After maritime shipping emissions were sharply reduced following a mandated switch in fuels, University of Utah atmospheric scientists sprang into action to see how the change would affect cloud formation over North Atlantic. Review of satellite observations and weather data determined few droplets formed, yet the clouds’ ability to reflect sunlight remained surprisingly stable.

A new and effective approach for creating 3D maps of chromosomes from real-world data, Fi-Chrom, has been developed by Rice University researchers as an open access tool.

Researchers have succeeded in measuring, for the first time, the electrical conductance of gold and silver atomic contacts subjected to extreme magnetic fields of up to 20 teslas; an intensity equivalent to 400,000 times the Earth's magnetic field. The findings, published in Physical Review Research, pave the way for the design of nanoscale conductors with adjustable magnetic properties, a promising strategy for future applications in spintronics and ultra-sensitive sensors.

Concrete contains a diversity of materials that scatter sound waves and make clear imaging difficult to obtain. In Applied Physics Letters, researchers created a high-resolution 3D ultrasonic imaging system for concrete that automatically adapts to different types of structures, sending frequencies into the material and using a vibrometer to capture the outcoming waves. The system can handle a wide range of frequencies, which means that even if ultrasonic waves are scattered by materials in the concrete, those that do make it through are still detected.

Researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics have developed a new process that turns ordinary metal tubes unsinkable—meaning they will stay afloat no matter how long they are forced into water or how heavily they are damaged. The researchers describe their process for creating aluminum tubes with remarkable floating abilities in a study published in Advanced Functional Materials. By etching the interior of aluminum tubes, the researchers create micro- and nano-pits on the surface that turn it superhydrophobic, repelling water and staying dry.

Sunbeams contain a lot of energy. But current technology for harvesting solar power doesn’t capture as much as it could. Now, in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers report that gold nanospheres, named supraballs, can absorb nearly all wavelengths in sunlight — including some that traditional photovoltaic materials miss. Applying a layer of supraballs onto a commercially available electricity converter demonstrated that the technology nearly doubled solar energy absorption compared to traditional materials.

Researchers at AppliedPhysics.org report early evidence that cells respond selectively to mathematically structured sound, not just acoustic power. In an exploratory Biosystems study, Fibonacci based acoustic signals triggered distinct responses across different cell types, suggesting sound can be tuned to cellular size and mechanics rather than applied as brute force.

The findings point to a potential new direction for cancer research: using low intensity, physics driven acoustic design to target physical differences between cancer and healthy cells. While preliminary and based on model organisms, the work opens the door to a future of more precise, less invasive, mechanically selective therapies.