Press Portal

8:00 a.m. CDT
Sound Wave Sculptures
Like a clay model stands in for an intricate stone sculpture, simple sound waves mimic complex quantum “twistronics” structures (first discovered in 2018 to much fanfare). The acoustic shapes could help rapidly test still-unimagined twistronics.
Abstract | 2D Materials
Contact: Jenny Hoffman, Harvard University

9:00 a.m. CDT
Enjoy Better-Cooked Pasta Thanks to Physics and a Ruler
New experiment showcases the science of spaghetti.
Press Release

11:30 a.m. CDT
Energy Mappers
A new method probes and maps the energy landscape of key semiconductor components without requiring any contact.
Abstract | PNNL Press Relase | Physical Review Materials
Contact: Scott Chambers, Pacific Northwest National Lab

2:00 p.m. CDT
Our Climate Has Changed. How Do We Learn to Live With Extreme Events?
From weather dictionaries to AI physics, new approaches try to anticipate the next catastrophic flood, tornado, or hurricane.
Press Release

3:00 p.m. CDT
Seemingly-Impossible Quantum Magnets
Preliminary results point to the discovery of new kagome and honeycomb quantum magnets. The researchers plan to share additional new results. Abstract | Physical Review Materials
Contact: Tyrel M. McQueen, Johns Hopkins University

3:00 p.m. CDT
Finally Recycling Holdout Plastics
Scientists show they can transform a major group of polymers largely considered non-recyclable into reusable materials.
Abstract | Northwestern Press Release
Contact: John Torkelson, Northwestern University

4:48 a.m. CDT
Tattoo Vaccines
Could tattoo needles deliver drugs? Researchers explore the science and potential of a practice that has existed since the Stone Age.
Abstract | Journal of Visualization
Contact: Idera Lawal, Texas Tech University

8:00 a.m. CDT
Fruit Flies “See” Smell
To find out where a strong smelly whiff comes from and move in that direction, fruit flies use a system similar to visual motion detection.
Abstract | bioRxiv
Contact: Thierry Emonet, Nirag Kadakia, Yale University

1:54 p.m. CDT
Brains Built in the Lab
Neurons made from skyrmions can now diagnose breast cancer.
Abstract | Feature
Contact: Priyamvada Jadaun, University of Texas at Austin

3:00 p.m. CDT
New artificial octopus arms may help explore the oceans
Abstract | Feature
Contact: Cecilia Laschi, National University of Singapore

5:00 p.m. CDT
A Sandcastle That Builds Itself
Meet Granulobot, a shapeshifting soft robot that acts as both solid and liquid—and controls itself.
Abstract | UChicago Press Release
Contact: Baudouin Saintyves, University of Chicago

5:12 p.m. CDT
Surfing Sperm
How do sperm cells find an egg in a vast ocean? For sea snails and sea urchins, turns out sperm scent trails in choppy water.
Abstract | TU Dresden Press Release | PLOS Computational Biology
Contact: Benjamin M. Friedrich, Technische Universität Dresden

5:24 p.m. CDT
Tabletop Asteroids
Asteroids span kilometers and form over millions of years. But efforts to build tiny asteroids in the laboratory could open up their secrets in mere minutes. Abstract | UChicago Press Release | arXiv
Contact: Melody X. Lim, University of Chicago

10:00 a.m. CDT
Scientists Announce First Proof of Quantum Boomerangs and Share Backstory of Google’s Time Crystal
Researchers will discuss new experimental milestones in quantum science, the latest in quantum leaps.
Press Release

1:06 p.m. CDT
The Woman Who Wrote a Ubiquitous Algorithm
Cited 47,000 times since 1953, the Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm shapes computer science, physics, and everyday technology. New research reveals its origins in America's premier nuclear weapons lab and its creators, including a pioneering woman physicist: Arianna Wright Rosenbluth.
Abstract | Partner Press Release
Contact: Adam Iaizzi, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow

3:24 p.m. CDT
Deepfake Detective
A student-scientist team has developed a model to detect deepfakes on the internet more accurately, relying on changes at the pixel level.
Abstract | Stony Brook Press Release
Contact: Steven Luo, Evergreen Valley High School

5:24 p.m. CDT
Nature, Recreated
Water could one day compute like a brain.
Abstract | Feature
Contact: Paul Robin, Ecole Normale Supérieure

11:54 a.m. CDT
Making Music From Flames
At the intersection of science and art, scientists have used fire to create music and matter.
Abstract | Feature
Contact: Markus Buehler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3:00 p.m. CDT
Turning Words Into Matter
Machine learning translates human language into materials.
Abstract | Feature
Contact: Markus Buehler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

9:36 a.m. CDT
To Conference or Not to Conference
As hundreds of thousands of scientists reassess attending annual conferences in the wake of the pandemic, a new study asks: How much do face-to-face conferences actually help create new scientific collaborations?
Abstract | Northwestern Press Release | arXiv
Contact: Emma Zajdela, Northwestern University

9:36 a.m. CDT
Low-carbon Cement Production in the US
A ton of cement produced in the United States emits 10-30% more CO2 than in other major cement producing parts of the world. Clinkers and kilns can often be the culprit, and a group of researchers propose strategies to significantly reduce their climate impact in domestic cement production.
Abstract | Georgetown Press Release
Contact: Ankita Gangotra, Georgetown University

12:00 p.m. CDT
Unusual Toolbox Puts Dangerous SARS-CoV-2 Variants Under Surveillance
From quantum vibrations to nanodiamonds, new tools could help detect the most infectious variants. We could find and treat the next Omicron well before it surges, thanks to unexpected virus physics.
Press Release

1:18 p.m. CDT
Pedestrians Are Selfish
When faced with a road diverging, real-life pedestrians do not choose the most optimal path for overall traffic flow. Why? Individual variability is key.
Abstract | arXiv
Contact: Alessandro Gabbana, Eindhoven University of Technology

3:00 p.m. CDT
Beyond CRISPR: New DNA Tools Rewrite Genes to Fight Diseases Like COVID-19
Scientists debut technology that could turn off SARS-CoV-2 genes, diagnose parasitic infection, and sequence genes faster.
Press Release

3:00p.m. CDT
A Smart Robot Too Small to See
The first intelligent microscopic robot paves the way for targeted drug treatments and less damaging surgery.
Abstract
Contact: Paul L. McEuen, Cornell University

4:24 p.m. CDT
1950s Demons
A preliminary study reports the first observation of a “demon” particle proposed in 1956, but never seen until now. The demons could play an underexplored role in low-energy physics.
Abstract
Contact: Peter Abbamonte, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9:48 a.m. CDT
The New Plates: Palm Leaves
The latest eco-friendly, compostable dinnerware could actually be very old: waterproof palm leaves grown traditionally in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and currently considered waste material.
Abstract | Purdue Press Release
Contact: Debapriya Pinaki Mohanty, Purdue University

12:54 p.m. CDT
Wastewater Detection for the Opioid Epidemic
A simple, cheap detector on a chip can simultaneously spot opioid drug metabolites in community wastewater, signaling hotspots without stigmatizing individuals.
Abstract | bioRxiv
Contact: Michael Geiwitz, Boston College

1:42 p.m. CDT
Knitted Elephants
Many animals have neurons, but only one has a flexible appendage with versatile wrinkled skin and the power to help repair human tissues. Elephant skin could help heal injuries.
Abstract | Feature
Contact: Andrew Schulz, Krishma Singal, Georgia Institute of Technology