Researchers at Rice University and collaborating institutions have discovered direct evidence of active flat electronic bands in a kagome superconductor. This breakthrough could pave the way for new methods to design quantum materials — including superconductors, topological insulators and spin-based electronics — that could power future electronics and computing technologies. The study, published in Nature Communications Aug. 14, centers on the chromium-based kagome metal CsCr₃Sb₅, which becomes superconducting under pressure.

Kyoto, Japan -- As space programs evolve and we continue to mistreat our own planet, human dreams of space tourism and planetary colonization seem increasingly common. However, features of spaceflight such as gravitational changes and circadian rhythm disruption -- not to mention radiation -- take a toll on the body, including muscle wasting and decreased bone density. These may even affect our ability to produce healthy offspring.

Studying the impact of spaceflight on germ cells -- egg and sperm precursor cells -- is particularly important because they directly influence the next generation, and any irreversible damage done to these will likely be transmitted to offspring. Previous examinations of embryonic stem cells that have undergone spaceflight have revealed abnormalities, but the exact cause of the damage has remained unknown.

This inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to test the potential damage to spermatogonial stem cells during spaceflight and the resulting offspring. The team utilized stem cells from mice, which have a much shorter reproductive life span than humans.

Physicists from the University of Copenhagen have begun using the gigantic magnetic fields of galaxy clusters to observe distant black holes in their search for an elusive particle that has stumped scientists for decades.