Apr 11, 2007 9:06 AM

Tiny Tin Oxide Wires Detect Fake Nerve Gas

A team of Italian researchers at the University of Brescia have shown that titanium oxide nanowires can be used to detect very low concentrations of nerve gas. The lives of graduate students may be cheap, but the Italian researchers thought it better to work with a fake nerve gas called dimethyl methylphosphonate instead of sarin, […]

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Topicsmaterials science

How Do Metal Detectors Work?

What sneaky invisible forces enable these instruments to locate buried treasure?

Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’

“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.

In Orbit You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up

Driving a spacecraft around a planet isn’t anything like driving on a planet. A physicist explains orbital navigation.

Can a Hydroelectric Dam Really Make the Days Longer?

By shifting water to a higher elevation, the giant Three Gorges Dam caused the Earth to spin more slowly.

The ‘10 Martini’ Proof Connects Quantum Mechanics With Infinitely Intricate Mathematical Structures

The proof, known to be so hard that a mathematician once offered 10 martinis to whoever could figure it out, uses number theory to explain quantum fractals.

How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas

The interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reached its closest point to the sun. Here's how to follow the rest of its journey away from our solar system.

Valar Atomics Says It’s the First Nuclear Startup to Achieve Criticality

A Trump administration pilot program aims for three nuclear startups to reach a key milestone by July 4, 2026. Valar Atomics says it’s the first to do so—but it had some help.

Hurricane Melissa Has Meteorologists Terrified

The storm, which is set to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has stunned meteorologists with its intensity and the speed at which it built.

How Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Grow Living Things

The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.

The Physics of the Northern Lights

Solar winds at a million miles an hour and freaky magnetic turbulence are sparking some of the best light shows in centuries.

Unpicking How to Measure the Complexity of Knots

Two mathematicians have proved that a straightforward question—how hard is it to untie a knot?—has a complicated answer.

The Government Shutdown Is a Ticking Cybersecurity Time Bomb

Many critical systems are still being maintained, and the cloud provides some security cover. But experts say that any lapses in protections like patching and monitoring could expose government systems.