Archives

The Wonderful World of MOFs
Follow us down this yellow brick road to learn how these deceptively small molecules conceal enormous potential for applications from carbon capture to data storage.

Lead and Spice, Anything but Nice
The discovery of lead in the Bay of Bengal launches a tortuous journey involving lead isotopes, turmeric and science heroes.

An Attractive Way to Recycle
Magnetic fields could lead to a cost-effective solution for recycling plastics.

Qubit Q&A
Chemist Danna Freedman explains superposition, decoherence and how they all add up to the most fun you could have with science.

Beneath COVID's spikes, a lethal hook may lurk
A University of Colorado researcher digs below the virus's membrane in search of another layer of infection-causing proteins.

How an S.O.S. Signal Can Help Save Young Scientists
Step No. 1 of the scientific process is: Ask a question. Sometimes, when things gets rocky, that means asking for support.

Ocean's Four: A Science Heist
A team of researchers pulls off a daring data caper in Delaware Bay, swiping secrets about the movement of molecules between air and water.

Aliens Attack! — and Other Science Predictions
Predictions made by visitors to the National MagLab’s 2020 Open House were funny, sweet — and a bit scary.

Navigating Ørsted's Copenhagen
Trace the two-centuries-old steps of the discoverer of electromagnetism.

Scientists Get Down to Earth on Climate Change
Researchers talk about what they're doing outside the lab to protect our planet and how their training as scientists informs those efforts.

Poison in the Pavement
A deeper understanding of petroleum molecules is shedding a harsh light on how some of them behave in our environment.

There's a First Time for Sciencing
In the first year of this new decade, we asked researchers about their most memorable first-time experiences as scientists. Here’s what they had to say.

The "Phew" Moment
A team tackling some gnarly physics using tricky techniques rounds a critical corner. Joy ensues. Then, back to work.

Studying Magnets in Magnets
Researchers put little permanent magnets into large electromagnets to find out how to make them better.

A Superconductor Full of Surprises
High magnetic fields usually kill superconductivity. But in this material, it brought it back to life.

Mapping the Brain's Weird Web of Waste
Using advanced MRI, a mechanical engineer tackles the question: "Why do you have these big fluid spaces in your head?"

Artsy-Chartsy
With a little imagination and editing, discoveries found at national magnet labs could fit as well on a museum wall as they do on the pages of scientific journals.

Joining Forces to Split Particles
The world's largest particle collider is getting even larger, and magnet labs are helping lay the foundation.

Friends Indeed
An understanding ear, a shot of confidence and emergency babysitting services: For underrepresented women in science, that's what friends are for.

From Material to Superconducting Magnet
Ernesto Bosque is helping to develop a promising superconductor into tomorrow's powerful electromagnets.

'Til Death Do They Part?
Some manmade chemicals feature bonds so strong they could last forever. And that's a life-threatening problem.

Amazing Haze
Using the world's most accurate molecular scale, a former astronaut wanna-be is studying Titan's hazy atmosphere, which resembles the ancient chemistry that once surrounded our own planet.

Dishing the Dirt on Carbon
Watch soil biogeochemist Lucy Ngatia explain the important ways carbon-containing molecules differ and what that means for our environment.

Combating Cancer
Scientists are using powerful magnets to learn how to better detect, treat and track the second leading cause of death worldwide.

Monty Python's Science Circus
And now for something completely different: 10 high-field physics predictions that Monty Python nailed.

Stroke of Genius
Using high-field MRI, researchers are working to improve recovery in stroke victims.

The Allure of Linearity
What hides behind the elegantly simple line that describes the relationship between temperature and electrical resistance in certain materials? For some physicists, this is the most compelling question in the field.

Pulsed Magnets Give Gadolinium a Thermal Rush
Scientists in Germany study how high magnetic fields affect the temperature of this rare-earth metal.

Good Neighbors Make Good Science
In the Netherlands, researchers double down on new discoveries by boosting the power of high-field magnets with lasers.

A Super (Lattice) Surprise
When physicists studied a superconducting material at very high fields, they were pleasantly amazed by what they saw.

High Fields Form New Picture of Damaged Paintings
Metals plus fatty acids add up to trouble for valuable artwork, but magnets are shedding light on the canvas-marring chemistry.

2D Materials, Thermoelectrics and Transistors
Thomas Szkopek talks about cool two-dimensional materials and what he learns about them in high magnetic fields.

Metals, Proteins and Tuberculosis
Hannah Shafaat talks about the clever tricks that some strains of tuberculosis may be trying to pull off to resist drugs.

