Science News
Vibrating stars could reveal elusive ripples in space-time
New Scientist - 17 Jul 2015 12:00
Stars vibrate like musical instruments, a property that tells us about their insides - and that could reveal gigantic gravitational waves
New Horizons team baffled by discovery of icy plains on Pluto
New Scientist - 17 Jul 2015 21:11
Data downloaded from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft in the past few days has revealed strange terrain, a large atmosphere and yet more mysteries on Pluto
Planned Parenthood: How Ethical Is Fetal Tissue Donation?
Live Science - 17 Jul 2015 21:07
Planned Parenthood denies recent allegations that the organization profits from fetal tissue donation. But what exactly is fetal tissue used for in medical research, and what are the ethical issues surrounding its use?
Study finds metal foams capable of shielding X-rays, gamma rays, neutron radiation
e! Science News - 17 Jul 2015 20:34
Research from North Carolina State University shows that lightweight composite metal foams are effective at blocking X-rays, gamma rays and neutron radiation, and are capable of absorbing the energy of high impact collis...
Bringing back the magic in metamaterials
e! Science News - 17 Jul 2015 19:06
A single drop of blood is teeming with microorganisms--imagine if we could see them, and even nanometer-sized viruses, with the naked eye. That's a real possibility with what scientists call a "perfect lens." The lens ha...
Ultramarathon Runner Sets Appalachian Trail Record: How He Did It
Live Science - 17 Jul 2015 18:36
An ultramarathon runner overcame an early injury, sleep deprivation and steep terrain to complete an astounding 2,189-mile run along the Appalachian Trail in 46 days and 8 hours.
Nanowires give 'solar fuel cell' efficiency a tenfold boost
e! Science News - 17 Jul 2015 18:34
A solar cell that produces fuel rather than electricity. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and FOM Foundation today present a very promising prototype of this in the journal Nature Communications. ...
Volcano hunters dig into the Sahara's watery past
New Scientist - 17 Jul 2015 18:17
A pioneering trip to the highest mountain peaks of the Sahara uncovers a dramatically different climate and landscape in the desert's past
Weyl points: Wanted for 86 years
e! Science News - 17 Jul 2015 18:04
Weyl points, the 3D analogues of the structures that make graphene exceptional, were theoretically predicted in 1929. Today, an international team of Physicists from MIT and Zhejiang University, found them in photonic cr...
Animal Brains Networked Into Organic Computer 'Brainet'
Singularity Hub - 17 Jul 2015 17:00
Imagine a future where computers no longer run on silicon chips. The replacement? Brains. Thanks to two separate studies recently published in Scientific Reports, we may be edging towards that...
Scientists reveal 'woodquakes'
Phys.org - 17 Jul 2015 14:30
The structural properties of brittle materials like rock or ceramic, such as cracking under stress, have long been studied in detail, providing insight into avalanches, earthquakes and landslides. Wood and its response t...
Missing 'Vampire' Director's Skull: Why People Snatch Bodies
Live Science - 17 Jul 2015 13:41
The disappearance of the skull of German film director F.W. Murnau is disturbing; and while body snatching is taboo it's far from rare. Motives range from the mercenary to the macabre.
Initial testing of the Wendelstein 7-X magnetic field
Phys.org - 17 Jul 2015 13:30
Testing of the magnetic field in the Wendelstein 7-X fusion device was completed sooner than planned. The measurements, which were much anticipated at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald, show: The ...
Black Widows Wreck Mates' Webs, Get Away With It
Live Science - 17 Jul 2015 13:03
Black widow males destroy large sections of their mates' webs in order to ward off potential rivals.
Super-cheap origami disease-testing kit can be printed on demand
New Scientist - 17 Jul 2015 12:54
A sheet of paper can be turned into a personalised diagnostic toolkit using nothing more than an inkjet printer and a few well-placed folds
Bringing back the magic in metamaterials
Phys.org - 17 Jul 2015 12:14
A single drop of blood is teeming with microorganisms--imagine if we could see them, and even nanometer-sized viruses, with the naked eye. That's a real possibility with what scientists call a "perfect lens." The lens ha...
Nanowires give 'solar fuel cell' efficiency a tenfold boost
EurekAlert! - 17 Jul 2015 06:00
(Eindhoven University of Technology) A solar cell that produces fuel rather than electricity. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology and FOM Foundation today present a very promising prototype of this in the j...
Researchers discover a possible reason for drug resistance in breast tumors
EurekAlert! - 17 Jul 2015 06:00
(INM -Leibniz Insitute for New Materials) Amplified levels of HER2 membrane proteins drive unrestricted cell growth in certain types of breast cancer. HER2-tailored antibody-based therapeutics aim to prevent cancer cell ...
Physicists discover long-sought 'pentaquark' particle
EurekAlert! - 17 Jul 2015 06:00
(National Science Foundation) CERN's Large Hadron Collider announced Tuesday that researchers discovered a remarkable class of particles known as pentaquarks that could reshape scientists' understanding about the propert...
A new satellite time transfer method based on two-way common-view comparison
EurekAlert! - 17 Jul 2015 06:00
(Science China Press) Time synchronization between ground and satellites is a key technology for satellite navigation system. With dual-channel satellite, a new method called Two-Way Common-View satellite time transfer f...
RNA springs
EurekAlert! - 17 Jul 2015 06:00
(International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)) group of scientists at SISSA proposes a quick alternative for predicting the internal dynamics of RNA molecules (how the different parts move in relation to each other)....
Apollo-Soyuz: A cold war handshake in space, 40 years on
New Scientist - 17 Jul 2015 01:01
A largely forgotten space story of the 1970s turned out to have a long reach, helping to pave the way for the International Space Station