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Categories: Offbeat: Plants and Animals, Physics: General
Published It's hearty, it's meaty, it's mold
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are exploring how tuning the genomes of mushrooms and molds can transform these food sources into gourmet, nutrient-packed meals made with minimal processing and a light environmental footprint.
Published Chimp moms play with their offspring through good times and bad
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent study observing wild chimpanzees over a period of more than 10 years revealed that when food gets scarcer, the adults put play aside and focus on survival, while mother chimps continue to be their children's primary playmate -- suggesting their indispensable role to foster their young's physical and social development.
Published AI for astrophysics: Algorithms help chart the origins of heavy elements
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The origin of heavy elements in our universe is theorized to be the result of neutron star collisions, which produce conditions hot and dense enough for free neutrons to merge with atomic nuclei and form new elements in a split-second window of time. Testing this theory and answering other astrophysical questions requires predictions for a vast range of masses of atomic nuclei. Scientists are using machine learning algorithms to successfully model the atomic masses of the entire nuclide chart -- the combination of all possible protons and neutrons that defines elements and their isotopes.
Published Scientists use novel technique to create new energy-efficient microelectronic device
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have created a new material that uses 'redox gating' to control the movement of electrons in and out of a semiconducting material.
Published Staying in the loop: How superconductors are helping computers 'remember'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To advance neuromorphic computing, some researchers are looking at analog improvements -- advancing not just software, but hardware too. Research shows a promising new way to store and transmit information using disordered superconducting loops.
Published Satellites for quantum communications
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Through steady advances in the development of quantum computers and their ever-improving performance, it will be possible in the future to crack our current encryption processes. To address this challenge, researchers are developing encryption methods that will apply physical laws to prevent the interception of messages. To safeguard communications over long distances, the QUICK space mission will deploy satellites.
Published Scientists reveal the first unconventional superconductor that can be found in mineral form in nature
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have identified the first unconventional superconductor with a chemical composition also found in nature.
Published Sonic youth: Healthy reef sounds increase coral settlement
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Healthy coral reefs have rich soundscapes, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp. Larval coral uses these sounds as cues to identify the best places to settle and grow. The authors found that sound could potentially be a vital tool in the effort to restore coral reefs. Broadcasting the sounds of a healthy reef to a reef that is degraded encourages coral larvae to settle there. This indicates that it's possible that 'acoustic enrichment' can be a key intervention to support imperiled reefs.
Published Milk to the rescue for diabetics? Cow produces human insulin in milk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An unassuming brown bovine from the south of Brazil has made history as the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin in her milk. The advancement could herald a new era in insulin production, one day eliminating drug scarcity and high costs for people living with diabetes.
Published Who knew that coprophagy was so vital for birds' survival?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research explains how eating feces (known as coprophagy) shapes wild birds' digestive tracts (gut biota), enabling them to absorb lost or deficient nutrients and adjust to seasonal variations in food sources.
Published Spiral wrappers switch nanotubes from conductors to semiconductors and back
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By wrapping a carbon nanotube with a ribbon-like polymer, researchers were able to create nanotubes that conduct electricity when struck with low-energy light that our eyes cannot see. In the future, the approach could make it possible to optimize semiconductors for applications ranging from night vision to new forms of computing.
Published Powerful new tool ushers in new era of quantum materials research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research in quantum materials is paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and is poised to drive technological advancements that will redefine the landscapes of industries like mining, energy, transportation, and medtech. A technique called time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TR-ARPES) has emerged as a powerful tool, allowing researchers to explore the equilibrium and dynamical properties of quantum materials via light-matter interaction.
Published Cheetahs' unrivalled speed explained by their 'sweet spot' size, finds Imperial study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has answered a long-held question about why medium-sized land animals like cheetahs tend to be fastest.
Published Cicadas' unique urination unlocks new understanding of fluid dynamics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While most small insects and mammals urinate in droplets, cicadas urinate in jets. Researchers say the finding could be used to create better robots and small nozzles.
Published Giving particle detectors a boost
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have tested the performance of a new device that boosts particle signals.
Published Design rules and synthesis of quantum memory candidates
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the quest to develop quantum computers and networks, there are many components that are fundamentally different than those used today. Like a modern computer, each of these components has different constraints. However, it is currently unclear what materials can be used to construct those components for the transmission and storage of quantum information.
Published Preventing magnet meltdowns before they can start
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source High-temperature superconductor magnets have the potential to lower the costs of operating particle accelerators and enable powerful new technologies like fusion reactors. But quenches -- the sudden, destructive events wherein a part of the material loses superconductivity -- are a major barrier to their deployment. Scientists have developed an approach to prevent quenches altogether, rather than simply trying to manage them after they occur.
Published Combined microscopy technique catches light-driven polymers in the act
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used tip-scan high-speed atomic force microscopy combined with an optical microscope to observe light-induced deformation of azo-polymer films. The process could be followed in real time, and the film patterns were found to change with the polarization of the light source. The observations will contribute to the use of azo-polymers in applications such as optical data storage, and the approach is expected to be useful across materials science and physical chemistry.
Published Pushing the boundary on ultralow frequency gravitational waves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of physicists has developed a method to detect gravity waves with such low frequencies that they could unlock the secrets behind the early phases of mergers between supermassive black holes, the heaviest objects in the universe.
Published Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For the first time, scientists have developed artificial nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA, with several additional properties in the laboratory.