Add BrightSurf on Google Email

From cells to smart gels: momentum in motion

Professor Timo Betz's project aims to develop synthetic materials that mimic key behaviors of living cells, including self-organization and physical adaptation. By studying the mechanical properties of living cells, he will recreate part of the cell's interior in a synthetic way.

SourceUniversity of Göttingen·DateMar 31, 2026
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

New strategy unlocks 29.76% efficiency for all-perovskite tandem solar cells

Researchers developed an innovative colloidal chemistry strategy to enhance the performance of all-perovskite tandem solar cells, achieving a power conversion efficiency of 29.76%. The unified carboxylate-based modulator system regulates nucleation dynamics, suppressing phase segregation and promoting uniform crystal growth.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalJoule·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 27, 2026

A hidden rhythm brings microscopic particles into unison

Groups of tiny particles suspended in liquid oscillate together, keeping time as though they sense each other's motion. The surrounding fluid enables the particles to 'feel' one another at a distance, influencing their motions without direct contact.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 26, 2026

Structural color shields: water repellent coatings

Researchers developed a novel coating material that captures the brilliance of structural colors using melanin particles, producing non-iridescent color even when viewed from different angles. The coatings displayed a contact angle of over 160 degrees, monochromatic hues, and a self-cleaning surface.

SourceChiba University·JournalMacromolecular Reaction Engineering·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 28, 2025

‘Pac-Man effect’ offers precise control for advanced materials design

Rice researchers use a rapidly alternating magnetic field to create direction-dependent structures from superparamagnetic beads, offering precise control over material properties. The study reveals the importance of magnetic relaxation time in controlling particle interactions.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 4, 2024
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Utilizing active microparticles for artificial intelligence

Physicists at Leipzig University have developed a neural network that uses active colloidal particles for artificial intelligence. The system reduces noise and increases efficiency in calculations by utilizing past states of the reservoir.

SourceUniversität Leipzig·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 29, 2024

New metric allows researchers to better understand soft material behavior

A new metric called a correlation ratio has been developed to correlate microscopic-level processes with macroscopic-level behavior in soft materials. This breakthrough allows for the design of new soft materials by tweaking microscale parameters to achieve desired macroscale properties.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 1, 2023

Simulations are starting to gel

By incorporating hydrodynamics into their models, the researchers improved predictions of final structures compared to conventional computational models. This work may lead to the development of smart materials with controllable properties in response to external conditions.

SourceInstitute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 12, 2022
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

3D shaping of microscopic membranes that underlie cellular processes

The study found that colloidal membranes transition from flat disc-like shapes to saddle-like shapes as the fraction of short rods increases. The saddles then merge into more complex structures like catenoids and four-noids, exhibiting properties similar to biological membranes.

SourceIndian Institute of Science (IISc)·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 12, 2022

When bubbles bounce back

Researchers at KAUST found that under certain conditions, bubbles or droplets suspended in liquid can bounce off each other due to interface mobility, leading to slower coalescence and unexpected behavior.

SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalScience Advances·DateNov 13, 2019

Enigmatic nematics

Researchers Aparna Baskaran and Cristina Marchetti found that a uniform nematic state can be disturbed by density fluctuations associated with an upward current of active particles. This phenomenon is self-regulating and universal.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal E·DateOct 29, 2012
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.