A quantum pump without the crank

Physicists demonstrate how atoms can be pumped through a synthetic crystal without having to apply any external periodic driving. These experiments combine several key aspects of quantum many-body physics in unexpected ways, thus paving a novel path to…

A more environmentally friendly air conditioner

Summer is in full swing, and people are turning up their air conditioners to beat the heat. But the hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants in these and other cooling devices are potent greenhouse gases and major drivers of climate change. Today, scientists rep…

Caterpillar-like bacteria crawling in our mouths

Likely in order to survive in the oral cavity, bacteria evolved to divide along their longitudinal axis without parting from one another. Environmental cell biologists and microbial geneticists have just published their new insights. In their work, the…