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Coal
Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (strip mining). It is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock. Often associated with the Industrial Revolution, coal remains an enormously important fuel and is the largest single source of electricity world-wide. In the United States, for example, the burning of coal generates 50% of the electricity consumed.
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Matter & Energy News
October 8, 2025
Oct. 8, 2025 — Researchers have found a way to extract almost every photon from diamond color centers, a key obstacle in quantum technology. Using hybrid nanoantennas, they precisely guided light from nanodiamonds into a single direction, achieving 80% efficiency ...
Oct. 8, 2025 — In a remarkable leap for quantum physics, researchers in Japan have uncovered how weak magnetic fields can reverse tiny electrical currents in kagome metals—quantum materials with a woven atomic structure that frustrates electrons into forming ...
Oct. 7, 2025 — An international team has confirmed that large quantum systems really do obey quantum mechanics. Using Bell’s test across 73 qubits, they proved the presence of genuine quantum correlations that can’t be explained classically. Their results show ...
Oct. 7, 2025 — Researchers at Columbia have created a chip that turns a single laser into a “frequency comb,” producing dozens of powerful light channels at once. Using a special locking mechanism to clean ...
Oct. 7, 2025 — Solar energy is now the cheapest source of power worldwide, driving a massive shift toward renewables. Falling battery prices and innovations in solar materials are making clean energy more reliable than ever. Yet, grid congestion and integration ...
Oct. 5, 2025 — A Penn State research team found that streetlights could double as affordable EV charging stations. After installing 23 units in Kansas City, they discovered these chargers were faster, cheaper, and more eco-friendly than traditional stations. Their ...
Oct. 4, 2025 — Scientists at OIST have, for the first time, directly tracked the elusive “dark excitons” inside atomically thin materials. These quantum particles could revolutionize information technology, as they are more stable and resistant to ...
Oct. 3, 2025 — Researchers have designed a new type of gravitational wave detector that operates in the milli-Hertz range, a region untouched by current observatories. Built with optical resonators and atomic clocks, the compact detectors can fit on a lab table ...
Oct. 2, 2025 — A team in Sweden has unraveled the hidden structure of a promising solar material using machine learning and advanced simulations. Their findings could unlock durable, ultra-efficient solar cells for ...
Oct. 1, 2025 — A powerful new AI tool called Diag2Diag is revolutionizing fusion research by filling in missing plasma data with synthetic yet highly detailed information. Developed by Princeton scientists and international collaborators, this system uses sensor ...
Sep. 30, 2025 — A new boron-rich compound, manganese diboride, delivers much higher energy density than current solid-rocket materials while remaining stable until intentionally ignited. Its power comes from an unusual, strained atomic structure formed during ...
Sep. 30, 2025 — A team of physicists has discovered that virtual charges, which exist only during brief interactions with light, play a critical role in ultrafast material responses. Using attosecond pulses on diamonds, they showed these hidden carriers ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
Oct. 6, 2025 — Scientists may have finally uncovered the mystery behind ultra-high-energy cosmic rays — the most powerful particles known in the universe. A team from NTNU suggests that colossal winds from ...
Oct. 2, 2025 — Scientists confirmed that pianists can alter timbre through touch, using advanced sensors to capture micro-movements that shape sound perception. The discovery bridges art and science, promising ...
Oct. 1, 2025 — The LUX-ZEPLIN detector is breaking new ground in the hunt for dark matter, setting unprecedented limits on WIMP particles. Its results not only narrow the possibilities for dark matter but also open ...
Sep. 29, 2025 — A fresh black hole merger detection has offered the clearest evidence yet for Einstein’s relativity and Hawking’s predictions. Scientists tracked the complete cosmic collision, confirming that ...
Sep. 28, 2025 — Researchers have reimagined Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, engineering a trade-off that allows precise measurement of both position and momentum. Using quantum computing tools like grid states ...
Sep. 28, 2025 — Ancient copper smelters may have accidentally set the stage for the Iron Age. At a 3,000-year-old workshop in Georgia, researchers discovered that metalworkers were using iron oxide not to smelt iron ...
Sep. 28, 2025 — Oil wells often dry up far earlier than predicted, leaving companies baffled about the “missing” reserves. A Penn State team tackled this puzzle by harnessing PSC’s Bridges-2 supercomputer, ...
Sep. 27, 2025 — Researchers have discovered an unusual "quantum echo" in superconducting materials, dubbed the Higgs echo. This phenomenon arises from the interplay between Higgs modes and quasiparticles, producing ...
Sep. 26, 2025 — Scientists have developed a lens-free mid-infrared camera using a modern twist on pinhole imaging. The system uses nonlinear crystals to convert infrared light into visible, allowing standard sensors ...
Sep. 26, 2025 — Scientists found that biochar doesn’t just capture pollutants, it actively destroys them using direct electron transfer. This newly recognized ability accounts for up to 40% of its cleaning power ...