Researchers found friction can occur without contact, driven by magnetic dynamics, and does not always increase with load. The effect could enable controllable, wear-free technologies.

Researchers have uncovered friction without contact—driven entirely by magnetic interactions. As two magnetic layers slide, their internal forces compete, causing constant rearrangements that ...

Create a Physics World account to get access to all available digital issues of the monthly magazine. Your Physics World ...

When load increases steadily, so does friction, but in the realm of magnetization dynamics, things aren’t so simple.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. In earthquakes, the principle shows how one part of a fault slipping can unleash movement across miles of crust. (CREDIT: ...

Humans have been making fire using friction for thousands of years, with evidence of its use found in archaeological records across different cultures worldwide. Fire by friction is a testament to ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Even famous thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci were fascinated by the physics of friction. What researchers do know is that the ...

Without the force called friction, cars would skid off the roadway, humans couldn't stride down the sidewalk, and objects would tumble off your kitchen counter and onto the floor. Even so, how ...

MIT scientists have coaxed atoms into an exotic “edge state” for the first time, allowing them to flow completely friction-free. The breakthrough could lead to better superconductor materials. As ...

Unfortunately, this book can't be printed from the OpenBook. Visit NAP.edu/10766 to get more information about this book, to buy it in print, or to download it as a free PDF.

At a busy street crossing, people wait for the signal to change. When one person steps out first, others soon follow. Scientists in Amsterdam have found that this same kind of behavior happens at a ...