronomers, including Rutgers scientists, used powerful radio telescopes and computer modeling to confirm the invisible structure’s existence. This rare cosmic lens not only magnifies a distant galaxy but also opens a unique window into the mysterious matter that shapes the universe.

Strange signals at absolute zero hint at dark matter’s secrets

Tue, 16/09/2025 - 13:37
QROCODILE has set record-breaking sensitivity in the search for dark matter, detecting signals at energy levels once thought impossible. These results may be just the first step toward finally capturing direct evidence of the universe’s hidden mass.

Tiny magnetic spirals unlock the future of spintronics

Sun, 14/09/2025 - 14:32
Scientists in Korea have engineered magnetic nanohelices that can control electron spin with extraordinary precision at room temperature. By combining structural chirality and magnetism, these nanoscale helices can filter spins without complex circuitry or cooling. The breakthrough not only demonstrates a way to program handedness in inorganic nanomaterials but also opens the door to scalable, energy-efficient spintronic devices that could revolutionize computing.