Astronaut Wendy B. Lawrence was aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor for the STS-67/ASTRO-2 mission when it launched on March 2, 1995. NASA hide caption change caption NASA Astronaut Wendy B. Lawrence was aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor for the STS-67/ASTRO-2 mission when it launched on March 2, 1995. NASA What does it take to go … Read more
Some of the spiral galaxies studied by the researchers in the study. Credit: Vicki Kuhn Scientists at the University of Missouri are peering into the past and discovering new clues about the early universe. Because light takes a long time to travel through space, they can now see what galaxies looked like billions of years … Read more
This diagram shows how a catalyst consisting of a few layers of iridium oxide (IrOX) over a titanium nitride (TiN) carrier can efficiently store oxygen (O2), hydrogen ions (H+), and electrons (e.g–) from water molecules (H2O) in an acidic electrolyte. This ‘oxygen evolution reaction’ is the more challenging of the two reactions required to split … Read more
Credit: ACS Nano (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c12802 Researchers from EPFL’s Laboratory for Theory and Simulation of Materials in Lausanne, part of the NCCR MARVEL, have used computational methods to identify what could be the thinnest possible metal wire, as well as several other one-dimensional materials with properties that could be of interest to many applications. One-dimensional … Read more
An artist’s rendering of a new method to create high-quality color centers (qubits) in silicon at specific locations using ultrafast laser pulses (femtosecond, or one quadrillionth of a second). The top right inset shows an experimentally observed optical signal (photoluminescence) from the qubits, with their structures shown at the bottom. Credit: Kaushalya Jhuria/Berkeley Lab Quantum … Read more
A simulation of a possible explanation for the speed of an L subdwarf named CWISE J124909+362116.0 shows that it is part of a binary pair of white dwarfs that ended when the white dwarf exploded in a supernova. Credit: Adam Makarenko / WM Keck Observatory It may seem as if the Sun is standing still … Read more
Preparation and structural characterization of SrTiO3 membranes. Credit: Nature communication (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47917-x Researchers have shown for the first time that a specific class of oxide membranes can limit or ‘squeeze’ infrared light – a finding that holds promise for the next generation of infrared imaging technologies. The thin-film membranes retain infrared light much better … Read more
Credit: A zircon crystal under the microscope. Hugo Olierrook/Curtin University For life to emerge on a planet, we need two ingredients: dry land and (fresh) water. Strictly speaking, the water does not have to be fresh, but fresh water can only occur on dry land. Only when these two conditions are met can you convert … Read more
A recent study that poses new challenges to the existence of dark matter suggests that gravity can exist even in the absence of mass. Although all life on Earth experiences its effects every day, gravity remains one of the great mysteries of modern physics. Now, a new study published by Dr. Richard Lieu of the … Read more
Artist’s impression of a protoplanetary disk around a very low mass star. It shows a selection of hydrocarbon molecules (methane, CH4; Ethan, C2H6; Ethylene, C2H2; Diacetylene, C4H2; Propyne, C3H4; Benzene, C6H6) detected on the disk around ISO-ChaI 147. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) / MPIA Planets form in disks of gas and dust that orbit young stars. … Read more