Author Archives: rberkowitz

There’s a lithium battery in your future

Posted on December 10, 2019 by rberkowitz

The latest approaches toward developing batteries with higher energy density for electric vehicles and other applications. Continue reading →

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Physical cosmology wins a share of the Nobel Prize in Physics

Posted on December 1, 2019 by rberkowitz

James Peebles developed a mathematical framework that describes how the universe evolved. Decades of empirical evidence later, it still holds up. Continue reading →

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Physics Technique Reveals Hidden Bugs to Bats

Posted on November 20, 2019 by rberkowitz

Strategic angles help bats hunt stationary bugs on leaves. Continue reading →

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An odd fluid shows its inner workings

Posted on November 1, 2019 by rberkowitz

Viscous forces drive waves along a two-dimensional fluid’s free surface. Continue reading →

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A community effort to understand plant-soil-aerosol interactions

Posted on October 8, 2019 by rberkowitz

An ecosystem-wide molecular-level understanding of source-sink interactions is vital for trapping atmospheric carbon and increasing plant productivity. Now, plant scientists, climatologists, and atmospheric chemists are joining forces to create just that.  Continue reading →

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A chiral fluid has odd viscosity

Posted on September 23, 2019 by rberkowitz

Viscous forces drive wave propagation along a two-dimensional fluid’s free surface.  Continue reading →

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A tiny swimmer generates rapid, far-reaching signals in water

Posted on September 1, 2019 by rberkowitz

Colonies of a single-celled organism synchronize their contractions to release toxins that may deter predators. Continue reading →

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Arsenic-Eating Fern Hints at Cleanup Solutions

Posted on August 20, 2019 by rberkowitz

The Chinese brake fern’s genes let it safely store the poison. Continue reading →

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Ultrafast signalling among aquatic single-celled organisms

Posted on August 2, 2019 by rberkowitz

Colonies of Spirostomum ambiguum synchronize to release toxins that may deter predators. Continue reading →

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A big step for nanoporous graphene provides a small step for desalination

Posted on August 1, 2019 by rberkowitz

Carbon-nanotube reinforcement and template-based etching help scale up membranes. Continue reading →

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