Sun.Apr 18, 2021

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Human hand used as an infrared source to reveal secret messages

Physics World

The human hand can be used as an infrared radiation (IR) source to decrypt hidden messages and register sign-language-style finger gestures, researchers in China have shown. The concept could find application in anticounterfeiting and gesture-driven control of devices. The human body, like all matter, emits thermal radiation – specifically at infrared wavelengths (IR).

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Metallic glasses reveal their secrets

Physics World

A highly detailed plot that shows, for the first time, the location of all 18 356 atoms in a metallic glass nanoparticle could transform our understanding of non-crystalline materials. The feat, achieved thanks to a technique known as atomic electron tomography (AET), could also make it easier to design materials with properties suited to applications in quantum computing and gravitational wave detection.