Natural diamond is forged by tremendous pressures and temperatures deep underground. But synthetic diamond can be grown by nucleation, where tiny bits of diamond “seed” the growth of bigger diamond crystals. The same thing happens in clouds, where particles seed the growth of ice crystals that then melt into raindrops. Scientists have now observed for…

The lithium-ion batteries that power laptops, electric cars and so many other modern gadgets operate on a simple plan: Lithium ions shuttle back and forth between two electrodes, inserting themselves into one of the electrodes as the battery charges and moving across to the other as the battery drains. The speed and ease of their…