Scientists have long assumed that networks function most reliably when individual components are similar. New framework identifies when differences could improve stability. Findings could inform how to deliberately design ‘imperfections’ to improve functionality.

Kyoto, Japan -- You may not know what roll waves are, but you've probably seen them on a rainy day. When it rains, these traveling waves appear on steep asphalt pavements, slowly making their way down the slope. Because roll waves propagate without deforming and are typically characterized by abrupt discontinuities, they play an important role in hydraulic engineering. Understanding unsteady flows like roll waves is crucial for the design, management, and safety of hydraulic structures such as dam spillway chutes.

However, despite one accurate line of research developed by mathematicians, the partial differential equations governing roll waves have remained a niche and "astonishingly" under-explored area of research, according to an international team of scientists at Kyoto University and German Jordanian University. This group realized that a rigorous mathematical investigation was not only compelling, but unavoidable.

"We noticed the striking gap between the mathematical and visual beauty of roll‑wave phenomena, and the civil engineering community's persistently superficial understanding of them," says first author Koichi Unami. "It became difficult to ignore how confidently steady‑state assumptions were repeated despite clear evidence to the contrary."

Topology imprinting of nonlinear metasurfaces is a new concept that enables replication and manipulation of structured light fields while preserving their topological characteristics across new frequencies. In a new study, researchers review this novel paradigm, discussing key experimental demonstrations, current limitations, and future research directions. The study highlights this concept as key for next-generation photonic platforms and its potential impact in different fields.  

Researchers have developed an innovative imaging technique to visualize the transition of single cells into multicellular organisms in new detail.

State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced that this technology is a recipient of the latest round of seed funding through the SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF), which provides grants to faculty inventors and scientists. This technology is an on-chip quantum sensor platform that leverages arrays of individually addressable single-erbium ion qubits embedded within silicon-based hollow nanopillars. Utilizing advanced nanofabrication and materials engineering, the platform is fully compatible with standard semiconductor foundry processes, enabling scalable and cost-effective production. These quantum devices exhibit exceptional performance at room temperature, unattainable with current technologies.

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the latest round of seed funding through the Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF), which provides grants to faculty inventors and scientists. Grants totaling $400,000 will support groundbreaking research at five campuses, including: State University of New York at Albany, State University of New York at Binghamton, State University of New York at Buffalo, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and SUNY Upstate Medical University.