Source: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an environmental bacterium that can cause devastating multi-drug-resistant infections, particularly in people with underlying lung conditions, has rapidly evolved and subsequently spread across the globe over the past 200 years, likely driven by changes in human behavior, a new study finds. The work appears in the magazine Science. P. … Read more
Rendered image of the landing of the MARUM-MeBo70 on the seabed of the Amundsen Sea. Credit: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen / Martin Künsting In recent years, global warming has left its mark on the Antarctic ice caps. The “eternal” ice in Antarctica is melting faster than previously assumed, especially … Read more
An illustration of the intron endonuclease cutting the DNA of a competing virus and disrupting its reproduction. Credit: Pogliano Labs, UC San Diego Strange bits of DNA hidden in the genomes of all living things have historically been ignored because they seemed to play no role in the fight for survival, researchers thought. These bits … Read more
Illustration of the diffraction problems with particle-photon beams, and how a “self-guided” combined beam continues to provide pushing force even to distant probes. Credit: Limbach & Hara Getting to Proxima Centauri b will require a lot of new technologies, but there are increasingly exciting reasons to do so. Both public and private efforts have been … Read more
Light curve of nova V1716 Sco observed with NICER with epochs of 10 seconds, from July 25, 2023 to August 30, 2023. Source: Wang et al., 2024. Astronomers from China and Taiwan have observed the nova outburst of V1716 Sco that occurred last year using several X-ray and gamma-ray space observatories. Results of the observation … Read more
Blue-spotted ribbontail ray. Credit: Morgan Bennet Smith Researchers have discovered the unique nanostructures responsible for the electric blue spots of the blue-spotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma), with potential applications for developing chemical-free coloration. The team also has ongoing research into the equally enigmatic blue coloration of the blue shark (Prionace glauca). This research, titled “Ribbontail … Read more
The European Space Agency ESA has created its own version of a Lego brick that is 3D printed from meteorite dust. The organization is using it to investigate how buildings can be built in space. The “space bricks,” as Lego and the European Space Agency (ESA) call them, are made from the dust of a … Read more
Chemical structure of the molecule and photos of phosphorescence taken under UV irradiation. Credit: Osaka University A research team led by Osaka University found that the new organic molecule thienyldiketone exhibits high-efficiency phosphorescence. It achieved phosphorescence more than ten times faster than traditional materials, allowing the team to clarify this mechanism. The article was published … Read more
Michigan State University combined terahertz laser light, shown as a red wavy arrow, with a scanning tunneling microscope, or STM, tip — the dark pyramid shape that exchanges a red electron with a sample shown with a blue surface. Credit: Eve Ammerman One of the challenges of cramming smarter, more powerful electronics into ever-shrinking devices … Read more
The experiment takes place at about one 10,000th of a degree above absolute zero in a special refrigerator; Dr Autti (right). Credit: Lancaster University One of science’s greatest mysteries may be one step closer to being solved. About 80% of the matter in the universe is dark, meaning it can’t be seen. In fact, dark … Read more