Ancient zircon crystals offer a glimpse into early Earth history

To determine what Earth was like early in its lifetime, researchers turn to minerals called zircons, which are resilient against physical and chemical alteration over time and thus preserve a precise chemical record about the moments in which they were formed. Some of the oldest zircon crystals are 4.4 billion years old. Now, a new study at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) examines these most ancient zircon grains and discovers evidence for two key findings.

Material model adapts stiffness using sound waves

Using this model of a 1D material, researchers demonstrate a new way to remotely change a material’s stiffness using sound waves. The team was co-led by the University of California San Diego, University of Michigan, and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) at Laboratory of Acoustics of Le Mans University.

Nanoscale hotspots in OLEDs may shorten their lifespans in phones, TVs

University of Michigan engineers have found that the light in OLED displays comes from nanoscale hotspots—some of which flicker—rather than from a perfectly uniform surface, a behavior that could shorten device lifespans by causing certain areas to carry more current and burn out faster. The studysuggests that these uneven emission patterns may also affect the […]