• Making cold atoms look like electrons. First up, Chad at Uncertain Principles describes how ultra-cold atoms and a lattice of optical traps can be used to make a virtual ‘solid’ in which the atoms play the role of electrons in ordinary matter.
• Black holes, Brownian motion. Brownian motion is the phenomenon by which particles floating in a hot liquid ‘jitter’ about due to the impact of the liquid atoms. Brian at Upon Reflection discusses how supermassive black holes undergo a similar process, and how the understanding of this process ‘shines light’ on the black holes themselves.
• Could Kepler find something closer to home? Finally, Niall at we are all in the gutter discusses a possible alternative use for the Kepler telescope. Designed to look for earth-sized planets around other stars, it may be possible to use it to locate some of the distant hidden objects in our own solar system!

Check back next Monday for more miscellaneous highlights!