Conjoined “racetracks” make new optical device possible
From California Institute of Technology 14/12/23 When we last checked in with Caltech’s Kerry Vahala three years ago, his lab had recently reported the development of a new optical device called a turnkey frequency microcomb that has applications in digital communications, precision time keeping, spectroscopy, and even astronomy. This device, fabricated on a silicon wafer, […]
Genetic mutations that promote reproduction tend to shorten human lifespan, study shows
From University of Michigan 14/12/23 A University of Michigan-led study based on a review of genetic and health information from more than 276,000 people finds strong support for a decades-old evolutionary theory that sought to explain aging and senescence. In 1957, evolutionary biologist George Williams proposed that genetic mutations that contribute to aging could be […]
Santa’s upgrade: Pulsejet-powered sled
From Superinnovators 13/12/23 American inventor Robert Maddox has been obsessed with pulsejets for over three decades and has built many vehicles powered by the technology, including kerosene-powered skateboards, bikes and Santa’s sled (unveiled 2022). The sled’s top speed has yet to be confirmed but Maddox’s Beast is able to reach 90mph, all propelled by this […]
Polyethylene waste could be a thing of the past
From University of Adelaide 13/12/23 An international team of experts undertaking fundamental research has developed a way of using polyethylene waste (PE) as a feedstock and converted it into valuable chemicals, via light-driven photocatalysis. The University of Adelaide’s Professor Shizhang Qiao, Chair of Nanotechnology, and Director, Centre for Materials in Energy and Catalysis, at the […]
A dynamic picture of how we respond to high or low oxygen levels
From Gladstone Institutes 13/12/23 It only takes holding your breath for slightly too long to understand that too little oxygen is bad for you. But can you also have too much? Indeed, breathing air with a higher oxygen level than your body needs can cause health problems or even death. But with scant research on […]
When is an aurora not an aurora?
From University of California – Berkeley 13/12/23 The shimmering green, red and purple curtains of the northern and southern lights — the auroras — may be the best-known phenomena lighting up the nighttime sky, but the most mysterious are the mauve and white streaks called Steve and their frequent companion, a glowing green “picket fence.” […]
Pallet bots help to automate AC factory
From Superinnovators 12/12/23 Chinese company Tuskrobots have developed an autonomous pallet handling bot that has been helping to automate various factories including air conditioning, automotive electronics and pharmaceutical facilities. Their first generation pallet bot was launched in 2018 and they are now shipping sixth generation products across the globe which have max. speeds of 1.5m/s […]
Tracing how the infant brain responds to touch with near-infrared spectroscopy
From Tokyo Metropolitan University 12/12/23 Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have measured how oxygenated hemoglobin levels in the blood change in infants’ brains in response to touch. Using spectroscopy methods with external sensors placed on the scalp of sleeping infants, they found that the time at which levels peak doesn’t change with infant age, but […]
Mindfulness could help women with opioid use disorder better control drug urges
From Rutgers University 12/12/23 Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) — a behavioral intervention that integrates training in mindfulness, emotion regulation strategies and savoring of natural rewards — could hold the key to mitigating relapse in women undergoing medically assisted opioid use disorder treatment, a Rutgers study found. The pilot study published in the journal Explore, is […]
Commonly used pesticides are still harming bees
From Pensoft Publishers 12/12/23 “When you step outside the laboratory, a challenge of ecotoxicology is to capture effect of real-world practices at organism-relevant scales.” said Dr. Charlie Nicholson, co-lead author and postdoc at Lund University. “With the largest experimental field deployment of any pollinator, we see that bumblebees encounter multiple pesticides in agricultural landscapes, resulting […]