Hydrated eutectic electrolytes help improve performance of aqueous zinc batteries
Zinc (Zn) batteries have attracted increasing attention due to their large volumetric capacity, their Earth-abundance, and environmental friendliness. Zn batteries provide a promising solution to safety hazards and economic challenges facing prevailing Li-ion batteries.
First exposed planetary core discovered allows glimpse inside other worlds
The surviving core of a gas giant has been diskovered orbiting a distant star by University of Warwick astronomers, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the interior of a planet.
Materials scientists drill down to vulnerabilities involved in human tooth decay
Northwestern University researchers have cracked one of the secrets of tooth decay. In a new study of human enamel, the materials scientists are the first to identify a small number of impurity atoms that may contribute to the enamel's strength but also make the material more soluble. They also are the first to determine the spatial distribution of the impurities with atomic-scale resolution.
Quantum fluctuations can jiggle objects on the human scale
The universe, as seen through the lens of quantum mechanics, is a noisy, crackling space where particles blink constantly in and out of existence, creating a background of quantum noise whose effects are normally far too subtle to detect in everyday objects.
China eyes July 20-25 launch for Mars rover
China's first Mars rover should launch later this month, authorities said Wednesday, as the country races to catch up with the US dominance of space.
Researchers develop computational model to build better capacitors
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a computational model that helps users understand how changes in the nanostructure of materials affect their conductivity—with the goal of informing the development of new energy storage devices for a wide range of electronics.
Laser takes pictures of electrons in crystals
Microscopes of visible light allow scientists to see tiny objects such living cells. Yet, they cannot discern how electrons are distributed among atoms in solids. Now, researchers with Prof. Eleftherios Goulielmakis of the Extreme Photonics Labs at the University of Rostock and the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany, along with coworkers of the Institute of Physics of the...
To listen is to survive: Unravelling how plants process information
Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) have mapped the signaling network in plants and discovered novel insights about how plants process information about their environment. This gives new potential for strategies to protect crops and help them thrive in the time of increasing droughts.
Toward principles of gene regulation in multicellular systems
A team of quantitative biology researchers from Northwestern University have uncovered new insights into the impact of stochasticity in gene expression, offering new evolutionary clues into organismal design principles in the face of physical constraints.
Japan begins charging for plastic bags
Retailers in Japan began charging for plastic bags on Wednesday, a move aimed at curbing Japanese consumers' love for packaging and finally bringing the country in line with other major economies.
Indonesia province declares state of emergency over forest fire risk
An Indonesian province declared a state of emergency Wednesday as officials said they had pinpointed hundreds of spots at risk of erupting into smog-belching forest fires that plague the region every year.
Launch of NASA Mars rover delayed again, 2 weeks left to fly
NASA has delayed the launch of its newest Mars rover yet again—to the end of July at the earliest—this time for a rocket issue.
Astronauts perform 2nd spacewalk to swap station batteries
Astronauts performed their second spacewalk in under a week Wednesday to replace old batteries outside the International Space Station.
A binary star as a cosmic particle accelerator
With a specialized telescope in Namibia a DESY-led team of researchers has proven a certain type of binary star as a new kind of source for very high-energy cosmic gamma-radiation. Eta Carinae is located 7500 lightyears away in the constellation Carina (the ship's keel) in the Southern Sky and, based on the data collected, emits gamma rays with energies all the way up to 400 gigaelectronvolts...
New synthetic biology tools unlock complex plant engineering
Researchers at JBEI have developed a new set of synthetic biology tools that could unlock advanced plant engineering.
The mystery of pollen sterility and its reversion in pigeon pea revealed in a new study
Published in The Plant Genome recently, a study has analyzed one environment-sensitive genic male sterile (EGMS) line that exhibited fertility transition under specified environmental conditions. Fertility transition here refers to the reversion of male sterile condition producing viable pollen to become male fertile plant and vice-versa.
Looping footstep pattern in modern guineafowl sheds light on dinosaur tracks
A trio of researchers, two with Brown University, the other with Liverpool John Moores University, has found that a looping pattern in modern guineafowl footsteps is similar to those of certain dinosaurs. In their paper published in The Royal Society Biology Letters, Morgan Turner, Peter Falkingham and Stephen M. Gatesy describe their study of tracks made by modern guineafowl and how they compared...
New chemistry for ultra-thin gas sensors
The application of zinc oxide layers in industry is manifold and ranges from the protection of degradable goods to the detection of toxic nitrogen oxide gas. Such layers can be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) which employs typically chemical compounds, or simply precursors, which ignite immediately upon contact with air, i.e. are highly pyrophoric. An interdisciplinary research team at...
Knowledge of severe storm patterns may improve tornado warnings
A radar signature may help distinguish which severe storms are likely to produce dangerous tornadoes, potentially leading to more accurate warnings, according to scientists.
Image: Suitcase-sized asteroid explorer
A view of ESA's smallest future asteroid mission mapping its target body by laser.
Study gains new insight into bacterial DNA packing
When bacteria are put in different environments, such as one that is more acidic or anaerobic, their genes start to adapt remarkably quickly. They're able to do so because the proteins making up their chromosome can pack and unpack rapidly. Now, a Berkeley Lab-led team of researchers has been able to capture this process at the molecular level using advanced imaging techniques, a discovery that...
Even groupers have parasites
"Parasite" is a term with a negative connotation, associated with laziness and predation, and the recent Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" will certainly not improve the public's general opinion on the matter.
Surprising mammal diversity discovered in Bidoup Nui Ba National Park
New surveys have revealed surprising mammal biodiversity in Bidoup Nui Ba National Park (Bidoup Nui Ba NP), a large protected area located in the southern part of the Annamites range. The presence of numerous rare and endangered mammals in Bidoup Nui Ba NP provides a ray of hope for the long-term conservation of Vietnam's unique biodiversity.
A shake-up in cell culturing: Flame sterilization may affect the culture
Researchers commonly culture bacteria for many purposes, such as to screen pharmaceuticals and manufacture vaccines. In these cases, shake flasks have been commonly and generally used for over 90 years to cultivate microbes.
Artificial photosynthesis can convert useless carbon dioxide into formic acid used in industry
With energy from the sun, a special enzyme can convert CO2 molecules into formic acid. This can both remove CO2 and provide us with something more useful.