News
- Astronomy
Star Packed: Super cluster is first to be detected in Milky Way
Astronomers have detected the most massive and densest cluster of young stars ever detected in the Milky Way, a finding that could shed light on how stars formed in the early universe.
-
Little Brains That Could: Bees show big-time working memory
Even though a honeybee's brain could fit on the head of a match, the creature's working memory is nearly as effective as that of a pigeon or a monkey.
- Tech
Leak Locator: Ultrasound for finding holes in spacecraft
Researchers have devised a way to pinpoint leaks in spacecraft by listening to ultrasound waves traveling through the ship's hull.
- Earth
Breeding Parasites Along with Fish: Do sea lice from salmon farms spread far?
Marine parasites known as sea lice spread readily from farmed salmon to passing wild fish, according to a controversial study conducted in British Columbia.
-
Follicle Size Matters: Hormone regimen may reduce pregnancy success
Hormone injections used to induce livestock and women to ovulate could force eggs to leave ovarian follicles before they are fully mature and thereby jeopardize pregnancy outcomes.
- Physics
Pinstripe Electricity: Novel fuel cell relies on thin, aqueous streams
A promising new type of fuel cell exploits microstreams of water, which behave like flows of gooey honey.
- Earth
Hit Again: December temblor probably caused new Sumatran quakes
Seismic activity that rattled the Indonesian region early this week, including a quake that measured a whopping magnitude 8.7, was triggered by December's massive tsunami-spawning earthquake, scientists suggest.
- Chemistry
Expanding the genetic code
In an effort to explore the mechanisms of evolution, researchers have designed an unnatural chemical base and inserted it into synthetic DNA in a test tube.
- Tech
X rays detect fingerprints
Analytical chemists have developed a method that visualizes elusive fingerprints with X rays.
- Chemistry
Stopping wool from shrinking
Treating wool with a fungal enzyme not only prevents the fibers from shrinking but also is more environmentally friendly than using conventional chemical treatments.
- Health & Medicine
Molecular decoy thwarts Alzheimer’s
Biomedical engineers have developed polymer molecules that bind to and block the activity of proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.
- Planetary Science
Assault on Mars
A Mars rover has discovered a patch of soil that's the saltiest place known on the Red Planet, an indication that water once coursed through the region.
