Temperature

Scientists have developed a sensor made of incredibly thin strands of sapphire that can withstand extreme heat and radiation, and possibly be put to work in the harsh environment of nuclear fusion reactors and enable more streamlined air travel.

Researchers at Australia’s CSIRO have demonstrated a method for protecting the integrity of vaccines against high temperatures. A proof-of-concept study has shown the method keeps vaccines viable at temperatures up to 37 °C (98 °F) for three months.

In order for it to be truly soft, a soft-bodied robot can't contain any hard, rigid components. That's why we've already seen soft batteries, circuits and actuators. Now, a squishy, stretchable thermometer has joined that list.

Although digital body-temperature thermometers may be easier to read than their analog counterparts, there's always the chance that their battery will go flat. That's where the BCool comes in, as you just give it a few shakes to power it up.

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded jointly to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, for their work uncovering the receptors that allow us to perceive temperature and pressure.

For now, quantum computers are mostly limited to labs and big experimental setups. But Japanese researchers have now made a step towards more accessible quantum computing devices, finding a way to “twist” light at room temperature.

German physicists have recorded the coldest temperature ever – 38 trillionths of a degree above absolute zero. The experiment involved dropping quantum gas and switching a magnetic field on and off to bring its atoms to an almost complete standstill.

Electronics and batteries are vulnerable to very high or low temperatures, but a new thermal switch could help deal with both. Made from graphene foam, it can dynamically trap heat when it’s cold out or allow heat to escape when it gets too warm.

The World Meteorological Organization has confirmed the highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica. On February 6, 2020 at Argentina's Esperanza Base, located on the Antarctic Peninsula, a maximum temperature of 18.3 °C (69.9 °F) was reached.

Scientists may be able to detect the presence of dark matter by searching for anomalous heat signatures from distant alien worlds. Dark matter is an enigmatic, invisible substance that is thought to make up around 80 percent of the universe’s mass.

Using advanced infrared imaging technology aboard an Earth-orbiting satellite, scientists have measured the coldest temperature of a storm cloud on record, owing to an overshooting top that penetrated the stratosphere.

New research has found one in five people have a genetic mutation that confers greater resilience to cold temperatures. The study shows people with a deficiency generating a skeletal muscle protein shiver less and hold higher core temperatures in the cold.