Extreme physics of 'supercritical' matter may be surprisingly simple

For the first time, scientists have named a heat wave | What's the largest bone in the human body? (What about the smallest?) | What's the largest ocean that ever existed on Earth? Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( August 16, 2022 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [For the first time, scientists have named a heat wave]( [For the first time, scientists have named a heat wave]( (Shutterstock) For the first time, scientists have named a heat wave. They called it Zoe. According to USA Today, the Spanish scientists bestowed the moniker on a heat wave that sent temperatures soaring to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 degrees Celsius) in Seville between July 24 and July 27. It's a new effort to alert the public to extreme temperatures and warn them of the dangers, José María Martín Olalla, an associate professor in the department of condensed matter physics at Sevilla University, told the newspaper. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Just the Facts, Ma'am "I stopped watching TV news a year ago, so sick of the bias everywhere. But in doing so, I was out of the loop. I decided to give 1440 a try & I've not been disappointed. Finally, Walter Cronkite style reporting! Just the facts. I also love that I can click a link to see more on many stories. Keep up the good work!" [Join for free now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Life’s Little Mysteries [] [What's the largest bone in the human body? (What about the smallest?)]( [What's the largest bone in the human body? (What about the smallest?)]( (SDI Productions via Getty Images) The human body possesses hundreds of bones, from the long bones of the limbs to the fused bones of the skull. But what is the smallest bone in the human body? And what is the largest bone? Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [What's the largest ocean that ever existed on Earth?]( [What's the largest ocean that ever existed on Earth?]( (Ianm35 via Getty Images) Earth's current largest ocean, the Pacific, blankets more than 30% of the planet's surface, stretching 12,000 miles (19,000 kilometers) at its widest point, between Colombia and the Malay Peninsula, according to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC UNESCO). But that titanic sea represents only the remnants of the largest ocean in Earth's history. So what was the largest ocean ever to exist on our planet? Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Math & Physics [] [Scientists blast atoms with Fibonacci laser to make an 'extra' dimension of time]( [Scientists blast atoms with Fibonacci laser to make an 'extra' dimension of time]( (Jurik Peter via Shutterstock) By firing a Fibonacci laser pulse at atoms inside a quantum computer, physicists have created a completely new, strange phase of matter that behaves as if it had two dimensions of time. The new phase of matter, created by using lasers to rhythmically jiggle a strand of 10 ytterbium ions, enables scientists to store information in a far more error-protected way, thereby opening the path to quantum computers that can hold on to data for a long time without becoming garbled. The researchers outlined their findings in a paper published July 20 in the journal Nature. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Extreme physics of 'supercritical' matter may be surprisingly simple]( [Extreme physics of 'supercritical' matter may be surprisingly simple]( (NASA, ESA, and J. Nichols (University of Leicester)) When under a great deal of heat and pressure, matter goes "supercritical," and the difference between liquid and gas seems to disappear. Now, new research finds that matter at this extreme supercritical state is less complicated than scientists previously thought. In fact, there are liquid-like and gas-like states in supercritical materials, and the tipping point between the two is surprisingly consistent across matter. This may mean that there are universal rules governing these states across different types of materials. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Curious Creatures [] [Sweet dreams, spidey: Arachnids experience REM sleep, and may even dream]( [Sweet dreams, spidey: Arachnids experience REM sleep, and may even dream]( (Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Imagine a spider hanging from a silky thread, as still as a corpse, until its eight legs unexpectedly tremble. While this might sound like a horror movie, it's actually a nightly experience for jumping spiders (Evarcha arcuate) who can reach rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage in which most dreaming occurs, a new study finds. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Quiz [] POLL QUESTION: True or false: The smallest bone in the body is found in the ear. 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