One of the unsolved mysteries of contemporary science is how highly organized structures can emerge from the random motion of particles. This applies to many situations ranging from astrophysical ...

A group of physicists in Italy believes that mobile bacteria could convert chemical energy into mechanical energy by pushing on the teeth of tiny gear wheels. The researchers used computer simulations ...

IN 1905, Albert Einstein published five papers that shook the world of physics. His elegant arguments and conclusions were marvels of physical intuition that addressed dilemmas raised by experimental ...

A noninvasive data analysis technique has been developed that can discern whether an object's random motion is actively or thermally driven. Inside every living cell, internal structures are ...

Normally, noise is something we scientists try to avoid. In the most advanced physics experiments, the goal is usually to measure something new. If you ever ask the experimenters why it took them so ...

The ratchet mechanism is a fascinating energy-conversion system that converts disorderly or random motion into orderly, directed movement through a process known as spontaneous rectification. It is a ...