111 articles from FRIDAY 25.11.2022
Covering a cylinder with a magnetic coil triples its energy output in nuclear fusion test
A team of researchers working at the National Ignition Facility, part of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has found that covering a cylinder containing a small amount of hydrogen fuel with a magnetic coil and firing lasers at it triples its energy output—another step toward the development of nuclear fusion as a power source.
Study reveals low-degree melt metasomatic origin of heavy Fe isotope enrichment in mid-ocean ridge basalt mantle
Studies of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) show a variable Fe isotope composition of the oceanic upper mantle, beyond explanation by processes of mantle melting from a uniform source and magma evolution, indicating Fe isotope heterogeneity in the oceanic upper mantle. However, the origin of upper mantle Fe isotope heterogeneity remains enigmatic.
TMBIM5, an important piece of the mitochondrial exchange puzzle discovered
Mitochondrial Ca2+ ions are crucial regulators of bioenergetics and cell death pathways. Essential in this context are so-called Ca2+ transporters. In recent decades, the major players responsible for mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and release have been identified, with the exception of the mitochondrial Ca2+/H+ exchanger (CHE).
We know sweatshop clothing is bad—and buy it anyway. Here's how your brain makes excuses
You face a dilemma. You've found the perfect shirt, and it's an absolute bargain, but you notice it's "Made in Bangladesh." You're conscious it was probably made using cheap labour. Do you buy it, or walk away?
Evidence of Higgs boson contributions to the production of Z boson pairs at high energies
The Higgs boson, the fundamental subatomic particle associated with the Higgs field, was first discovered in 2012 as part of the ATLAS and CMS experiments, both of which analyze data collected at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator in existence. Since the discovery of the Higgs boson, research teams worldwide have been trying to better understand this unique...
Cheaper, tougher, less toxic: new alloys show promise in developing artificial limbs
Titanium is a strong, resilient and relatively light metal. Its properties have also been well studied; scientists know a great deal about it. All of this makes it the ideal base for fashioning artificial limbs—particularly knees and hips—and teeth. It is less likely than other metals to rust and, as research has shown, it is more compatible with the human body than, for instance, stainless...
Visual behavior during the manufacture of stone tools is analyzed for the first time
The Paleoneurology Group at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) has just published a new study in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology which, for the first time, analyzes visual behavior during the manufacture of Lower Paleolithic stone tools. The results show that the visual behavior depends on the tool being made.
AI tailors artificial DNA for future drug development
With the help of an AI, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have succeeded in designing synthetic DNA that controls the cells' protein production. The technology can contribute to the development and production of vaccines, drugs for severe diseases, as well as alternative food proteins much faster and at significantly lower costs than today.
Scientists make it easier and safer to use carbon nanotubes in polymer nanocomposite materials
A research team from Skoltech, Aalto University, and Kurnakov Institute has recently developed a new, versatile and simple approach to using carbon nanotubes for manufacturing carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites. The method is reported in Carbon and involves making briquettes—dense packages of carbon nanotube powders. Nanocomposites made with briquettes perform equally well as those made from...
A single-step water treatment for arsenic decontamination
A team of researchers from Imperial College London led by Prof. Dominik Weiss has been working with Diamond Light Source, the UK's national synchrotron on a new material (TiO2/Fe2O3 nanomaterial) combining photocatalytic oxidation with adsorption, which allows a one-step treatment of contaminated water.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the impacts of gender-based violence worse
Every November the United Nations marks a 16-day campaign against gender-based violence. It begins on Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on Dec. 10, Human Rights Day. This year's theme is "UNiTE! Activism to end violence against women and girls."
Artemis: why it may be the last mission for NASA astronauts
Neil Armstrong took his historic "one small step" on the moon in 1969. And just three years later, the last Apollo astronauts left our celestial neighbour. Since then, hundreds of astronauts have been launched into space but mainly to the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. None has, in fact, ventured more than a few hundred kilometres from Earth.
Using machine learning to infer rules for designing complex mechanical metamaterials
Mechanical metamaterials are sophisticated artificial structures with mechanical properties that are driven by their structure, rather than their composition. While these structures have proved to be very promising for the development of new technologies designing them can be both challenging and time-consuming.
Spending too much money? Tempted by sales? These ways to 'hack' your psychology can help
It's late November, which means the holiday sales period has well and truly begun. If you haven't already seen your spending go up, the possibility is looming.
Fireworks have long-lasting effects on wild birds
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz, Germany, and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology GPS tracked Arctic migratory geese in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands over the New Year period to examine the long-term impact of fireworks. Their study appears in Conservation Letters.
The Download: AI conquers Minecraft, and babies after death
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. A bot that watched 70,000 hours of Minecraft could unlock AI’s next big thing The news: An AI that binged on 70,000 hours of people playing Minecraft has learned how to play the…
Hubble Hunts an Unusual Galaxy
Portal origin URL: Hubble Hunts an Unusual GalaxyPortal origin nid: 484190Published: Friday, November 25, 2022 - 08:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: The galaxy merger Arp-Madore 417-391 steals the spotlight in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.Portal image: 2 galaxies right of center form a narrow, blue ring. The cores of the...
A bot that watched 70,000 hours of Minecraft could unlock AI’s next big thing
OpenAI has built the best Minecraft-playing bot yet by making it watch 70,000 hours of video of people playing the popular computer game. It showcases a powerful new technique that could be used to train machines to carry out a wide range of tasks by binging on sites like YouTube, a vast and untapped source of training data.
The Minecraft AI learned to perform complicated sequences of keyboard...
Universal flu vaccine may be available within two years, says scientist
Vaccine against all strains of virus hailed as major step in protecting against potentially devastating flu pandemicA universal flu vaccine that protects against all strains of the virus could be available in the next two years, according to a leading scientist.An experimental vaccine based on the same mRNA technology used in the highly successful Covid jabs was found to protect mice and ferrets...
We can now use cells from dead people to create new life. But who gets to decide?
This article is from The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, sign up here.
Peter Zhu was just 19 years old when he died following a skiing accident in West Point, New York. His donor card made clear he had wanted to donate his organs. But his parents wanted to collect his sperm, too.
His parents told a court that they...