Physicists at Washington University in St. Louis have engineered a novel quantum phase of matter inside a diamond known as a time quasicrystal. Unlike standard time crystals that beat in a perfectly repeating rhythm, this new form exhibits structured but non‑repeating oscillations over time. Laboratory experiments using nitrogen-vacancy centers and quasiperiodic microwave pulses led many-spin systems…
Quantum tunneling is one of the most fascinating concepts in modern physics—where particles defy classical logic by passing through barriers they shouldn’t be able to cross. In classical physics, if a ball doesn’t have enough energy to roll over a hill, it simply won’t make it. But in quantum mechanics, particles like electrons can “tunnel”…
When Spencer Silver, a 3M scientist in 1968, accidentally developed a low-tack, reusable adhesive, he didn’t envision the Post-it Note empire. His creation—initially seen as a failed adhesive—found purpose only when colleague Art Fry strapped the idea to bookmark his church hymnal. This reveal demonstrates a core lesson in invention: value often lies hidden behind…
Not all inventions come from laboratories — some come from childhood curiosity. One of the most beloved summertime treats, the popsicle, was actually discovered by accident. In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup filled with powdered soda, water, and a stirring stick outside on a freezing night. By morning, the liquid had frozen solid…
In a landmark discovery, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission returned samples from asteroid Bennu that contain all five nucleobases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—the essential building blocks of DNA and RNA. This finding supports the theory that life’s ingredients may have been delivered to Earth via asteroids, offering profound insights into the origins of life on our…
The microwave oven, now a common fixture in kitchens around the world, was never originally intended to cook food. In 1945, engineer Percy Spencer was working on radar technology using magnetrons at Raytheon when he noticed a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted unexpectedly. Intrigued, he experimented by placing popcorn kernels and eventually an…
As plastic pollution continues to choke ecosystems and strain waste management systems, the science of bioplastics is emerging as a game-changing innovation. Derived from renewable biological sources like corn starch, algae, or sugarcane, bioplastics offer a potentially eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Unlike traditional plastics, some bioplastics are biodegradable or compostable—making them a central focus…
One of the most intriguing phenomena in quantum physics is the Casimir effect, which reveals the tangible consequences of quantum fluctuations in a vacuum. When two uncharged, parallel conductive plates are placed extremely close together in a vacuum, they experience an attractive force not due to any classical electromagnetic interaction but arising from the quantum…
Imagine a universe where everything we perceive—galaxies, stars, even ourselves—is akin to a 3D hologram projected from a two-dimensional surface. This is the essence of the holographic principle, a concept rooted in string theory and quantum gravity. Proposed by Gerard ‘t Hooft and further developed by Leonard Susskind, the principle suggests that all the information…
In a remarkable turn of events, NASA scientists have identified 26 previously unknown bacterial species within the ultra-sterile environment of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This discovery is particularly intriguing as it suggests these microbes possess the resilience to withstand the harsh conditions of Mars. The bacteria were found in one of the cleanest places…
