Author Archives: rberkowitz

Laser Breaks Liquid into Uniform Droplets

Posted on December 11, 2021 by rberkowitz

A laser beam hitting a column of liquid controls the droplet pinch-off at the bottom of the stream. Continue reading →

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Mobile Phone Signals Hold Real-Time Rainfall Information

Posted on December 9, 2021 by rberkowitz

Techniques for monitoring rainfall with signals from mobile phone networks are making their way to small-scale farmers in rural Africa. Continue reading →

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A Physical Match for the Riemann Zeta Function

Posted on December 8, 2021 by rberkowitz

Mathematical properties of a famous number-theory conjecture correspond to the physical scattering properties of a quantum field theory. Continue reading →

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Glassy Behavior Depends on Dimension

Posted on December 7, 2021 by rberkowitz

The number of excess vibrational modes in glasses scales differently in two dimensions than it does in three. Continue reading →

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Search for Sculptor’s Stone Reveals New Marble Outcrops

Posted on December 7, 2021 by rberkowitz

Isotope geochemistry and grain size analysis, combined with a long summer’s hike, start to resolve an art history puzzle Continue reading →

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Subsurface imaging shows scale of the tragedy of Indigenous children

Posted on December 1, 2021 by rberkowitz

Archaeologists and geophysicists in Canada are trying to pinpoint the signatures of unmarked burials by using geophysical methods in varied terrains. Continue reading →

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Simple Additives Make Polar Fluids More Polar

Posted on November 25, 2021 by rberkowitz

The strong polar nature of bonded molecular pairs called zwitterions boosts the dielectric constants of polar fluids. Continue reading →

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A Universal Model of Spin Relaxation

Posted on November 19, 2021 by rberkowitz

A first-principles theory predicts nonequilibrium spin dynamics, including various quantum scatterings for general solid materials. Continue reading →

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New Technique Improves Conversion of Carbon Dioxide Into Liquid Fuels

Posted on November 18, 2021 by rberkowitz

A copper surface coated with layered thin films helps to create useful chemicals from a polluting greenhouse gas. Continue reading →

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Field notes from Mars’s latest roving explorer

Posted on November 11, 2021 by rberkowitz

The Perseverance rover’s early scientific results detail dust lifting and ancient flood deposits at Jezero Crater. Continue reading →

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