151 articles from MONDAY 3.10.2022

Researchers use light to control magnetic fields at nanoscale

In thin, two-dimensional semiconductors, electrons move, spin and synchronize in unusual ways. For researchers, understanding the way these electrons carry out their intricate dances—and learning to manipulate their choreography—not only lets them answer fundamental physical questions, but can yield new types of circuits and devices.

Scientists figure out upcycling plastics to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Dow have developed a breakthrough process to transform the most widely produced plastic—polyethylene (PE)—into the second-most widely produced plastic, polypropylene (PP), which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Time resolved studies reveal the origin of the unparalleled high efficiency of one nanosecond laser ablation in liquids

Laser ablation in liquid is a scalable nanoparticle production method in areas like catalysis and biomedicine. Different energy dissipation channels, such as absorption by the liquid and scattering at the ablation plume and cavitation bubble, lead to reduced laser energy available for nanoparticle production. Ultrashort pulse durations cause unwanted effects. A study, recently published in in...

How does NASA plan to keep samples from Mars safe from contamination (and contaminating Earth)?

NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission is inching closer and closer. The overall mission architecture just hit a new milestone when Perseverance collected the first sample that will be sent back. But what happens once that sample actually gets here? NASA and its partner, ESA, are still working on that, but recently they released a fact sheet that covers what will happen during the first stage of that...

Get ready for the next generation of AI

To receive The Algorithm in your inbox every Monday, sign up here. Welcome to the Algorithm!  Is anyone else feeling dizzy? Just when the AI community was wrapping its head around the astounding progress of text-to-image systems, we’re already moving on to the next frontier: text-to-video.  Late last week, Meta unveiled Make-A-Video, an AI that generates five-second videos from...

Did you solve it? Physics puzzles for smart students

The solution to your coffee woes, and other problemsEarlier today I set these puzzles, suggested by the Department of Physics at Oxford University.1. Cuppa conundrum1) Add milk right away, then wait a few minutes before drinking.2) Wait a few minutes, then add milk just before drinking.1) it goes up2) it goes down Continue...

Here’s how the Nord Stream gas pipelines could be fixed

Until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines were a key part of Europe’s energy infrastructure. In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Nord Stream lines supplied 18% of all Europe’s gas imports. Half of Russia’s gas imports to Europe came through Nord Stream 1—a record high. (Nord Stream 2, which has been completed, has not yet come online after Germany withheld...

Cosmic ray protons reveal new spectral structures at high energies

Discovered in 1912, cosmic rays have been studied extensively and our current understanding of them is compiled into what is called the Standard Model. Recently, this understanding has been challenged by the detection of unexpected spectral structures in the cosmic ray proton energy spectrum. Now, scientists take this further with high-statistics and low-uncertainty measurement of these protons...

Upcycling in the past: Viking beadmakers' secrets revealed

The Viking Age bead makers were more advanced than previously believed. A new interdisciplinary study shows that around year 700 AD, craftsmen in Ribe, Denmark, used surprisingly sophisticated and sustainable methods when giving old Roman glass mosaics new life as glass beads.

BESSY II: Localization of d-electrons in transition metals determined

Transition metals have many applications in engineering, electrochemistry and catalysis. To understand their properties, the interplay between atomic localization and delocalization of the outer electrons in the d orbitals is crucial. This insight is now provided by a special end station at BESSY II with highest precision, as demonstrated by a study of copper, nickel and cobalt with interesting...

Success in synthesizing biodegradable plastic materials using sunlight and CO2

Scientists have achieved an 80% conversion yield of a biodegradable plastic material from acetone and CO2, tackling the plastic waste crisis while moving toward carbon neutrality. Scientists have successfully synthesized 3-hydroxybutyrate, a raw material for poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) -- a strong, water-insoluble, biodegradable plastic used for packaging materials -- from acetone and CO2. With a...

How planting trees in some areas could actually increase atmospheric warming

A combined team of researchers from The Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and Weizmann Institute of Science, both in Israel, has found that in some instances planting forests in dry regions can lead to more atmospheric warming. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes how they used high-resolution spatial analysis to study dry parts of the planet and what they...

People with recent dementia diagnosis found to have higher suicide risk

Calls for more support after England research shows those diagnosed under 65 also at greater riskPeople who have recently been diagnosed with dementia, or who are diagnosed with the condition at a younger age, are among those at increased risk of suicide, researchers have found. The findings have prompted calls for greater support for those experiencing such cognitive decline.While previous...