Thursday - November 16 2023, 02:17 UTC - 1 year ago

The NASA NIAC project is creating a nuclear fission fragment rocket engine which is exponentially more propellent efficient than current rocket engines, allowing for travel times to Mars of 90 days, and enabling interstellar rockets with speeds up to 10% of the speed of light. The mission concept includes deploying an array of telescopes with baseline separations of up to 10,000 kilometres in order to build an image of a habitable exoplanet with enough resolution to see its surface features and signs of habitability.

Wednesday - November 15 2023, 21:58 UTC - 1 year ago

The University of Copenhagen's research squad just unveiled six newly discovered beetle species in South America, one of which was named Loncovilius carlsbergi after the beer juggernaut Carlsberg as a result of its sexual organ resembling a bottle opener. These beetles play a vital role in their ecosystem, although their role is largely unknown to science. The researchers are urging more attention to the millions of unknown species casually chilling on our planet, before it's too late. Climate change is stirring up trouble for these newly uncovered beetle buddies, placing many of them at risk.

Wednesday - November 15 2023, 16:50 UTC - 1 year ago

Astronomers have known for decades that the universe is expanding and the rate of its expansion is accelerating. This process of cosmic expansion is linked to dark energy which could potentially be explained by a cosmological Constant. Currently, the leading theory used to explain this phenomenon is the 'Lambda CDM' model which predicts the values of the Hubble constant required for this expansion. But this model is not perfect as it's values for the Hubble constant are slightly off from what has been observed.

Wednesday - November 15 2023, 11:54 UTC - 1 year ago

In this listicle, we explore 10 fascinating facts about Earth's spin, including its speed, the enigmatic Chandler Wobble, the evolution of this dynamic phenomenon over time, and much more!.

Wednesday - November 15 2023, 07:33 UTC - 1 year ago

Researchers at MIT recently investigated the neural scaling behavior of large DNN-based models trained to generate advantageous chemical compositions and learn interatomic potentials. Their paper, published in Nature Machine Intelligence, shows how quickly the performance of these models can improve as their size and the pool of data they are trained on are increased.

Wednesday - November 15 2023, 02:38 UTC - 1 year ago

Cancer is often seen as an uncontrollable disease, however, an understanding of evolutionary game theory, fluid mechanics and other unconventional perspectives can offer scientists insights to better understand and treat cancer.

Tuesday - November 14 2023, 22:01 UTC - 1 year ago

The Synthetic Yeast Genome Project was formed in 2006 to rewrite the entire genomes of a yeast species, using new versions of 16 chromosomes and a completely novel chromosome. The synthetic versions are notably different to those of normal yeast in that they have removed a lot of junk DNA and transposons. They incorporated a system known as SCRaMbLE into the genome that enables them to rearrange genes quickly and a Synthetic Yeast Taskforce was formed by students whose collective efforts made it possible to incorporate several of the modified chromosomes into one single yeast cell. Overall, the synthetic chromosomes account for more than 50 percent of the yeast's DNA.

Tuesday - November 14 2023, 17:05 UTC - 1 year ago

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley have developed a new technique, called prediction-powered inference (PPI), which uses real-world data to correct the output of large, general machine learning models, such as AlphaFold. This technique is meant to test scientific hypotheses more accurately and safely by identifying potential errors and biases in AI models.

Tuesday - November 14 2023, 12:13 UTC - 1 year ago

A study found that keeping good news a secret before telling someone else could make us more energized and alive. 500 pre-study survey suggested 76% tend to share good news as soon as they learn it, but the researchers found that more than 2,500 participants do not want to disclose their good news, feeling more energized. Four follow-up studies showed evidence that positive secrets make people feel energized for another reason different than it just being a source of positive emotion.

Tuesday - November 14 2023, 07:13 UTC - 1 year ago

Vehicle pollution is a global and local problem that significantly contributes to air pollution. A researcher has developed a three-pronged strategy using machine learning to create traffic light management systems that will lessen emissions from vehicles, as well as account for social and environmental needs. These systems will improve air quality by controlling traffic signals and providing location-specific air quality levels to city dwellers.

