Free-electron lasers can be tuned to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, but they conventionally require large-scale facilities. Researchers from The University of Osaka show that laser wakefield acceleration can dramatically miniaturize this technology by improving plasma stability and electron beam quality. Their study demonstrates such lasers in the extreme ultraviolet, with the ultimate goal of further refining the technology to operate at x-ray wavelengths.

A new study highlights a critical misunderstanding in how biochar is used to fight climate change and improve soils, warning that oversimplified claims could undermine both scientific progress and carbon markets.

A new study has revealed that excavated soils from urban construction sites represent a previously overlooked source of greenhouse gas emissions, while also highlighting practical strategies to significantly reduce their climate impact.

Coastal wetlands are among the planet’s most effective natural carbon sinks, but their ability to store carbon is increasingly threatened by climate change and human activity. Now, a new field study suggests that adding biochar to these ecosystems could significantly boost their carbon storage capacity, with tidal forces playing a surprisingly beneficial role.

A long-term field study across major agricultural regions in China has revealed that biochar made from peanut shells can significantly improve soil fertility and enhance crop quality by reshaping soil microbial communities.

Professor Timo Betz at Göttingen University’s Faculty of Physics has been awarded Momentum funding by the Volkswagen Foundation for his project “From Cells to Smart Gels: Momentum in Motion”. The award is worth just under 950,000 Euros over 4 years with a possible extension of 2 years. It will enable the translation of biological processes to synthetic materials that mimic key behaviours of living cells. At last, researchers will be able to make use of our current understanding of life to copy key features, like self-organization and physical adaptation, which have developed through evolution over billions of years. The hope is to generate smart materials that can react and adapt to external stimuli just like living entities.

A Mississippi State physicist has achieved a significant scientific advancement, producing a direct laboratory measurement of a key nuclear reaction believed to occur during explosive bursts on neutron stars. These bursts forge heavier elements—the building blocks of planets and life on Earth.