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Categories: Paleontology: General, Physics: Optics
Published Why a surprising discovery, warming seas and the demise of the 'Meg' may spell trouble for more and more sharks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some unexpected shark strandings and subsequent surprises following autopsies have, ironically, taken marine biologists millions of years back in time as they look to the future with concern. Adding chapters to an evolutionary tale involving the infamous megalodon shark (the 'Meg'), they think their work suggests there are more warm-blooded sharks out there than previously believed, and -- based on the Meg's demise -- these species may be at great risk from warming seas.
Published Window to the past: New microfossils suggest earlier rise in complex life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Microfossils may capture a jump in the complexity of life that coincided with the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and oceans, according to an international team of scientists.
Published 'Hot' new form of microscopy examines materials using evanescent waves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has built a prototype microscope that does not rely on backscattered radiation, instead uses passive detection of thermally excited evanescent waves. They have examined dielectric materials with passive near-field spectroscopy to develop a detection model to further refine the technique, working to develop a new kind of microscopy for examining nanoscopic material surfaces.
Published 450-million-year-old organism finds new life in Softbotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used fossil evidence to engineer a soft robotic replica of pleurocystitids, a marine organism that existed nearly 450 million years ago and is believed to be one of the first echinoderms capable of movement using a muscular stem.
Published Fossils tell tale of last primate to inhabit North America before humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Paleontologists have shed light on the long-standing saga of Ekgmowechashala, based on fossil teeth and jaws found in both Nebraska and China. Ekgmowechashala is the last primate found in the fossil record before humans.
Published Frogs were Florida's first-known vertebrates from the Caribbean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new fossil study shows that frogs from the genus Eleutherodactylus are geologically the oldest Caribbean vertebrates to be found in Florida. They made the journey 20 million years ago, when much of Florida was still underwater.
Published Decarbonizing light-duty transportation in the United States: Study reveals strategies to achieve goal
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers found that meeting greenhouse gas emissions goals for light-duty vehicles, which are passenger vehicles such as cars and trucks, is possible, but not just by increasing electric vehicle sales.
Published Vacuum in optical cavity can change material's magnetic state without laser excitation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers in Germany and the USA have produced the first theoretical demonstration that the magnetic state of an atomically thin material, ?-RuCl3, can be controlled solely by placing it into an optical cavity. Crucially, the cavity vacuum fluctuations alone are sufficient to change the material's magnetic order from a zigzag antiferromagnet into a ferromagnet.
Published Optical-fiber based single-photon light source at room temperature for next-generation quantum processing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Single-photon emitters quantum mechanically connect quantum bits (or qubits) between nodes in quantum networks. They are typically made by embedding rare-earth elements in optical fibers at extremely low temperatures. Now, researchers have developed an ytterbium-doped optical fiber at room temperature. By avoiding the need for expensive cooling solutions, the proposed method offers a cost-effective platform for photonic quantum applications.
Published 'Jurassic worlds' might be easier to spot than modern Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An analysis finds telescopes could better detect potential chemical signatures of life in an Earth-like exoplanet that more closely resembles the age the dinosaurs inhabited than the one we know today.
Published Bartering light for light: Scientists discover new system to control the chaotic behavior of light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers describe a new platform for controlling the chaotic behavior of light by tailoring its scattering patterns using light itself.
Published Study links changes in global water cycle to higher temperatures
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study takes an important step toward reconstructing a global history of water over the past 2,000 years. Using geologic and biologic evidence preserved in natural archives -- including 759 different paleoclimate records from globally distributed corals, trees, ice, cave formations and sediments -- the researchers showed that the global water cycle has changed during periods of higher and lower temperatures in the recent past.
Published In a surprising finding, light can make water evaporate without heat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source At the interface of water and air, light can, in certain conditions, bring about evaporation without the need for heat, according to a new study.
Published Giant dinosaur carcasses might have been important food sources for Jurassic predators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Carnivorous dinosaurs might have evolved to take advantage of giant carcasses, according to a new study.
Published How the fish got its shoulder
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new analysis of the bones and muscles in ancient fish gives new clues about how the shoulder evolved in animals -- including us.
Published New twist on optical tweezers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Optical tweezers use laser light to manipulate small particles. A new method has been advanced using Stampede2 supercomputer simulations that makes optical tweezers safer to use for potential biological applications, such as cancer therapy.
Published Photography: One-stop solution for shaping and outlining objects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A joint research team has developed a dual metalens that can switch between shooting modes based on light conditions.
Published New frequency comb can identify molecules in 20-nanosecond snapshots
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a device that can detect the presence of specific molecules in a sample every 20 nanoseconds, or billionths of a second. With this new capability, researchers can potentially use frequency combs to better understand the split-second intermediate steps in fast-moving processes ranging from the workings of hypersonic jet engines to the chemical reactions between enzymes that regulate cell growth.
Published To advance space colonization, new research explores 3D printing in microgravity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research into how 3D printing works in a weightless environment aims to support long-term exploration and habitation on spaceships, the moon or Mars.
Published New species of mosasaur named for Norse sea serpent
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered a new species of mosasaur, large, carnivorous aquatic lizards that lived during the late Cretaceous. With 'transitional' traits that place it between two well-known mosasaurs, the new species is named after a sea serpent in Norse mythology, Jormungandr, and the small North Dakota city Walhalla near to where the fossil was found.