139 articles from WEDNESDAY 24.11.2021

Scans can detect brain injury after repeated head impacts in sport

Study of former American footballers offers hope that damage could be diagnosed more easilyBrain scans of former American football players reveal signs of white matter injury, according to research into the lasting effects of repetitive head impacts in sport.The finding is viewed as significant because until now it has been difficult to identify such damage in the brain until after death. The...

A new way to generate electricity from waste heat: Using an antiferromagnet for solid devices

Researchers have discovered a giant thermoelectric effect in an antiferromagnet. The study shows, surprisingly, that antiferromagnets can have the same value of the anomalous Nernst effect as conventional ferromagnets, but without any stray magnetic fields that would otherwise affect surrounding devices. The newly discovered recipe for generating large Nernst voltages opens a new research...

Endangered deer's prion gene could protect it from chronic wasting disease

China's Père David's deer was nearly gone in the late 1800s. Just 18 deer -- the very last of their kind -- were brought into captivity after the rest had been hunted to extinction. When 11 of the deer reproduced, the species had a chance. Today, after centuries of reintroductions and breeding under human care, the population sits at around 3,000. It's a success story. But that success could come...

Over the top: Car jump study turns over old physics problem

If an automobile is moving at a steady speed over a hill in the shape of a vertical circular arc, what is the maximum speed it can attain without losing contact with the road at the crest of the hill? New research demonstrates that, despite numerous textbook references stating otherwise, a car will leave the ground on the downside of a peak. The study presents three cases to illustrate the nuances...

Electrons set the stage for neutrino experiments

Neutrinos may be the key to finally solving a mystery of the origins of our matter-dominated universe, and preparations for two major, billion-dollar experiments are underway to reveal the particles' secrets. Now, a team of nuclear physicists have turned to the humble electron to provide insight for how these experiments can better prepare to capture critical information.