Science News

Magnetic recording is the primary technology underpinning today's large-scale data storage. Now, companies are racing to develop new hard disk devices (HDDs) capable of recording densities greater than 1 terabit per squa...

Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, ETH Zurich, and Argonne National Laboratory, U.S, have described an extended quantum Maxwell's demon, a device locally violating the second law of thermody...

It isn't unreasonable to think of drones as pesky technological nuisances. Our modern digital ecosystem regularly infringes on traditional notions of privacy and bombards our limited attention spans with stimuli. A swarm...

Researchers in Italy have demonstrated the feasibility of quantum communications between high-orbiting global navigation satellites and a ground station, with an exchange at the single photon level over a distance of 20,...

There are lots of interconnected tipping points linking the climate and environment, so drastic changes to the planet will have many unexpected consequences

Researchers have identified neurons in the guts of C. elegans that detect when bacteria are ingested and release a neurotransmitter that signals the brain to halt locomotion.

Fill in the blanks for some physics fun. 'Tis the season for friends, family and funny physics fill-ins. Here at Symmetry, we've taken a page from Mad Libs, those short stories designed to trick you into learning parts o...

A study in mice shows that certain gut bacteria may exacerbate lupus, but eating starch can halt their growth, hinting at a possible treatment

Our first glimpses into the physics that exist near the center of a black hole are being made possible using "loop quantum gravity"--a theory that uses quantum mechanics to extend gravitational physics beyond Einstein's ...

Rice University scientists have created a rubbery, shape-shifting material that morphs from one sophisticated form to another on demand.

A device inspired by human lungs can split water into oxygen and hydrogen. If successfully scaled up it could help make clean fuel for hydrogen cars

A DNA analysis links type 2 diabetes with erectile dysfunction, hinting that having a healthier lifestyle may reduce the chances of getting erectile problems

Japan plans to leave the International Whaling Commission so that it can resume commercially hunting the marine giant, according to news reports from government sources.

Nuclear fission is a process in which a heavy nucleus split into two. Most of the actinides nuclei (plutonium, uranium, curium, etc) fission asymmetrically with one big fragment and one small. Empirically, the heavy frag...

A joint research team consisting of NIMS, JAEA and the Institut Laue Langevin has developed a high-pressure cell composed of completely nonmagnetic materials. The team then succeeded for the first time in analyzing neutr...

Catnip can induce changes in cat behavior. An expert argues that giving it to cats raises questions about human power and animal autonomy.

Disappointment is a natural human emotion that occurs after a perceived failure.

For indigenous peoples, winter solstice has been a time to honor their ancient sun deity. Their rituals reveal a deep understanding of the natural world, from the mounds of Cahokia to the games of Blackfeet Indians.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express probe captured this striking view of ice-filled Korolev Crater, near the north pole of the Red Planet

Russian scientists are bringing back ancient grasslands in Siberia.

The little sharks swim around inside their mom, switching between her multiple uteruses. When they get hungry they eat her unfertilized eggs.

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP) have used a method, using the RANS compact neutron source, to non-destructively measure the salt content of structures such as bridges, tunnels, and elevated...