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As polar ice changes, so do the rules governing it

Researchers found a tipping point in granular sea ice where fluids can flow vertically through it, altering nutrient replenishment and melt pond evolution. This change has major implications for microbial communities and various geophysical processes, affecting Earth's climate system.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 15, 2026

How Ramanujan’s formulae for pi connect to modern high energy physics

Physicists discovered connections between Ramanujan's formulae for pi and fundamental physics theories like conformal field theories. The formulas, developed in the early 20th century, yield efficient calculations for phenomena like turbulence and black holes.

SourceIndian Institute of Science (IISc)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 3, 2025

Adding bridges to stabilize quantum networks

Researchers propose a new strategy to stabilize quantum networks by rebuilding connections after each use, which leads to an eventual stable network state. The key is finding the optimal number of links to add, determined to be the square root of the number of users.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJan 23, 2025

Nanohertz gravitational waves are cool but not supercool

A new study published in Physical Review Letters suggests that nanohertz gravitational waves may not originate from supercool first-order phase transitions. Researchers found that such transitions would struggle to complete, shifting the frequency of the waves away from nanohertz frequencies.

SourceXi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 14, 2024
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

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The unexpected connection between brewing coffee and understanding turbulence

A team of researchers led by Nigel Goldenfeld and Björn Hof used statistical mechanics to study turbulence in fluid flows. They discovered that the transitions between laminar and turbulent flows occur through a non-equilibrium phase transition, known as directed percolation, at the critical point of the transition.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalNature Physics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 3, 2024

Unveiling Oxidation-induced Super-elasticity in Metallic Glass Nanotubes

A research team led by Professor Yang Yong found that severely oxidized metallic glass nanotubes can attain an ultrahigh recoverable elastic strain of up to 14% at room temperature. The discovery implies that oxidation in low-dimension metallic glass can result in unique properties for applications in sensors, medical devices, and othe...

SourceCity University of Hong Kong·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 2, 2024

Cascading failures in urban traffic systems tied to hidden bottlenecks

Scientists developed a modeling technique to study urban traffic flows and verified it with real-world data from Shanghai. They discovered that Zhonghuan Road is a potential bottleneck that could lead to cascading failure of the entire urban traffic system.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalChaos An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science·DateMar 21, 2023

Lucky find! How science behind epidemics helped Sussex physicists to develop state-of-the-art conductive paint

Researchers at the University of Sussex create a highly conductive paint coating that mimics the network spread of a virus through 'explosive percolation.' This serendipitous discovery enables the development of affordable, scalable nanomaterials with vast applications in Electric Vehicle materials and wearable health monitors.

SourceUniversity of Sussex·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 19, 2022

Immune strategy based on limited information in the network

Researchers develop efficient immunization strategy using limited network information, significantly reducing disease spread for small groups of individuals. By focusing on the most connected nodes, they achieve a lower fraction of nodes needed to stop the epidemic, highlighting the potential for effective control measures.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·DateNov 24, 2020
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Colloidal gel properties under the microscope

The researchers used confocal microscopy to analyze the complete gelation process in real time with single particle resolution. They found that the point of solidity appearance corresponds to the point of isotropic percolation of isostatic structures, which is directly linked to mechanical stability.

SourceInstitute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo·JournalScience Advances·DateMay 31, 2019
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

West Greenland Ice Sheet melting at the fastest rate in centuries

A study by Dartmouth College reveals that the West Greenland Ice Sheet melted at a dramatically higher rate over the last twenty years than at any other time in the modern record. The researchers attribute this unprecedented ice loss to a combination of specific weather patterns and an additional long-term warming trend associated with...

SourceDartmouth College·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMar 28, 2018

AGU Fall Meeting: New simulations suggest meteors explode from the inside

Researchers have discovered a new mechanism by which Earth's atmosphere breaks down meteors as they approach the planet. The new finding reveals that air particles penetrating the meteor's porous interior can create pockets of high pressure, ultimately leading to the rock's explosion in the upper atmosphere.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·DateDec 11, 2017
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Planetesimal core formation through percolation

Melt drainage through percolation continues even with low melt fractions, suggesting all but 1-2% of melt can be drained. This process enables planetesimal core formation.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 4, 2017

What does turbulence have in common with an epidemic?

Researchers have solved a century-old question regarding the nature of turbulence's onset, finding it to be a directed percolation phase transition. This behavior is similar to that seen in epidemic spreading in populations, where fluctuations are characterized by critical exponents.

SourceInstitute of Science and Technology Austria·JournalNature Physics·DateFeb 16, 2016

Iron melt network helped grow Earth's core, Stanford study suggests

A new Stanford study proposes that an iron melt network played a key role in forming the early Earth's internal structure, lending credence to a theory first proposed nearly half a century ago. The team recreated ancient Earth conditions and found evidence that percolation, previously thought impossible, could have helped funnel molten...

SourceStanford University·JournalNature Geoscience·DateOct 7, 2013
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Paperwork: Buckypapers clarify electrical, optical behavior of nanotubes

Scientists at NIST made precise measurements of nanotube concentrations for transparent conducting sheets, revealing the importance of uniform length for high-performance films. The study validated one theory, showing that longer nanotubes become electrically conducting at lower concentrations.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalACS Nano·DateOct 15, 2008