Science News
Scientists reveal the first unconventional superconductor that can be found in mineral form in nature
Phys.org - 13 Mar 2024 17:03
Scientists from Ames National Laboratory have identified the first unconventional superconductor with a chemical composition also found in nature. Miassite is one of only four minerals found in nature that act as a super...
What Is a GPU? The Chips Powering the AI Boom, and Why They're Worth Trillions
Singularity Hub - 13 Mar 2024 23:56
As the world rushes to make use of the latest wave of AI technologies, one piece of high-tech hardware has become a surprisingly hot commodity: the graphics processing unit, or GPU. A top-of-the-line GPU can sell for ten...
NASA unveils cryptic message from Earth to be sent to Jupiter's icy ocean moon Europa
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 23:39
From a poem written by a U.S. Poet Laureate to millions of stenciled names, NASA's Clipper spacecraft's trip to Europa will be marked with a human touch.
Researchers achieve quantum key distribution for cybersecurity in novel experiment
Phys.org - 13 Mar 2024 22:41
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that advanced quantum-based cybersecurity can be realized in a deployed fiber link.
A new ion trap for larger quantum computers
Phys.org - 13 Mar 2024 21:43
Researchers at ETH have managed to trap ions using static electric and magnetic fields and to perform quantum operations on them. In the future, such traps could be used to realize quantum computers with far more quantum...
Paul Alexander, polio survivor who lived in iron lung for 70 years, dies age 78
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 21:35
Paul Alexander was one of the last people to use an iron lung, having been left unable to breathe on his own after catching polio in the 1950s.
How often do solar eclipses occur?
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 21:28
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America for the second time in less than seven years. That's not typical; here's how often solar eclipses occur, and when the next total solar eclipse will be visible.
Researchers generate super-fast electrons with table-top laser systems
Phys.org - 13 Mar 2024 20:32
In massive particle accelerators, sub-atomic particles (like electrons) are sped up to super-high speeds comparable to the speed of light towards a target surface. The collision of accelerated sub-atomic particles gives ...
Controversial paper claims satellite 'megaconstellations' like SpaceX's could weaken Earth's magnetic field and cause 'atmospheric stripping.' Should we be worried?
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 20:09
A theoretical new paper argues that atmospheric metal pollution from falling space junk could create an invisible conductive shield around our planet that might weaken our magnetosphere. However, other experts are skepti...
Watch an AI-powered robot dog crawl around an obstacle course
New Scientist - 13 Mar 2024 20:00
A four-legged robot can handle real-world obstacles that require scrambling up and down or leaping sizeable gaps. AI training lets it adapt to new terrain it hasn't seen before
Saving the world's largest flowers in the Philippines
New Scientist - 13 Mar 2024 20:00
These stunning photographs, taken by botanist Chris Thorogood, chart the quest to protect species of Rafflesia, which are on the brink of extinction in the Philippines
Combatting deepfakes is an evolutionary arms race
New Scientist - 13 Mar 2024 20:00
Disinformation is far older than humans. Lessons from evolutionary biology can help defend against it today, says Jonathan R. Goodman
Hunt for the Shadow Wolf review: Can Britain learn to love the wolf?
New Scientist - 13 Mar 2024 20:00
Subjected to traps, hunting and a variety of cruel practices, it is small wonder that wolves were driven to extinction in Britain by the 18th century. Derek Gow, a passionate rewilder, takes up their cause in his latest ...
Why We Remember review: A surprising and expert guide to memory
New Scientist - 13 Mar 2024 20:00
Are memories ever really true or false? Is social media disrupting how we remember? Does memory shape creativity? Find out in an essential new guide to memory by leading researcher Charan Ranganath
Why biodiversity offsetting is a contentious issue in conservation
New Scientist - 13 Mar 2024 20:00
As a new law is introduced in England, requiring developers to create 10 per cent more wildlife habitat than they destroy when developing a site, does it really work to destroy nature in one place, but preserve it elsewh...
Why some whales go through menopause
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 19:41
Toothed whales appear to have lengthened their lifespan without lengthening their reproductive life so they can help care for their grandchildren, a new study suggests.
Watch woodpecker evict starling that stole its nest by yanking it out with its beak
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 18:44
A bird photographer in Michigan has captured dramatic footage of the moment a red-headed woodpecker found a starling in its tree trunk nest and evicted it by yanking it out.
7,000 humpback whales died in the North Pacific over 10 years -- and 'the blob' is to blame
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 18:38
New research using artificial intelligence reveals that a decline in the North Pacific population of humpback whales between 2012 and 2021 coincided with the strongest marine heat wave recorded globally.
Polarization-sensitive tomography made easy with tensorial tomographic Fourier ptychography
Phys.org - 13 Mar 2024 18:18
In the realm of medical imaging, there are quite a few different techniques to extract information from biological tissue based on its different interactions with visible light. Over the past decade, there has been a mas...
Good prospects for altermagnets in spin-based electronics
Phys.org - 13 Mar 2024 18:07
Altermagnets represent a newly recognized class of materials in magnetism that could enable novel applications in spin-based electronics. Their magnetically ordered state consists of an antiparallel arrangement of micros...
Methane leaks from US oil and gas are triple government estimates
New Scientist - 13 Mar 2024 18:00
The largest ever dataset of its kind suggests methane is leaking from US oil and gas fields at a much higher rate than previously thought, implying the environmental damage caused by the greenhouse gas is greater too
Never-before-seen cells unveiled in detailed map of developing human heart
Live Science - 13 Mar 2024 18:00
The most comprehensive cell "atlas" of the developing human heart to date was crafted using cutting-edge technology and includes never-before-seen cell types.