EPFL engineers have created a device that can efficiently convert heat into electrical voltage at temperatures lower than that of outer space. The innovation could help overcome a significant obstacle to the advancement of quantum computing technologies, which require extremely
A mysterious remnant from a rare type of supernova recorded in 1181 has been explained for the first time. Two white dwarf stars collided, creating a temporary "guest star," now labeled supernova (SN) 1181, which was recorded in historical documents in Japan and elsewhere in
A study published in Nature on July 4 by Prof. Zhu Bing from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has shed light on the conserved mechanism responsible for the initiation of pericentric heterochromatin in vertebrates.
Proteins have evolved to excel at everything from contracting muscles to digesting food to recognizing viruses. To engineer better proteins, including antibodies, scientists often iteratively mutate the amino acids—the units that are arranged in a sequence to make up
A combined team of chemical and biomolecular engineers from the University of Delaware, and the Center for Plastics Innovation, both in the U.S., has developed a way to chemically separate fibers in textiles, allowing them to be recycled more quickly and cheaply than
Maternal messenger RNAs (mRNAs), located within the cytoplasm of an immature egg, are crucial for jump starting development. Following fertilization, these mRNAs are passed onto the zygote, the first newly formed cell.
A research team from Japan, including scientists from Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE 6501, Hitachi), Kyushu University, RIKEN, and HREM Research Inc. (HREM), has achieved a major breakthrough in the observation of magnetic fields at unimaginably small scales.
An ongoing research project into the impact of offshore windfarm electromagnetic fields on shark development reveals that the alternating electric currents produced by underwater windfarm cables seems not to disrupt the growth or survival of sharks. The research was presented
A pair of evolutionary biomechanics specialists at the University of London's, Royal Veterinary College, has found that when hippos run at full speed, all four of their feet are regularly in the air.
As Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin prepares for the first launch of its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral this year, the company has taken time to voice concerns over future launches of competitor SpaceX's massive Starship and Super Heavy, also planning to launch from the Space Coast.
Last month, 13 young Hawaiian plaintiffs were set to take the state's Department of Transportation to trial for failing to make real headway on reducing planet-warming pollution. Instead, on the eve of their court date, the youths inked a groundbreaking settlement with Hawaii's
A type of ice that has only ever been seen in the lab has now been found in space by the James Webb Space Telescope, and understanding it could tell us more about the chemistry that led to life on Earth
Tade Thompson, author of sci-fi novel Rosewater, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, on subverting the expectations of invasion narratives and writing about people not tech
Agroecology—a science, practice, and movement that seeks social, political, economic, and environmental sustainability in the global food system—is gaining momentum in the U.S., according to a new Dartmouth-led commentary in Nature Food. As the co-authors report, the approach
Microbes that are used for health, agricultural, or other applications need to be able to withstand extreme conditions, and ideally the manufacturing processes used to make tablets for long-term storage. MIT researchers have now developed a new way to make microbes hardy enough
The Negev desert of southern Israel is renowned for its unique rock art. Since at least the third millennium BCE, the hunters, shepherds, and merchants who roamed the Negev have left thousands of carvings (petroglyphs) on the rocks. These figures are mostly cut into desert
Researchers have discovered several rare types of helper T cells that are associated with immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even asthma. The discoveries were made possible by a newly developed technology they call ReapTEC. The new T cell
In recent years global warming has left its mark on the Antarctic ice sheets. The 'eternal' ice in Antarctica is melting faster than previously assumed, particularly in West Antarctica more than East Antarctica. The root for this could lie in its formation, as an international
Certain pieces of DNA have been labeled as 'selfish genetic elements' due to notions that they don't contribute to a host organism's survival. Instead, researchers have now discovered that these elements have been weaponized and play a crucial role by cutting off a competitor's
Exposure to wind-blown dust from exposed playa of the Utah lake is worse in Hispanic neighborhoods, according to new research. Findings suggest restoring the lake could ease social inequities associated with air pollution.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- an environmental bacteria that can cause devastating multidrug-resistant infections, particularly in people with underlying lung conditions -- evolved rapidly and then spread globally over the last 200 years, probably driven by changes in human
The World Meteorological Organization, which is tracking Hurricane Beryl's deadly course through the Caribbean, told AFP that more storms with its hallmarks could be expected in the future.
Soil respiration is the result of heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and autotrophic respiration (Ra), accounting for about 50%–75% of the total ecosystem respiration on land, which is crucial for the global carbon cycle and plays an indispensable role in biogeochemical models.