Surprising Science — March 25, 2014

Superfluid Appears to Defy Gravity

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

In the 1930s, scientists were baffled by liquid helium, which, at extremely low temperatures, exhibited strange behaviors. Learn more about this amazing superfluid by watching this short video clip from BBCFour:

Image credit: JoeFutrelle/Flickr

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A model of the Colossus depicting the grandeur of ancient Rome.

The Past

This virtual 3D model lets you wander the streets of ancient Rome

Archaeologist Bernard Frischer spent decades uploading the ruins of the Eternal City to the cloud. Here’s what it looks like.

An image of a spiral galaxy in the night sky.

Hard Science

Have we gotten dark matter all wrong?

Physicists have yet to pinpoint the hypothetical matter that keeps galaxies from flying apart. Now they have a new focus.

Starts With A Bang

Do gravitational waves exhibit wave-particle duality?

All matter particles can act as waves, and massless light waves show particle-like behavior. Can gravitational waves also be particle-like?

Hard Science

How to recycle plastic with enzymes

It’s early days, but if the efforts can be efficiently scaled-up, such biological recycling could put a dent in the plastic waste problem.

superconducting material magnetic levitation

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Is LK-99 the holy grail of superconductors?

Recent claims put LK-99 as the first room temperature, ambient pressure superconductor ever. Has the game changed, or is it merely hype?

Up Next

Surprising Science

Throwing a Boomerang in Space

What happens when you throw a boomerang in zero gravity? Japanese astronaut Takao Doi demonstrates on the International Space Station: Image credit: popofatticus/Flickr