Issues

The laser can be used like a stylus to imprint microdomains of arbitrary shape and prescribed orientation.

Researchers in Japan have begun probing the atomic physics of elements that can be produced only in minute quantities.

The composite is hundreds of times more electrically sensitive to temperature than the best previous materials used for thermal sensors.

By adding electromagnetic effects to quantum chromodynamics calculations, theorists have achieved a leap in accuracy.

The distorted image of a background galaxy may be a record of frictional dark-matter interactions.

After a slow start, a technique that promises deep sample penetration and improved spatial resolution is catching on fast.

Radiation-resistant tumors are targets for heavy-ion particles. But high capital costs have prevented construction of treatment facilities in the US.

Three members of an independent multinational body that analyzes issues related to nuclear disarmament, arms control, and nonproliferation share their views.

The spectacular colors of living creatures are often produced by intricate arrays of photonic elements, including some that researchers wouldn’t otherwise have thought of.

A remarkable sequence of missteps, misfortune, and oversights delayed the discovery of nuclear fission until the eve of World War II—and likely altered history’s course.

Discovery of the new materials raised researchers’ hopes of solving the riddle of high-temperature superconductivity. But the unexpectedly diverse systems turned out to possess their own treasure trove of unusual physics that continues to challenge condensed-matter theorists.

As Earth’s population grows and fresh water becomes an ever more precious resource, scientists and engineers are working to increase the efficiency and decrease the cost of desalination.