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Over billions of years, the surface of the Moon has been bombarded by solar wind, carrying high-energy particles that include a highly coveted resource, helium-3. Although the element is scarce on Earth, it has recently become in demand by several industries, including those working on quantum computing and nuclear…
Physicists at MIT have spotted the second sound of a superfluid. Besides being pleasantly alliterative, the phenomenon may explain how heat moves through certain rare materials on Earth and deep in space.
When theoretical physicists like myself say that we’re studying why the universe exists, we sound like philosophers. But new data collected by researchers using Japan’s Subaru telescope has revealed insights into that very question.
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Balloons are so hot right now, and not just the ones getting shot down by military jets. A startup in Japan wants to send people to the edge of space using a helium-filled balloon, and to do so affordably, but the chosen passenger cabin leaves much to be desired.