Global Energy Awards

Gravity may not be a fundamental force of nature, but a byproduct of the universe streamlining information like a cosmic computer. We have long taken it for granted that gravity is one of the basic forces of nature–one of the invisible threads that keeps the universe stitched together. But suppose that this is not true. Suppose the law of gravity is simply an echo of something more fundamental: a byproduct of the universe operating under a computer-like code That is the premise of my latest research, published in the journal AIP Advances. It suggests that gravity is not a mysterious force that attracts objects towards one another, but the product of an informational law of nature that I call the second law of infodynamics . It is a notion that seems like science fiction but one that is based in physics and evidence that the universe appears to be operating suspiciously like a computer simulation. In digital technologies, right down to the apps in your phone and the world of cyberspace,...

Researchers in Germany report that they have directly measured a superconducting gap in a hydride sulphide material for the first time. The new finding represents “smoking gun” evidence for superconductivity in these materials, while also confirming that the electron pairing that causes it is mediated by phonons. Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity without resistance. Many materials behave this way when cooled below a certain transition temperature Tc, but in most cases this temperature is very low. For example, solid mercury, the first superconductor to be discovered, has a Tc of 4.2 K. Superconductors that operate at higher temperatures – perhaps even at room temperature – are thus highly desirable, as an ambient-temperature superconductor would dramatically increase the efficiency of electrical generators and transmission lines. The rise of the superhydrides The 1980s and 1990s saw considerable progress towards this goal thanks to the discovery of high-temperatur...

Physicists in Vienna have recreated a bizarre visual illusion from Einstein’s relativity the Terrell-Penrose effect by simulating slow light speeds with lasers and cameras. A fast-moving cube appears twisted, as predicted over 60 years ago. Relativity Gets Weird at Light-Speed When things move really, really fast, close to the speed of light, our everyday ideas about space and time start to break down. This is the heart of Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Objects actually shrink in length as they speed up, and time flows differently for them than it does for someone watching from the outside. Sounds wild, but it’s been confirmed by countless experiments. But there’s one mind-bending prediction of relativity that had never been seen, until now. It’s called the Terrell-Penrose effect, and it says that super-fast objects shouldn’t just look shorter, they should look rotated. Back in 1959, physicists James Terrell and Roger Penrose came to this conclusion independently. And now, ...

RIKEN scientists have revealed how carbon nanotubes can emit light that’s more energetic than the light they absorb, thanks to phonon interactions and the formation of dark excitons. This could pave the way for breakthroughs in solar energy and futuristic photonic devices. Three physicists from Japan’s RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics have uncovered how ultra-thin carbon tubes, known as carbon nanotubes, can emit light that carries more energy than the light they absorb. This surprising discovery could pave the way for new technologies in solar energy harvesting and advanced biological imaging. Most of us are familiar with how some materials glow under ultraviolet (UV) light, like fluorescent paints. These are classic examples of photoluminescence , where a material absorbs high-energy UV light and then releases lower-energy visible light. The Curious Case of Up-Conversion But in some materials, the reverse can happen. Shine low-energy light on them, and they emit higher-energy lig...

A Princeton team uncovered a surprising chiral quantum state in a supposedly non-chiral material, shedding light on elusive symmetry-breaking effects and opening doors to new quantum technologies. Chirality, the property of being different from one’s mirror image, has fascinated scientists in fields ranging from biology and chemistry to physics. Often referred to as “handedness,” chirality describes objects that come in distinct left- or right-handed forms. It’s a fundamental feature of nature, appearing across many scales: in molecules and amino acids, in the iconic double-helix structure of DNA, and even in the spiral shapes of snail shells. Now, researchers at Princeton University have discovered a hidden chiral quantum state in a material once believed to be non-chiral. This breakthrough sheds light on a long-standing debate in the physics community and pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in quantum science . In a recent study published in Nature Communications, a team led by...

Physicists have pulled off a cosmic simulation that cracks open one of the universe’s most mind-bending mysteries: are we living in a fragile, temporary state of existence poised to collapse into a more stable reality? Using a powerful quantum machine , they watched bubbles representing universal transformation flicker into life, offering a front-row seat to a process that could one day rewrite the structure of reality. The research doesn’t just unlock cosmic secrets it hints at a revolution in quantum computing and may redefine how we understand time, space, and technology. Unveiling a Cosmic Time Bomb Physicists have carried out a major new simulation that offers fresh insight into a mysterious process that could one day determine the ultimate fate of the universe. About 50 years ago, theoretical physicists proposed that our universe might be stuck in a “false vacuum” a state that appears stable but could actually be temporary. According to this idea, the universe could, at any time...

The mechanism that stabilizes new ferroelectric semiconductors also creates a conductive pathway, which could make them suitable for use in high-power transistors . A new type of semiconductor that can store information using electric fields may lead to more energy-efficient computers, ultra-precise sensors, and technologies that convert signals between electrical, optical, and acoustic forms. However, scientists had long been puzzled by how these materials could sustain two opposing electric polarizations without breaking apart. A team of engineers at the University of Michigan has now uncovered why the materials, known as wurtzite ferroelectric nitrides, don’t tear themselves apart. “The wurtzite ferroelectric nitrides were recently discovered and have a broad range of applications in memory electronics, RF (radio frequency) electronics, acousto-electronics, microelectromechanical systems, and quantum photonics, to name just a few. But the underlying mechanism of ferroelectric switch...