Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Prehistoric 'Pompeii' discovered: Most pristine trilobite fossils ever found shake up scientific understanding of the long extinct group      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have described some of the best-preserved three-dimensional trilobite fossils ever discovered. The fossils, which are more than 500 million years old, were collected in the High Atlas of Morocco and are being referred to by scientists as 'Pompeii' trilobites due to their remarkable preservation in ash.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Researchers find genetic stability in a long-term Panamanian hybrid zone of manakin birds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

We often think of species as separate and distinct, but sometimes they can interbreed and create hybrids. When this happens consistently in a specific area, it forms what's known as a hybrid zone. These zones can be highly dynamic or remarkably stable, and studying them can reveal key insights into how species boundaries evolve -- or sometimes blur. Researchers now describe a hybrid zone between two manakin species in Panama that has overall remained relatively stable over the past 30 years.

Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

A chip-scale Titanium-sapphire laser      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With a single leap from tabletop to the microscale, engineers have produced the world's first practical Titanium-sapphire laser on a chip, democratizing a once-exclusive technology.

Archaeology: General Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Almonds, pottery, wood help date famed Kyrenia shipwreck      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have identified the likeliest timeline of the famous Hellenistic-era Kyrenia shipwreck, discovered and recovered off the north coast of Cyprus in the 1960s.

Geoscience: Earth Science Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Space Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: General Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Shocked quartz reveals evidence of historical cosmic airburst      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers continue to expand the case for the Younger Dryas Impact hypothesis. The idea proposes that a fragmented comet smashed into the Earth's atmosphere 12,800 years ago, causing a widespread climatic shift that, among other things, led to the abrupt reversal of the Earth's warming trend and into an anomalous near-glacial period called the Younger Dryas.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

A new study highlights potential of ultrafast laser processing for next-gen devices      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study uncovers the remarkable potential of ultrafast lasers that could provide innovative solutions in 2D materials processing for many technology developers such as high-speed photodetectors, flexible electronics, biohybrids, and next-generation solar cells.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

An optical lens that senses gas      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has developed a small optical lens, only a few millimeters in size, whose refractive behavior changes in the presence of gas. This 'intelligent' behavior of the micro-lens is enabled by the hybrid glass material from which it is made. The molecular structure of the lens consists of a three-dimensional lattice with cavities that can accommodate gas molecules, thereby affecting the optical properties of the material.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Light-weight microscope captures large-scale brain activity of mice on the move      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With a new microscope that's as light as a penny, researchers can now observe broad swaths of the brain in action as mice move about and interact with their environments.

Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

Moving objects precisely with sound      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have succeeded in directing floating objects around an aquatic obstacle course using only soundwaves. Their novel, optics-inspired method holds great promise for biomedical applications such as noninvasive targeted drug delivery.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Novel application of optical tweezers: Colorfully showing molecular energy transfer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using a novel non-contact approach, a research team has successfully controlled the speed and efficiency of Forster resonance energy transfer between fluorescent molecules by varying the intensity of a laser beam.

Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Study challenges popular idea that Easter islanders committed 'ecocide'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Some 1,000 years ago, a small band of Polynesians sailed thousands of miles across the Pacific to settle one of the world's most isolated places -- a small, previously uninhabited island they named Rapa Nui. Eventually, their numbers ballooned to unsustainable levels, they wrecked the environment, and their civilization collapsed. At least that is the longtime story, told in academic studies and popular books. A new study challenges this narrative of 'ecocide' saying that Rapa Nui's population never spiraled to unsustainable levels.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Controlling electronics with light: The magnetite breakthrough      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered that by shining different wavelengths (colors) of light on a material called magnetite, they can change its state, e.g. making it more or less conducive to electricity. The discovery could lead to new ways of designing new materials for electronics such as memory storage, sensors, and other devices that rely on fast and efficient material responses.

Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

Researchers leverage shadows to model 3D scenes, including objects blocked from view      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new technique can model an entire 3D scene, including areas hidden from view, from just one camera image. The method relies on image shadows, which provide information about the geometry and location of hidden objects.

Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
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Researchers film energy materials as they form      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Shooting a movie in the lab requires special equipment. Especially when the actors are molecules -- invisible to the naked eye -- reacting with each other. 'Imagine trying to film tiny lava flows during a volcanic eruption. Your smartphone camera wouldn't be up to the job.

Physics: Optics
Published

Towards wider 5G network coverage: Novel wirelessly powered relay transceiver      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A novel 256-element wirelessly powered transceiver array for non-line-of-sight 5G communication, featuring efficient wireless power transmission and high-power conversion efficiency, has been designed. The innovative design can enhance the 5G network coverage even to places with link blockage, improving flexibility and coverage area, and potentially making high-speed, low-latency communication more accessible.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Mathematics: Modeling Physics: Optics
Published

Custom-made molecules designed to be invisible while absorbing near-infrared light      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers used theoretical calculations assessing electron orbital symmetry to synthesize new molecule designed to be both transparent and colorless while absorbing near-infrared light. This compound demonstrates the first systematic approach to producing such materials and have applications in advanced electronics. This compound also shows semiconducting properties.