
Scientists have created new kinds of particles—1/100th the diameter of a human hair—that “self-assemble” into structures that look like molecules made from atoms.

Scientists have created new kinds of particles—1/100th the diameter of a human hair—that “self-assemble” into structures that look like molecules made from atoms.

This may seem like something out of a science fiction movie: researchers have designed microparticles that can be injected directly into the bloodstream to quickly oxygenate your body, even if you can’t breathe anymore. It’s one of the best medical breakthroughs in recent years, and one that could save millions of lives every year.

The researchers at Purdue University used the nanoantennas to abruptly change a property of light called its phase. Light is transmitted as waves analogous to waves of water, which have high and low points. The phase defines these high and low points of light.