Showing 20 articles starting at article 121
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Energy: Nuclear, Mathematics: Puzzles
Published Small modular reactor waste analysis report


Small modular nuclear reactors, which offer greater flexibility and lower upfront cost than large nuclear reactors, have both some advantages and disadvantages when it comes to nuclear waste generation.
Published How does radiation travel through dense plasma?


Researchers provide experimental data about how radiation travels through dense plasmas. Their data will improve plasma models, which allow scientists to better understand the evolution of stars and may aid in the realization of controlled nuclear fusion as an alternative energy source.
Published How long can exotic nuclei survive at the edge of stability?


A new study has measured how long it takes for several kinds of exotic nuclei to decay. The paper marks the first experimental result from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. It is just a small taste of what's to come at the facility, which will become 400 times more powerful over the coming years. Scientists used the facility to better understand nuclei, the collection of protons and neutrons found at the heart of atoms. Understanding these basic building blocks allows scientists to refine their best models and has applications in medicine, national security, and industry.
Published Material separates heavy water from ordinary water


A research group has made a material that can effectively separate heavy water from normal water at room temperature. Until now, this process has been very difficult and energy intensive. The findings have implications for industrial -- and even biological -- processes that involve using different forms of the same molecule.
Published Mathematicians explain how some fireflies flash in sync


A new study by mathematicians shows that math borrowed from neuroscience can describe how swarms of these unique insects coordinate their light show, capturing key details about how they behave in the wild.
Published Music class in sync with higher math scores -- but only at higher-income schools


Music and arts classes are often first on the chopping block when schools face tight budgets and pressure to achieve high scores on standardized tests. But it's precisely those classes that can increase student interest in school and even benefit their math achievement, according to a new study.
Published Physicists confirm hitch in proton structure


A new precision measurement of the proton's electric polarizability has confirmed an unexplained bump in the data. The proton's electric polarizability shows how susceptible the proton is to deformation, or stretching, in an electric field. Like size or charge, the electric polarizability is a fundamental property of proton structure. The data bump was widely thought to be a fluke when seen in earlier measurements, so this new, more precise measurement confirms the presence of the anomaly and signals that an unknown facet of the strong force may be at work.
Published Our brains use quantum computation


A team of scientists believe our brains could use quantum computation, after adapting an idea developed to prove the existence of quantum gravity to explore the human brain and its workings. The brain functions measured were also correlated to short-term memory performance and conscious awareness, suggesting quantum processes are also part of cognitive and conscious brain functions. Quantum brain processes could explain why we can still outperform supercomputers when it comes to unforeseen circumstances, decision making, or learning something new, while the discovery may also shed light on consciousness, the workings of which remain scientifically difficult to understand and explain.
Published Electronic gaming can trigger potentially lethal heart rhythm problems in susceptible children


Electronic gaming can precipitate life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in susceptible children whose predisposition may have been previously unrecognized, according to a new report. The investigators documented an uncommon, but distinct pattern among children who lose consciousness while playing electronic (video) games.
Published Hackmanite mineral changes color also upon exposure to nuclear radiation


Researchers have long studied the color-changing properties of the natural mineral hackmanite upon exposure to UV radiation or X-rays. Now, the research group studied the reactions of synthetic hackmanite to nuclear radiation. The researchers discovered a one-of-a-kind and novel intelligent quality, gamma exposure memory, which allows the use of hackmanite as e.g. radiation detector.
Published As few as 1 in 5 COVID cases may have been counted worldwide, mathematical models suggest


Mathematical models indicate that as few as one in five cases of COVID-19 which occurred during the first 29 months of the pandemic are accounted for in the half billion cases officially reported.
Published Pushing the boundaries of chemistry: Properties of heaviest element studied so far measured at GSI/FAIR


Researchers have gained new insights into the chemical properties of the superheavy element flerovium -- element 114 -- at the accelerator facilities of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt. The measurements show that flerovium is the most volatile metal in the periodic table.
Published Gamers can have their cake and eat it too


New research from Japan shows that multiple cognitive abilities may be empirically measured from a complex game experience depending on the game's design.
Published The way you talk to your child about math matters


'You're so smart!' -- This encouraging response may actually do more harm than good to children's math performance, according to a new study. The study found that encouraging children with responses related to their personal traits or innate abilities may dampen their math motivation and achievement over time.
Published Less risk, less costs: Portable spectroscopy devices could soon become real


Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is an analytical tool with a wide range of applications, including the magnetic resonance imaging that is used for diagnostic purposes in medicine. However, NMR often requires powerful magnetic fields to be generated, which limits the scope of its use. Researchers have now discovered potential new ways to reduce the size of the corresponding devices and also the possible associated risk by eliminating the need for strong magnetic fields. This is achieved by combining so-called zero- to ultralow-field NMR with a special hyperpolarization technique.
Published Particles pick pair partners differently in small nuclei


The protons and neutrons that build the nucleus of the atom frequently pair up. Now, a new high-precision experiment has found that these particles may pick different partners depending on how packed the nucleus is. The data also reveal new details about short-distance interactions between protons and neutrons in nuclei and may impact results from experiments seeking to tease out further details of nuclear structure.
Published Elemental research: Scientists apply boron to tungsten components in fusion facilities


Scientists at have conducted research showing that a powder dropper can successfully drop boron powder into high-temperature plasma within tokamaks that have parts made of a heat-resistant material known as tungsten.
Published Reasons behind gamer rage in children are complex -- and children are good at naming them


Children's outbursts of rage while playing digital games are causing both concern and public debate around the topic. Taking a novel approach to gamer rage, a new study examines the topic from a child's perspective, finding complex reasons for gamer rage in children.
Published The electron slow motion: Ion physics on the femtosecond scale


How do different materials react to the impact of ions? This is a question that plays an important role in many areas of research -- for example in nuclear fusion research, when the walls of the fusion reactor are bombarded by high-energy ions. However, it is difficult to understand the temporal sequence of such processes. A research group has now succeeded in analyzing on a time scale of one femtosecond what happens to the individual particles involved when an ion penetrates materials such as graphene or molybdenum disulphide.
Published 2D array of electron and nuclear spin qubits opens new frontier in quantum science


By using photons and electron spin qubits to control nuclear spins in a two-dimensional material, researchers have opened a new frontier in quantum science and technology, enabling applications like atomic-scale nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and to read and write quantum information with nuclear spins in 2D materials.