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Quantum gravity research links continuous parameters to local operators within the theory itself

A researcher at Kyushu University and his collaborators have shown that continuous parameters in quantum gravity may not be freely adjustable “dials” from outside the theory, but rather arise from operators within the theory itself, supporting the century-old claim by Albert Einstein about the fundamental laws of nature.

Einstein argued that the fundamental equations of physics contain no freely adjustable parameters. In other words, he believed that the laws of nature should not include arbitrary numbers chosen from outside a theory. Instead, such quantities should emerge naturally from physical processes.

This idea has become especially important in the search for quantum gravity, a theory that aims to combine gravity with quantum mechanics. Physicists expect that the equations governing quantum gravity should not contain freely adjustable quantities. Rather, all parameters should arise from physical fields.

How oxygen sneaks into a corked wine bottle long before the first pour

The main reason for sealing wine bottles with a cork is to protect the liquid from oxygen. However, it is not an impermeable barrier, and a small amount of air leaks in, which is not always entirely bad news. The gas helps the wine mature and develop a more complex flavor.

In a paper published in the journal Science Advances, researchers highlight several mechanisms that control how oxygen enters and behaves inside the bottle.

Oxygen is, in fact, a crucial consideration. Too much, and the wine can oxidize and spoil, while too little can stunt its development and lead to unpleasant aromas. So winemakers have a delicate balancing act to get it right.

How languages recycle parts of words to avoid confusion

Many languages recycle words, giving them different meanings. For example, in English, “run” can mean to move quickly but also to manage something, like “run a company.” In Spanish, “lengua” is both the word for tongue and language, as in “la lengua española.” This type of word reuse is known as colexification.

But there is another type of recycling, and that is partial colexification, where languages reuse only parts of words. A good example is the word “grand,” which is shared in “grandfather” and “grandmother.” Until now, very little was known about the rules, patterns and how widespread this type of recycling is across different languages.

A new study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour explores how different languages systematically reuse these smaller word parts while balancing efficiency with the need to keep meanings distinct. Barend Beekhuizen at the Department of Language Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga in Canada has published a News & Views piece on the research in the same journal.

Scientists design a clay that can prevent fruits and vegetables from rotting too quickly

Avocados from Chile, bananas from Costa Rica, tomatoes from southern Spain, mangoes from Brazil. A large share of the fruit and vegetables we eat have traveled across the globe before they reach store shelves here at home. But many millions of tons are lost every year before they get that far.

One of the main reasons is ethylene—a natural gas that many fruits and vegetables produce and that controls their ripening. When fruits and vegetables are confined in closed packaging or containers during transport and storage, the concentration of ethylene in the air increases, accelerating the ripening process. As a result, a large share of the cargo ends up rotting before it reaches its final destination.

Modeling nuclear fusion at lightning speed

As we scour and scorch the Earth for deeper wells of energy, investors and government agencies are pouring billions into nuclear fusion research. The hope is that fusion may ultimately provide a virtually limitless source of clean energy.

And there’s reason to hope.

Fusion powers the stars, including our sun, and scientists have recently shown that it’s feasible to replicate this reaction here on Earth.

A minimal model for how a cell takes shape from the inside

Researchers at the University of Twente and Utrecht University have packed rigid, rod-shaped particles into soft lipid containers the size of a living cell and watched the container and its contents reshape each other. The vesicle’s form determines how the rods line up; the tightly packed rods, in turn, bend the container into new shapes. This provides a minimal model for how physical coupling between a soft boundary and internal filaments can help cellular structures organize from within. The paper is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Living cells are crowded with filaments. These threadlike scaffolds hold a cell in shape, push it forward when it moves and pull it apart when it divides, all inside a soft membrane that bends and flows around them. The filaments shape the membrane, and the membrane in turn constrains the filaments.

Physicists understand one half of that exchange, but mostly for rigid containers. Pack enough rod-shaped particles into a fixed box and they switch from a disordered jumble to neat alignment, much like matches settling when you shake the box. What happens when the container can give way had barely been tested. A flexible wall can deform to make room for its contents, so the familiar rules no longer hold.

Webb spots the birth of a giant galaxy and a supermassive black hole

Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to catch an extraordinary glimpse of a massive galaxy taking shape in the early universe. They identified a compact group of at least six galaxies that are likely to merge into a single enormous system. At the heart of this cosmic construction site lies a growing supermassive black hole.

The international study was led by astronomers at Leiden University and the University of Oxford. The findings have been published in The Open Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The system observed, TGSSJ1530+1049, lies more than 12 billion light-years away. We are seeing it as it was when the universe was only about 1.5 billion years old. Researchers pointed the James Webb Space Telescope at this location because earlier radio observations had hinted at an active supermassive black hole. The new data revealed that the surrounding region is far more complex than expected. “We didn’t find a single galaxy, but an entire complex of at least six galaxies,” says Aayush Saxena of the University of Oxford.

Ink-based thermoelectric technology could be solution for replacing problematic refrigerants

Today’s refrigerants, which are specialized working fluids used in air conditioners, refrigerators and heat pumps, come with a host of issues, including leakage, emissions concerns, flammability and limited reclamation of used refrigerants. However, a recent study by University of Notre Dame researchers published in Materials Horizons describes a promising alternative for next-generation cooling using thermoelectric technology, which has no moving parts and no gaseous refrigerants, allowing for zero leaks.

“By making thermoelectric devices a competitive and commercially viable technology, it can transform the way we cool things,” said Yanliang Zhang, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Collegiate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame. “We can make the cooling process become very environmentally friendly.”

In the past, widespread adoption of thermoelectrics has been challenging because of the high costs associated with traditional manufacturing processes. However, the research team led by Zhang has developed an innovative ink-based printing strategy that enables scalable manufacturing of low-cost, high-performance thermoelectric materials and devices.

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