Tuesday - November 14 2023, 02:24 UTC - 1 year ago

Since the early 1990s, Astronomers have been able to observe thousands of planets located outside our own Solar System. These planets have been identified and studied by various space missions and Earth-based instruments with the aim of determining if any of them could potentially host life. To search for this possibility, scientists must capture the faint light from distant exoplanets and analyze the atmospheric chemicals that can signify aerobic respiration, indicating the possibility of life.

Monday - November 13 2023, 21:27 UTC - 1 year ago

Maine was the latest state to debate the switch from private to public utilities, with Question 3 asking voters whether they wanted to create a new publicly owned power company and Question 1 asking whether consumer-owned electric utilities should have to get public approval before taking on more than US$1 billion in debt. Voters adopted Question 1 and soundly defeated Question 3. There are three basic ownership models for electric utilities, investor-owned, municipally owned, and cooperative owned. Five of the nine public utilities in Maine charge less than 15 cents per kilowatt-hour for residential customers, showing how a municipal utility could provide for cheaper power.

Monday - November 13 2023, 16:32 UTC - 1 year ago

A research team led by Professor Kaiki Taro Inoue at Kindai University has discovered fluctuations in dark matter distribution on scales smaller than massive galaxies using the world’s most powerful radio interferometer - the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). This result is consistent with cold dark matter theory, and shows that dark matter is distributed not only within galaxies, but also in the intergalactic space. The research is an important step to understanding the true nature of dark matter.

Monday - November 13 2023, 12:02 UTC - 1 year ago

In 2019, a study revealed that humans fear spiders and snakes the most. Fossil records suggest that there are over 3,400 snake species in the world, 600 of which are venomous and only 200 can kill a human. This article looks at the top 10 most dangerous snakes to humans, ranked according to the risk of mortality without antivenom treatment. These snakes include the Eastern Tiger Snake, the Boomslang, and the Russell's Viper.

Monday - November 13 2023, 06:57 UTC - 1 year ago

xAI's Grok system is revolutionizing the idea of conversational AI by adding a new element of humor to it. It is trained by a team of comedians, language experts and writers to provide users with amusing and natural conversations. Premium Plus users will be the first to experience the system when it goes out of Early Beta.

Monday - November 13 2023, 01:56 UTC - 1 year ago

Researchers have found ways to power indoor devices using solar panel technology under cool white LED lighting conditions. They tested materials such as perovskite minerals and organic films, finding that some of these materials were more efficient than traditional silicon PV cells. The study also revealed that heat production can occur from indoor lights, which must be taken into account when designing PVs.

Sunday - November 12 2023, 21:34 UTC - 1 year ago

The recently published evidence on the Journal of Human Evolution shed light on the evolutionary story behind Ekmowechashala, the last primate in North America before Homo sapiens or Clovis people. The study was based on fossil teeth and jaws found in both China and Nebraska. The researchers determined Ekgmowechashala's family tree using a new species of Palaeohodites (or "ancient wanderer") they found in China, and used morphological analysis to reconstruct the primate's estimated appearance.

Sunday - November 12 2023, 17:21 UTC - 1 year ago

Fuse, a nuclear fusion startup, is aiming to mass produce a version of Sandia Z-Machine, a pulsed-power facility and X-ray generator, in order to generate a terawatt of power for their hybrid nuclear fusion system. They have reported success in triggering parallel experiments and generating billions to trillions of neutrons with their mini-Z device, and are aiming to complete the 15 Terawatt Z-star system by 2025.

Sunday - November 12 2023, 13:17 UTC - 1 year ago

NASA is using modified U-2 spy planes and Gulfstream V business jets over deserts and arid areas of the US, equipped with advanced hyperspectral imaging sensors to try and find vital strategic mineral deposits for national security. With their success, the US could reduce dependence on foreign sources of these minerals.