Science News
TB, or not TB? At last, a urine test can diagnose it quickly
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 21:00
For the first time, a urine test has been developed that reliably detects tuberculosis - a valuable weapon in the fight against an infection that kills millions
Robot that's the width of a hair masters Pac-Man and cuts cheese
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 21:00
Tiny metal robots can plot their own route around a maze modelled on the iconic video game - and could be used in surgery one day
This is the oldest fossil of a plesiosaur from the dinosaur era
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 21:00
A nearly complete skeleton of an early long-necked plesiosaur has been found in a clay pit in Germany, and reveals they survived a mass extinction
Restarting dead people's hearts lets doctors reuse their organs
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 20:00
With a growing shortage of organ donors, doctors are now considering restarting dead people's hearts or even taking organs from patients who are technically alive
Why 2018 is gearing up to be a tipping point for climate action
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 19:35
What will next year hold for global temperatures, carbon dioxide levels, the electric car revolution and Trump's coal dream, wonders Owen Gaffney
Layering in cafe lattes yields insights for engineering, medicine and environment
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 19:32
For anyone who has marveled at the richly colored layers in a cafe latte, you're not alone. Princeton researchers, likewise intrigued, have now revealed how this tiered structure develops when espresso is poured into hot...
Advance in light filtering technology has implications for LCD screens, lasers and beyond
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 19:29
Vector polarizers are a light filtering technology hidden behind the operation of many optical systems. They can be found, for instance, in sunglasses, LCD screens, microscopes, microprocessors, laser machining and more....
Icy Images: Antarctica Will Amaze You in Incredible Aerial Views
Live Science - 13 Dec 2017 19:24Children are becoming problem gamblers due to a legal loophole
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 19:00
A report from the UK Gambling Commission reveals that children are being lured into gambling through "skin bets" in online games
New ultra-thin diamond membrane is a radiobiologist's best friend
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 18:36
Depending on the dose and the target, radiation can cause incredible damage to healthy cells or it can be used to treat cancer and other diseases. To understand how cells respond to different doses of radiation, scientis...
Sad 'pigs' have been filmed apparently mourning a dead friend
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 18:30
Famously clever animals like chimps and monkeys seem to grieve for dead comrades, but now even wild relatives of pigs called peccaries have been seen mourning
Firefighters May Face Additional Foe: Increased Skin Cancer Risk
Live Science - 13 Dec 2017 18:24New type of smart windows use liquid to switch from clear to reflective
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 18:21
Researchers have demonstrated prototype windows that switch from reflective to clear with the simple addition of a liquid. The new switchable windows are easy to manufacture and could one day keep parked cars cool in the...
Giant tortoises are rare today but once roamed four continents
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 18:00
An evolutionary tree of tortoises shows the animals have become gigantic on at least seven occasions - and that they did not do so where we thought
Mars overdue a planet-wide dust storm that could harm the rovers
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 17:40
Mars could have a mega dust storm in 2018. Now we know how the Red Planet's massive storms can cascade into a catastrophe for rovers or future settlers
Laser-driven technique for creating fusion is now within reach, say researchers
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 17:26
A laser-driven technique for creating fusion that dispenses with the need for radioactive fuel elements and leaves no toxic radioactive waste is now within reach, say researchers.
A way to predict sinkholes under spas near the Dead Sea
The Economist - 13 Dec 2017 16:35
Sunk costs THE Dead Sea is, as its name implies, far too salty to be of use to fishermen or farmers. But its mineral-rich waters are valued by the owners of the spas that thrive along its shores in Israel, Jordan and the...
Physicists show feasibility of building a trapped Rydberg ion quantum computer
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 16:30
(Phys.org)--Physicists have built one of the first basic elements of a trapped Rydberg ion quantum computer: a single-qubit Rydberg gate. The achievement illustrates the feasibility of building this new type of quantum c...
ILL D20's neutron beam yields important clues to the unconventional origins of superconductivity
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 16:17
Iron-based superconductors contain layers of iron and a pnictogen - such as arsenic or phosphorus - or a chalcogen, like oxygen or selenium. Previously dismissed eas weak candidates for superconductivity, iron-based supe...
England's shift to opt-out organ donation will save many lives
New Scientist - 13 Dec 2017 16:00
It was always a travesty that hundreds of people die due to a lack of transplant organs. An opt-out donation scheme in England was long overdue, says John Chisholm
Is there structure in glass disorder?
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 15:10
Stronger than steel yet easily fabricated, bulk metallic glasses are metals that lack an ordered atomic crystalline structure. The mystery of how the atoms are packed in these glasses has been studied for decades. Now, r...
Chemical 'pressure' tuning magnetic properties
Phys.org - 13 Dec 2017 15:06
Unusual, tiny vortexes spinning on the surface of certain magnets could offer a way to reduce the energy demands of computers. Controlling the vortexes is key. Scientists found that chemical substitution in a well-studie...