Science Visualized
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Archaeology
Archaeologists have finally found ancient Egyptian wax head cones
Newly discovered wax caps are the first physical examples of apparel shown in many ancient Egyptian art works.
By Bruce Bower -
Chemistry
American whiskeys leave unique ‘webs’ when evaporated
If you don’t have a sophisticated palate, it turns out you can distinguish among bourbons with a microscope.
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Life
A peek inside a turtle embryo wins the Nikon Small World photography contest
The annual competition highlights the wonders to be found when scientists and photographers zoom in on the world around us.
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Earth
Here’s where Earth stores its carbon
Most of Earth’s carbon is stored inside the planet. But giant lava outflows and now humans have released huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.
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Physics
CO2 from champagne bottles can form shock waves like those seen in rocket exhaust
Popping a bottle of bubbly releases a plume of dry ice that bears a visible type of shock wave called a Mach disk.
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Science & Society
How circling the globe has evolved in the 500 years since Magellan’s famous trip
Humankind has found new and improved ways to circle the globe in the five centuries since Magellan set sail.
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Earth
A new map is the best view yet of how fast Antarctica is shedding ice
Stitching together data from several satellite missions allowed scientists to create the most comprehensive map of Antarctic ice flow ever.
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Astronomy
A 3-D map of stars reveals the Milky Way’s warped shape
Our galaxy flaunts its curves in a chart of thousands of stars called Cepheids.
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Life
Mapping how the ‘immortal’ hydra regrows cells may demystify regeneration
In the continually regenerating hydra, fluorescent markers help researchers track stem cells on the way to their cellular fate.
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Astronomy
NASA’s Chandra X-ray telescope celebrates 20 years in space
The U.S. space agency has released new images for the Chandra X-ray Observatory’s 20th birthday.
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Earth
Night-shining ‘noctilucent’ clouds have crept south this summer
Clouds high in the atmosphere that catch the sun’s rays even after sundown may be seen farther from the poles due to an increase in moisture in the air.
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Health & Medicine
Tiny glasses help reveal how praying mantises can see in 3-D
Newfound nerve cells in praying mantises help detect different views that each of the insects’ eyes sees, a mismatch that creates depth perception.