A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the University of Vigo (UVigo) has just published in Nature the results of a study in which they have uncovered why bridges — specifically steel truss bridges — do not collapse when affected by a catastrophic event such as an impact or an earthquake. And their conclusions are similar to the behaviour of spider webs.

Korean researchers have ushered in a new era for electric vehicle (EV) battery technology by solving the long-standing dendrite problem in lithium-metal batteries. While conventional lithium-ion batteries are limited to a maximum range of 600 km, the new battery can achieve a range of 800 km on a single charge, a lifespan of over 300,000 km, and a super-fast charging time of just 12 minutes.

Recent experimental findings from the research team led by Prof. Jianbo Hu at the Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), revealed partial dislocation-mediated plastic flow in shock-loaded single-crystal aluminum.​​ The experiment was conducted at the PF-AR NW14A beamline of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK). Utilizing laser ablation to generate shock waves and employing ultra-bright, ultra-short X-ray pulses from synchrotron radiation, the team captured in situ Laue diffraction patterns of single-crystal Al during dynamic loading. ​​This work provides the first experimental evidence of partial-dislocation-dominated plastic flow in shock-compressed single-crystal Al​​, enabling analysis of the distinct deformation mechanisms between quasi-static and dynamic loading in aluminum—a high stacking fault energy metal. ​​These findings offer new insights into the plastic deformation of aluminum under high strain rates and establish novel theoretical and experimental foundations for multi-scale research on material performance under extreme conditions.​Recent experimental findings from the research team led by Prof. Jianbo Hu at the Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), revealed partial dislocation-mediated plastic flow in shock-loaded single-crystal aluminum.​​ The experiment was conducted at the PF-AR NW14A beamline of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK). Utilizing laser ablation to generate shock waves and employing ultra-bright, ultra-short X-ray pulses from synchrotron radiation, the team captured in situ Laue diffraction patterns of single-crystal Al during dynamic loading. ​​This work provides the first experimental evidence of partial-dislocation-dominated plastic flow in shock-compressed single-crystal Al​​, enabling analysis of the distinct deformation mechanisms between quasi-static and dynamic loading in aluminum—a high stacking fault energy metal. ​​These findings offer new insights into the plastic deformation of aluminum under high strain rates and establish novel theoretical and experimental foundations for multi-scale research on material performance under extreme conditions.​

Pioneering imaging methods from WMG at the University of Warwick have revealed how the surgical process impact bones and implant stability during hip replacements 

For centuries, physicists have believed that ice melts on slippery surfaces due to the effects of temperature, pressure and friction. But a research team led by Martin Müser, Professor of Materials Simulation at Saarland University, has now shown that this long-standing belief is mistaken. Using advanced computer simulations, the team discovered that molecular dipoles—tiny charged regions within molecules—play a decisive role in disrupting the crystalline structure of ice. Their findings have been published in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters.

The PET-alternative PDCA is biodegradable and has superior physical properties. A Kobe University team of bioengineers engineered E. coli bacteria to produce the compound from glucose at unprecedented levels and without byproducts — and opened up a realm of possibilities for the future of bioengineering.

Dr. Seunghak Lee, Jaeshik Chung, and Sang Hyun Kim of the Water Resources Cycle Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) observed how oil and water interact in porous media under various conditions using a "microfluidic system" that allows precise observation of microscopic fluid flows.