Physicists Float a New Theory of Levitation

String theorist shakes up 300 years of science

(NEWSER) - Anyone who's ever seen a ball drop knows it's obvious that gravity exists—right? Not so fast, says a prominent string theorist who has called into question 300 years of science with a new paper arguing that gravity is merely an illusion. Dutch physicist Erik Verlinde says gravity is not a basic force itself, but rather a sort of "cosmic frill," as the New York Times puts it, which emerges from some deeper force the way stock markets emerge from the decisions of individual investors. More»

Ring of daughter bubbles form under some conditions

(NEWSER) - Scientists "playing around in the lab late one night" have burst another scientific mystery: the behavior of popping bubbles. The physicists noticed that when bubbles burst on a liquid surface, they sometimes form a perfect ring of "daughter" bubbles rather than vanish entirely. Each of the daughters then bursts to form an even tinier ring, until the bubbles are so tiny they combine into strong jets that propel aerosol droplets into the atmosphere, BBC reports. More»

Breakthrough could lead to more precise lasers, traffic speed guns

(NEWSER) - A team of physicists say they’ve managed to “tie light in knots” using holograms and abstract mathematics. The breakthrough could have a host of practical applications, including more precise lasers and traffic speed guns. It’s also the first physical application of “knot theory,” a branch of mathematics inspired by the winding of shoelaces, which was previously believed to be totally abstract. More»

(NEWSER) - Scientists have developed electricity-generating fibers that can be embedded in clothing and other materials and draw power from the smallest of movements, LiveScience reports. The zinc oxide nanowires are as small as 1/5,000th the width of a human hair and produce energy when they vibrate, even from blood flowing through veins. Cell phones and other personal electronics, not to mention military applications, could be powered. More»

Penmanship takes a backseat to science, reading instruction

(NEWSER) - Cursive may become a thing of the past as schools pressed for time focus their attention on science and reading, the Indianapolis Star reports. Cursive is still widely taught, but the emphasis has shifted from writing beautifully to writing efficiently as wider use of computers has also edged out cursive’s traditional role. More»