NSF's public investment in science, engineering, education and technology
helps to create knowledge and sustain prosperity. Read here about the Internet,
microbursts, Web browsers, extrasolar planets, and more... a panoply of discoveries
and innovations that began with NSF support.
![Image of the collision of a proton and antiproton.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/collision_l1.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
A Better Mass for the W Boson; Higgs Boson Given Less Space to Hide Analyzing several years' worth of results from Fermilab's Tevatron collider, physicists come up with the most accurate measurement to date of the mass of the W boson, and narrow down the possible mass of the still undiscovered Higgs boson Released
April 7, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Illustration of a nanoscale experiment.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/amplifier1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Squeezing Noise Below Quantum Limits Exquisitely sensitive microwave amplifier increases nano-scale measurement accuracy; could lead to quantum computing breakthroughs Released
March 26, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Illustration showing entanglement to and from distinct quantum memories.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/entanglement1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
A Beautiful Memory Breakthrough in "entanglement" demonstrates potential of quantum information science Released
March 17, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Eight thumbnail images and 2008 in Review](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/2008_review_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
2008: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported advances and activities that made news last year Released
March 13, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Illustration of a highly-magnetized neutron star undergoing a "starquake."](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/starquake1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Shockwave of X-ray Starquake Enthralls Scientists For postdoctoral researcher Andrew Steiner and other astrophysicists, the shockwave that jolted the Earth in late December 2005 was a lucky find, providing new data on neutron stars Released
March 2, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Illustration showing information from left atom teleported to right atom three feet away.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/teleport_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
How to Teleport Quantum Information from One Atom to Another Researchers have shown for the first time how to use a process called teleportation to transfer a quantum state over a significant distance from one atom to another Released
February 25, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photo of end-on view of high numerical aperture custom lens system used to trap and image an atom.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/excited_atoms1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Excited Atoms Advance Quantum Computing Scientists using a single atom to control another with the Rydberg Blockade principle have moved a step closer to unimaginable computing power Released
February 24, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Illustration showing one sphere being repelled from a plate and the other sphere being attracted.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/nanoscale_repulsion1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Nanoscale Repulsion Tiny quantum force, measured for the first time, could be an aid to nanodevice designers Released
February 19, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Image showing ball and stick model of two crossing carbon nanotubes on a graphite surface.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/nanotube1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Measuring Excitement for Carbon Nanotubes Studying light pulses in nanoscale molecules brings scientists closer to understanding properties that may lead to a multitude of applications Released
February 10, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Image of transparent ceramic.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/ceramics_l1.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Pore-free Ceramics Shine New Light on Lasers, Electronics and Biomedical Implants Novel process for developing transparent ceramics from powder eliminates pores Released
January 29, 2009
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Illustration of the inside of the vacum chamber showing the spectrometer.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/vacum_chamber_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
For the "Few-Body Problem," a Solution From Another Plane Complex ionization collisions can be explained with a "simple" classical model Released
December 29, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photo of Ben Arend installing a detector during the reconfiguration of the NSCL's experimental area.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/nscl1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Unlocking the Secrets of Atomic Nuclei Rare isotope research at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory leads to important new applications in areas such as medical treatments and security technology Released
November 13, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![artist's rendition of polar gas molecules](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/polar_gas1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
First Ultracold Polar Molecule Gas Ready for Research Groundbreaking technique could lead to quantum computers, molecular clocks and super-efficient power plants Released
October 29, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photograph of the compact muon solenoid detector at CERN.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/lhc_computing1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Physicists Gear Up for Huge Data Flow University of Nebraska researchers build a computer center to handle the flood of data expected from the world's next-generation particle accelerator Released
August 7, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Computer graphic showing quantum vortices formed when atoms expand for 50 thousandths of a second.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/cold_temps1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Beyond Cold: How the World Works at Minus 459 Degrees Graduate student David McKay describes how atoms are cooled to near absolute zero for research using an approach called quantum simulation Released
July 25, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![A picture of the setting sun off the coast of Estonia and the letter "A."](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/baltica_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Cracking the Code of Images New software easily detects pictures' hidden messages Released
July 15, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Illustration of photocathode gun.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/photocathode_gun_l1.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Brightest X-ray Vision at the Nano-scale Superconducting 'universal toolkit' for scientists, engineers will conserve energy, too Released
June 6, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photo of the detector slice from the back, at the surface.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/lhc1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Building a Machine to Search for Cosmic Secrets Katherine McAlpine describes the intricate lowering into place of the last large piece of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector, part of the Large Hadron Collider Released
April 2, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photo of Matt Johnson, NSCL staff engineer, inspecting a 45-degree dipole magnet](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/nuclear_scientist1_l1.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Nuclear Scientists Explore the Core of Existence A journalist at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory describes physicists' experiments to understand the neutron dripline and some surprising results Released
March 24, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![2007 In Review](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/2007_review_text_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
2007: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported advances and activities reported last year Released
January 30, 2008
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photo of Shirley Ann Jackson and William Bialek](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/cellbio1_l1.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Top Scientists Promote Innovative, Multidisciplinary Global Problem-Solving Strategies Released
December 11, 2007
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photo shows Exotic Beam Summer School students viewing progress of their experiments.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/nscl_students_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Nuclear Physics Boot Camp Preps Future Scientists Exotic Beam Summer School stimulates new learning and discoveries in nuclear physics students. Released
October 19, 2007
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Photo of the ATLAS Barrel Toroid Magnet and a person standing in the center](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/ultralight_collider_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
UltraLight Project: Moving Huge Amounts of Data In spring 2008, the largest particle accelerator in the world will be completed Released
August 24, 2007
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Eric Weeks and shaving cream with squishy physics spelled in black letters](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/weeks_squishy42_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
The Science of All Things Squishy NSF-funded Emory researcher shares the excitement of cutting-edge physics phenomena with kids of all ages Released
August 16, 2007
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![2006 in Review](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/2006inreview_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
2006: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported activities highlighted last year Released
January 9, 2007
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Electrons hitting an iron-carbide filled carbon nanotube cause it to contract and extrude material.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/nano_l1.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Nanotubes Not for Toothpaste . . . Yet Researchers Squeeze Even Rock-Hard Materials Through Minuscule Carbon Tubes Released
July 25, 2006
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![With strong magnetic fields and cold temperatures, magnetic order in barium-copper silicate emerges.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/haze_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Purple Haze Ancient pigment reveals secrets about unusual state of matter Released
July 11, 2006
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![Vesicle membranes that collapse when cooled may someday deliver minute payloads of medicines.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/pills_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
Micro Pills Could Deliver Drugs on Demand Temperature-sensitive capsules release chemicals at tightly controlled rates Released
March 27, 2006
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![This illustration compares the artificial cochlea to its mammalian counterpart.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/cochlea_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
New Sensor Based on Human Organ Is No Tin Ear Precision micromachining yields life-size, precise, artificial cochlea Released
November 3, 2005
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
![The new nanofountain probe produced these patterns; features are as thin as 40 nanometers](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/pen1_l.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
The World’s Smallest Fountain Pen? New microscope tips use capillary action to print patterns tens of nanometers across Released
October 5, 2005
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![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090506071356im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) |
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