Purple bacteria on earth could survive alien light
Purple bacteria contain pigments that allow them to use sunlight as their source of energy, hence their color. Small as they are, these microbes can teach us a lot about life on Earth, because they...
View ArticleValley networks suggest ancient snowfall on Mars
Researchers at Brown University have shown that some Martian valleys appear to have been caused by runoff from orographic precipitation—moisture carried part of the way up a mountain and deposited on...
View ArticleDirect nitrogen fixation for low cost energy conversion
A simple, low-cost and eco-friendly method of creating nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets (NGnPs), which could be used in dye-sensitized solar cells and fuel cells, is published in Scientific...
View ArticlePerfecting digital imaging (w/ Video)
Computer graphics and digital video lag behind reality; despite advances, the best software and video cameras still cannot seem to get computer-generated images and digital film to look exactly the way...
View ArticleChoosing a wave could accelerate airplane maintenance
Ultrasonic waves can find bubbles and cracks in adhesive bonds holding airplane composite parts together, and now aerospace engineers can select the best frequencies to detect adhesive failures in...
View ArticleNASA's Spitzer observes gas emission from comet ISON
Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have observed what most likely are strong carbon dioxide emissions from Comet ISON ahead of its anticipated pass through the inner solar system later...
View ArticleRover robot kills the ticks
The day may not be too far away when homeowners can schedule monthly tick clearing service, drastically reducing the risk of tick-borne illness in their pets and children.
View Article3D printers shown to emit potentially harmful nanosized particles
A new study by researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology shows that commercially available desktop 3D printers can have substantial emissions of potentially harmful nanosized particles in...
View ArticleNewly discovered marine viruses offer glimpse into untapped biodiversity
(Phys.org) —Researchers of the University of Arizona's Tucson Marine Phage Lab have discovered a dozen new types of unknown viruses that infect different strains of marine bacteria.
View ArticleStudy of gene expression in common blue-green algae reveals what makes it...
If your local pond, lake, or watering hole is looking bright green this summer, chances are it has blue-green algae and it may be dangerous to you or your pets. A newly published study has used a novel...
View ArticleComputer can infer rules of the forest
A forest full of rabbits and foxes, a bubbling vat of chemical reactants, and complex biochemical circuitry within a cell are, to a computer, similar systems: Many scenarios can play out depending on a...
View ArticleNFC Ring is designed to unlock your door and smartphone
NFC technology as a mobile pay technology never lived up to high expectations. Never mind, say analysts, because NFC, which stands for near field communications, as a wireless technology that can...
View ArticleCoastal Antarctic permafrost melting faster than expected
For the first time, scientists have documented an acceleration in the melt rate of permafrost, or ground ice, in a section of Antarctica where the ice had been considered stable. The melt rates are...
View ArticleWinds of change may be blowing for wind turbines, study suggests
A new study from Western University shows the winds of change may be blowing when it comes to operating large-scale turbines in rural Ontario.
View ArticleNew mathematical theory says small organisms may not form species
A new mathematical theory from the University is challenging one of the most basic ideas of biology – that the concept of a 'species' applies to all creatures.
View ArticlePlastic for dinner? Big fish eat more than you expect
Large, predatory fishes from the offshore waters around Hawai'i have been ingesting a surprisingly large amount of plastic and other marine debris, according to new research by scientists at the...
View ArticleResearchers offer explanation for higher survival rate of freshwater...
After studying what likely occurred in the aftermath of Earth being struck by the Chicxulub asteroid, a team of researchers in the U.S. has found evidence to suggest organisms in freshwater lakes and...
View ArticleDigital hair manipulation gets dynamic
Had your hair cut lately? Most of us probably can answer that one affirmatively. Use a brush or comb? Well, yeah, of course. Does your hair blow in the wind? Only when it's windy.
View ArticleNew test bed probes the origin of pulses at LCLS
It all comes down to one tiny spot on a diamond-cut, highly pure copper plate. That's where every X-ray laser pulse at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source gets its start. That tiny spot must be close to...
View ArticleEnergy-saving light-control film that automatically controls sunlight...
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST; President: Ryoji Chubachi) and Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Chemical; President: Masakazu Tokura) have developed a...
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