http://www.sciencedaily.com/rss/matter_energy.xml

Researchers at UBC have found a way to mimic the elusive Schwinger effect using superfluid helium, where vortex pairs appear out of thin films instead of electron-positron pairs in a vacuum. Their work not only offers a cosmic laboratory for otherwise unreachable phenomena, but also changes the way scientists understand vortices, superfluids, and even quantum tunneling.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered mysterious “little red dots” that may not be galaxies at all, but a whole new type of object: black hole stars. These fiery spheres, powered by ravenous black holes at their core, could explain how supermassive black holes in today’s galaxies were born. With discoveries like “The Cliff,” a massive red dot cloaked in hydrogen gas, scientists are beginning to rethink how the early universe formed—and hinting at stranger cosmic surprises still waiting to be revealed.

Quantum materials, defined by their photon-like electrons, are opening new frontiers in material science. Researchers have synthesized organic compounds that display a universal magnetic behavior tied to a distinctive feature in their band structures called linear band dispersion. This discovery not only deepens the theoretical understanding of quantum systems but also points toward revolutionary applications in next-generation information and communication technologies that conventional materials cannot achieve.

Physicists have achieved a breakthrough by using a 58-qubit quantum computer to create and observe a long-theorized but never-before-seen quantum phase of matter: a Floquet topologically ordered state. By harnessing rhythmic driving in these quantum systems, the team imaged particle edge motions and watched exotic particles transform in real time.

Scientists have finally unlocked a way to identify the elusive W state of quantum entanglement, solving a decades-old problem and opening paths to quantum teleportation and advanced quantum technologies.

For centuries, people believed ice was slippery because pressure and friction melted a thin film of water. But new research from Saarland University reveals that this long-standing explanation is wrong. Instead, the slipperiness comes from the subtle interaction of molecular dipoles between ice and surfaces like shoes or skis. These microscopic electrical forces disorder the crystal structure of ice, creating a thin liquid layer even at temperatures near absolute zero. The discovery overturns nearly 200 years of scientific thought and has wide implications for physics and winter sports alike.

For the first time, scientists have observed electrons in graphene behaving like a nearly perfect quantum fluid, challenging a long-standing puzzle in physics. By creating ultra-clean samples, the team at IISc uncovered a surprising decoupling of heat and charge transport, shattering the traditional Wiedemann-Franz law. At the mysterious “Dirac point,” graphene electrons flowed like an exotic liquid similar to quark-gluon plasma, with ultra-low viscosity. Beyond rewriting physics textbooks, this discovery opens new avenues for studying black holes and quantum entanglement in the lab—and may even power next-gen quantum sensors.

Scientists have, for the first time, successfully studied liquid carbon in the lab by combining a powerful high-performance laser with the European XFEL x-ray laser. The experiment captured fleeting nanosecond snapshots of carbon as it was compressed and melted, revealing surprising diamond-like structures and narrowing down its true melting point.

Gravitational-wave astronomy has exploded since 2015, capturing hundreds of black hole and neutron star collisions. With ever-clearer signals, researchers are testing Einstein’s relativity and Hawking’s theorems while planning massive next-generation observatories to explore the dawn of the universe.

Physicists may soon witness a cosmic fireworks show: the explosive death of a primordial black hole. Once thought to be unimaginably rare, new research suggests there’s up to a 90% chance of catching one in the next decade. Such an event would not only confirm Hawking radiation but also provide a complete catalog of all the particles in existence, potentially rewriting our understanding of physics and the origin of the universe.

Physicists have unveiled a new superconducting detector sensitive enough to hunt dark matter particles smaller than electrons. By capturing faint photon signals, the device pushes the search into uncharted territory.

Researchers in Germany and Australia have created a simple but powerful tool to detect nanoplastics—tiny, invisible particles that can slip through skin and even the blood-brain barrier. Using an "optical sieve" test strip viewed under a regular microscope, these particles reveal themselves through striking color changes.

Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus has long fascinated scientists with its spectacular water plumes, which NASA’s Cassini spacecraft once revealed to contain organic molecules. Many hoped these molecules hinted at life-supporting chemistry in the moon’s hidden ocean. But new experiments suggest they may not come from the ocean at all—instead, radiation from Saturn’s magnetosphere could be producing them right on Enceladus’s frozen surface.

Artificial intelligence is consuming enormous amounts of energy, but researchers at the University of Florida have built a chip that could change everything by using light instead of electricity for a core AI function. By etching microscopic lenses directly onto silicon, they’ve enabled laser-powered computations that cut power use dramatically while maintaining near-perfect accuracy.

Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have created the first time crystal that humans can actually see, using liquid crystals that swirl into never-ending patterns when illuminated by light. This breakthrough builds on Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek’s 2012 theory of time crystals—structures that move forever in repeating cycles, like a perpetual motion machine or looping GIF. Under the microscope, these crystals form colorful, striped patterns that dance endlessly, opening possibilities for everything from anti-counterfeiting features in money to futuristic methods of storing digital information.

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have unveiled “gold quantum needles,” a newly discovered nanocluster structure formed under unusual synthesis conditions. Unlike typical spherical clusters, these elongated, pencil-shaped formations display unique quantum behaviors and respond to near-infrared light, making them promising tools for biomedical imaging and energy applications.

Scientists have created a transparent solar coating that turns ordinary windows into clean energy generators without affecting clarity. Using cholesteric liquid crystal layers, the coating redirects polarized sunlight to the window edges where solar cells collect it. A small prototype already powered a fan, and full-sized windows could boost efficiency 50-fold while cutting the need for costly photovoltaic cells.

A hidden quantum geometry that distorts electron paths has finally been observed in real materials. This “quantum metric,” once thought purely theoretical, may revolutionize electronics, superconductivity, and ultrafast devices.

Scientists at Delft University of Technology have managed to watch a single atomic nucleus flip its magnetic state in real time. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, they indirectly read the nucleus through its electrons, finding the nuclear spin surprisingly stable for several seconds. This “single-shot readout” breakthrough could pave the way for manipulating atomic-scale quantum states, with future applications in quantum sensing and simulation.

A Japanese research team successfully harnessed E. coli to produce PDCA, a strong, biodegradable plastic alternative. Their method avoids toxic byproducts and achieves record production levels, overcoming key roadblocks with creative fixes.