A research team from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has uncovered striking pattern in Hong Kong’s urban lighting using innovative multi-source monitoring strategies. Their findings reveal that the distribution of light pollution in the city is highly uneven, with a disproportionate share originating from a small number of decorative lighting installations concentrated in just a few districts. Specifically, decorative lighting from approximately 120 buildings accounted for half of the night sky brightness measured above the Victoria Harbour, while just five districts were responsible for more than half of the total light emitted from both sides of the Harbour. Their findings provide science-based solutions to this pressing environmental challenge.

Conductive hydrogels have garnered widespread attention as a versatile class of flexible electronics. Despite considerable advancements, current methodologies struggle to reconcile the fundamental trade-off between high conductivity and effective absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, as dictated by classical impedance matching theory. This study addresses these limitations by introducing a novel synthesis of aramid nanofiber/MXene-reinforced polyelectrolyte hydrogels. Leveraging the unique properties of polyelectrolytes, this innovative approach enhances ionic conductivity and exploits the hydration effect of hydrophilic polar groups to induce the formation of intermediate water. This critical innovation facilitates polarization relaxation and rearrangement in response to electromagnetic fields, thereby significantly enhancing the EMI shielding effectiveness of hydrogels. The electromagnetic wave attenuation capacity of these hydrogels was thoroughly evaluated across both X-band and terahertz band frequencies, with further investigation into the impact of varying water content states—hydrated, dried, and frozen—on their electromagnetic properties. Moreover, the hydrogels exhibited promising capabilities beyond mere EMI shielding; they also served effectively as strain sensors for monitoring human motions, indicating their potential applicability in wearable electronics. This work provides a new approach to designing multifunctional hydrogels, advancing the integration of flexible, multifunctional materials in modern electronics, with potential applications in both EMI shielding and wearable technology.

A puzzling form of superconductivity that arises only under strong magnetic fields has been mapped and explained by a research team including Andriy Nevidomskyy, professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University. Their findings, published in Science July 31, detail how uranium ditelluride (UTe2) develops a superconducting halo under strong magnetic fields. 

Researchers discovered a clear pattern that shows how desert dust particles facilitate ice formation in clouds. This discovery highlights the importance of aerosols for understanding cloud behaviour, predicting precipitation, and assessing the role of clouds in climate change.