Using the Frontier supercomputer at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, researchers have developed a new technique that predicts nuclear properties in record detail. The study revealed how the structure of a nucleus relates to the force that holds it together. This understanding could advance efforts in quantum physics and across a variety of sectors, from to energy production to national security.

Penn physicist Randall Kamien, visiting scholar Lauren Niu, and collaborator Geneviève Dion of Drexel bring unprecedented levels of predictability to the ancient practice of knitting by developing a mathematical model that could be used to create a new class of lightweight, ultra-strong materials.

Researchers have developed a new optical computing material from photon avalanching nanoparticles.

Researchers at Hokkaido University and Duke University have developed a hydrogel that heals and strengthens itself as it is overloaded and damaged. The proof-of-concept demonstration could lead to improved performance for situations where soft but durable materials are required, such as load-bearing connections and joints within machines, robots and even people.

By tracking half a million fungal highways and the traffic flows within them, researchers describe how plants and symbiotic fungi build efficient supply chains. The team built an imaging robot that allowed them to gather 100 years’ worth of microscopy data in under 3 years. This work advances our understanding of how fungi move billions of tons of CO2e into underground ecosystems each year.