American researchers have generated a record-setting laser pulse so short that it makes most everything else seem like an eternity. The pulse lasted just 67 attoseconds, which is about two million billion times faster than the blink of an eye. The previous record, set by European researchers in 2008, was about 20 percent slower.
Syndicated by Fox News, LiveScience and others.
If you’ve ever dealt with an exploded can of frozen soda in the freezer, you’ve seen firsthand that ice takes on a crystal structure. At freezing temperatures, water molecules line up to form geometric shapes, creating ice’s crystal structure. The crystal structure takes up more space than the loose liquid water molecules, causing water to expand when frozen.
Towering 15 stories above the Antarctic landscape, the white balloon casts a long, dark shadow across the snow. The ground crew makes final preparations for launch, filling the balloon with helium and securing its cargo. In one fluid motion, the workers free the balloon from the Earth. Rising into the air, it becomes a fading silhouette in a cloudless sky.