Quantum counterfeiters might succeed
Scientists have created an ultrasecure form of money using quantum mechanics — and immediately demonstrated a potential security loophole. Under ideal conditions, quantum currency is impossible to counterfeit. But thanks…
Most Americans like science — and are willing to pay for it
Americans don’t hate science. Quite the contrary. In fact, 79 percent of Americans think science has made their lives easier, a 2014 Pew Research Center survey found. More than 60…
Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony
Penguins have been pooping on Ardley Island off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula for a long, long time. The population there is one of the biggest and oldest Gentoo…
Trackers may tip a warbler’s odds of returning to its nest
Strapping tiny trackers called geolocators to the backs of birds can reveal a lot about where the birds go when they migrate, how they get there and what happens along…
Readers puzzled by proton’s properties
Proton puzzlerUncertainty over the proton’s size, spin and life span could have physicists rethinking standard notions about matter and the universe, Emily Conover reported in “The proton puzzle” (SN: 4/29/17,…
Top 10 discoveries about waves
Physics fans are a lot like surfers. Both think waves are really fun. For surfers, it’s all about having a good time. For physicists, it’s about understanding some of nature’s…
Flight demands may have steered the evolution of bird egg shape
The mystery of why birds’ eggs come in so many shapes has long been up in the air. Now new research suggests adaptations for flight may have helped shape the…
Baby-led weaning won’t necessarily ward off extra weight
When my younger daughter was around 6 months old, we gave her mashed up prune. She grimaced and shivered a little, appearing to be absolutely disgusted. But then she grunted…
Spread of misfolded proteins could trigger type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes and prion disease seem like an odd couple, but they have something in common: clumps of misfolded, damaging proteins. Now new research finds that a dose of…
Normally aloof particles of light seen ricocheting off each other
Cross two flashlight beams and they pass right through one another. That’s because particles of light, or photons, are mostly antisocial — they don’t interact with each other. But now…