Science News
Is Dark Matter Made of Axions?
Scientific American - 23 Jun 2020 18:00
New experimental results suggest these long-sought subatomic particles could explain the universe’s missing mass --
ATLAS experiment finds evidence of spectacular four-top quark production
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 18:20
The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN has announced strong evidence of the production of four top quarks. This rare Standard Model process is expected to occur only once for every 70 thousand pairs of top quarks created at the...
In a Hybrid Neural Circuit, Artificial and Biological Neurons Used Dopamine to Communicate
Singularity Hub - 23 Jun 2020 16:00
In just half a decade, neuromorphic devices--or brain-inspired computing--already seem quaint. The current darling? Artificial-biological hybrid computing, uniting both man-made computer chips and biological neurons seam...
Powerful 7.4 earthquake rocks southern Mexico, killing 1
Live Science - 23 Jun 2020 20:10
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the southern coast of Oaxaca, Mexico this morning, killing at least one person.
3-D-printed neutrino detectors
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 20:04
Plastic scintillators are one of the most used active materials in high-energy physics. Their properties make it possible to track and distinguish between particle topologies. Among other things, scintillators are used i...
Helicopter or cartwheel? What happens when a molecule collides with a surface
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 20:01
What happens when a molecule collides with a surface? Researchers at Swansea University have shown that the orientation of the molecule as it moves--whether it is spinning like a helicopter blade or rolling like a cartwh...
Minority scientists still face many forms of institutional racism
New Scientist - 23 Jun 2020 19:45
People from minority backgrounds are underrepresented in science, and face funding disparities and outright racism. Tying funding to institutions being more inclusive could help
Pioneering research reveals certain human genes relate to gut bacteria
Neuroscience News - 23 Jun 2020 23:15
Specific genetic mutations affect both the existence and amount of particular bacteria in the gut.
The human brain tracks speech more closely in time than other sounds
Neuroscience News - 23 Jun 2020 22:40
Research suggests a time-locked encoding mechanism may have evolved for speech processing in humans. The processing mechanism appears to be tuned to the native language as a result of extensive exposure to the language e...
Prenatal stress associated with infant gut microbes
Neuroscience News - 23 Jun 2020 20:05
Chronic stress during pregnancy and elevated maternal cortisol levels have been linked to alterations in the gut microbiota of infants.
Fifty perfect photons for 'quantum supremacy'
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 15:32
Fifty is a critical number for quantum computers capable of solving problems that classic supercomputers cannot solve. Proving quantum supremacy requires at least 50 qubits. For quantum computers working with light, it i...
Experiment confirms 50-year-old theory describing how an alien civilization could exploit a black hole
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 14:28
A 50-year-old theory that began as speculation about how an alien civilization could use a black hole to generate energy has been experimentally verified for the first time in a Glasgow research lab.
Introducing a new isotope: Mendelevium-244
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 22:36
A team of scientists working at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has discovered a new form of the human-made element mendelevium. The newly created isotope, mendelevium-244, is the 17th and lightest f...
Study links increased exercise with lower sleep apnea risk
Neuroscience News - 23 Jun 2020 22:16
Regular exercise reduces the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, a new study reports. Adding twenty minutes to a daily walk, and increasing vigorous daily activities by eight minutes significantly lower sleep apn...
One company's hand sanitizer products contain potentially deadly substance, FDA warns
Live Science - 23 Jun 2020 20:23
The warning applies to nine hand sanitizer products made by the company, called Eskbiochem.
A blue spark to shine on the origin of the universe
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 20:04
An interdisciplinary team of scientists led by researchers from DIPC, Ikerbasque and UPV/EHU, has demonstrated that it is possible to build an ultra-sensitive sensor based on a new fluorescent molecule able to detect the...
New gene may drive earliest brain changes in Alzheimer's
Neuroscience News - 23 Jun 2020 19:45
Genetic analysis of almost 4,300 samples reveals a link between the appearance of amyloid deposits, APOE, and a novel gene called RBFOX1. Lower levels of RBFOX1 in the brain appear to be associated with increased amyloid...
Biggest prehistoric monument in UK discovered just a stone's throw away from Stonehenge
Live Science - 23 Jun 2020 19:32
Radiocarbon dates from buried animal bones and shells helped date the pits to 4,500 years ago.
Does 'mommy brain' last? Study shows motherhood does not diminish attention
Neuroscience News - 23 Jun 2020 19:22
Researchers scrutinize the long-held perception that new mothers are more forgetful and less attentive. Mothers, they found, have similar alerting and orienting attention, and better executive control attention compared ...
Covid-19 news: England to relax restrictions amid scientists' warnings
New Scientist - 23 Jun 2020 19:00
The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic
Why New Zealand decided to go for full elimination of the coronavirus
New Scientist - 23 Jun 2020 18:26
Michael Baker, the doctor who devised New Zealand's aggressive coronavirus response, explains what inspired his successful strategy.
A structural light switch for magnetism
Phys.org - 23 Jun 2020 17:55
Magnetic materials have been a mainstay in computing technology due to their ability to permanently store information in their magnetic state. Current technologies are based on ferromagnets, whose states can be flipped r...