Twisted Physics
Scientists probing the exotic, 2D realm are discovering astonishing behaviors that could revolutionize our 3D world.

How to Whip Up New Physics
Sometimes, science can be a bit like making a good sandwich — but one a little more complex than your average PB&J.

What's a Moiré?
What's a moiré pattern? And why are they one of the hottest things in physics today? Let us explain — with a musical twist.

Double Whammy
What happens when a kid with ADHD sustains a concussion? Using high-field magnets, researchers are working to find out.

Japan Blows Doors off World Record
Scientists have a blast developing a technique for studying electrons in ultra-high magnetic fields.

Tracking Fracking
Watch environmental chemist Susan Richardson explain her research into hydraulic fracturing and drinking water.

Flip-flopping Phases
Electrons in this cool high-field experiment flip-flopped between liquid and solid.

Good Mentors Make Good Scientists
Researchers talk about their favorite mentors and how they made a difference.

Fields of Dreams
If engineers build stronger magnets, scientists promise they will come … and that discoveries will follow.

The Long Winding Road
Several materials are in the running to build the next generation of superconducting magnets. Which will emerge the victor?

Carbon in the Congo
Water samples collected from the heart of Africa contain clues about carbon cycling worldwide.

DNP Is Having a Moment
A technique called dynamic nuclear polarization is hitting its stride, using electrons to shine a light on complex molecules.

The Case of the Zinc in the Toothpaste
Is there enough zinc in my toothpaste? Polarizing Agent comes to the rescue.

Science Double Feature
Researchers combine high magnetic fields and neutrons to learn more about superconductivity.

Attack of the Acronyms
The alphabet soup favored by many scientists can make difficult concepts downright incomprehensible.

Squeeze, Freeze, Discoveries
By subjecting stuff to extraordinary environments, Shanti Deemyad looks for behaviors that could benefit our everyday lives.

Thin films of frustrated magnets
Christianne Beekman talks about her work growing thin films of frustrated magnets and studying them in high magnetic fields.

Imaging from Molecule to Man
Ron Heeren talks about how a unique imaging technique that combines microscopes with mass spectrometers can help doctors make on-the-fly diagnoses in the operating room.

Probing a Superconductor's Properties
Brad Ramshaw uses high-field magnets to study high-temperature superconductors.

Subatomic Smackdown
When it comes to talent, versatility and the power to change the world, which atomic particle is the champ? Read what our four contenders have to say — then you decide.

Esprit de Char
Members of a sprawling science team piece together the puzzle of biochar, a promising tool in the fight against global warming.

Open: SESAME
A magnet-powered synchrotron at the first major international research center in the Middle East aims to draw scientists into cross-cultural collaborations.

Folding Gone Afoul
Dylan Murray wants to sabotage processes that can lead to neurodegenerative disease.

Fun & Games with Data
High-field data comes in a boggling array of shapes, squiggles and colors. Play along as we try to figure out what it all means.

Electron Timeline
The electron has fascinated humankind for centuries. Here are some highlights from the annals of science.

A Star (Magnet) Is Born
Introducing the world's strongest superconducting magnet, the first of a new generation.

Going Nano
From nanorockets to nanocages, good science can come in tiny packages — all with the aim of solving really big problems.

Simulating the Sun
By manipulating plasma with magnets, scientists are creating the same kind of energy produced by stars.

High Fields at Home
A lot of the research conducted in powerful magnets ends up having a powerful effect on our day-to-day lives.

Sex and the Spineless
We open a can of worms to learn how pheromones help invertebrates regulate population.

Whiteboard as Canvas
The eyes of an artist reveal the beauty and emotion behind this quintessentially scientific medium.

From the Lab to the Living Room
How do science innovations make it from the laboratory into your life?

Science on the Edge
Across disciplines, exciting stuff happens along the boundaries between things. What makes those realms so rich for research, and how do magnets shed light on them?

World’s Strongest Human MRI
Pack a sack lunch and load up! We're hitting the road to learn how this massive magnet tracks sodium moving through your brain.

What's in the Water?
Studying dissolved organic matter helps us better understand our diverse and changing planet.

From Frustration to Discovery
Hop on this information train for a step-by-step look at how one physicist uses magnets to understand superconductors, spin liquids and why some materials get frustrated.

Dream Date with History
Cocktails with the founder of modern physics, a frolic with the father of microbiology, and other ideas for quality time with bygone science celebs.

Make It Better ... with a Bitter!
The heart of a resistive magnet, the Bitter disk is too beautiful and versatile to be confined to the laboratory.