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What happens when granular substances behave like liquids? (©Nekrasov Mikhail - stock.adobe.com)
Switzerland: Behaviour of granular substances

When Sand Flows

Sand, coffee grounds and rice behave very differently than water or oil, but under certain conditions they will suddenly exhibit astonishing similarities. Scientists oft the ETH Zurich in collaboration with international colleagues have found a way to better understand the behaviour of granular materials.

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An illustration of a metavehicle pushing another object. (Denis Baranov/Chalmers University of Technology)
Sweden: Nanotechnology

Microscopic Vehicles Powered by Light

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have succeeded in creating tiny vehicles powered by nothing but light. By layering an optical metasurface onto a microscopic particle, and then using a light source to control it, they succeeded in moving the tiny vehicles in a variety of complex and precise ways — and even using them to transport other objects.

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