Ahead of the curve: An optical fiber sensor for measuring deviations in the spine
The backbone or spine (or the vertebral column) can be divided into four major curves. The shapes of these curves allow our bodies to properly distribute weight in different positions and conditions, such as when sitting or bending down. However, cer.....»»
Light momentum turns pure silicon from an indirect to a direct bandgap semiconductor
UC Irvine-led research reveals that the optical properties of materials can be dramatically enhanced—not by changing the materials themselves, but by giving the light new properties......»»
Observers detect intraday variability of blazar 1ES 1426+42.8
Astronomers report the detection of optical intraday variability of a blazar known as 1ES 1426+42.8. The new findings, presented in a paper published in the September issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, could shed more light o.....»»
Researchers improve tunability in optical differentiation
A new technique may make it easier for researchers to create real-time images of microscopic samples by considering the waves that propagate through sample surfaces as light interacts with them......»»
Photoacoustic sensor achieves high-sensitivity detection of multiple greenhouse gases
Recently, Prof. Gao Xiaoming's team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a novel photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS)-based sensor that enabled simultaneous, high-sensitive detection of CO2, CH4, and.....»»
Could interstellar quantum communications involve Earth or solve the Fermi paradox?
Thus far, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has used strategies based on classical science—listening for radio waves, telescopes watching for optical signals, telescopes in orbit scouring light from the atmospheres of exoplanets,.....»»
Travel photographer Austin Mann puts iPhone 16 Pro’s camera to the ultimate test
Travel photographer Austin Mann is back with an in-depth look at the new iPhone 16 Pro camera system. This year, Mann takes the iPhone 16 Pro on a journey through Kenya to test the new Camera Control, upgraded 48MP Ultra Wide sensor, new audio record.....»»
Could you find what a lunar crater is made of by shooting it?
Americans are famously fond of their guns. So it should come as no surprise that a team of NASA scientists has devised a way to "shoot" a modified type of sensor into the soil of an otherworldly body and determine what it is made out of. That is prec.....»»
Measuring moon dust to fight air pollution
Moon dust, or regolith, isn't like the particles on Earth that collect on bookshelves or tabletops—it's abrasive and it clings to everything. Throughout NASA's Apollo missions to the moon, regolith posed a challenge to astronauts and valuable space.....»»
Lotus previews "smart" digital tech in Theory 1 electric sports car
The Theory 1 has Lotus's 360-degree self-driving sensor suite, powered by the Nvidia Drive processing platform, and is designed to be capable of Level 4 autonomous driving......»»
How a German peasant became the face of Nazi race laws
Many histories of Nazi Germany are accompanied by a photograph of two scientists measuring a man's facial features with a caliper. The picture is often contextualized, in these books, museums, and image archives as an illustration of the National Soc.....»»
Deep design produces "butterfly" phase mask for light-sheet fluorescence microscopy
Researchers have introduced a solution to the problem of light-sheet fluorescence microscopy: novel illumination beams designed based on deep learning using a trainable phase mask. Their study eliminates the need for sophisticated optical design tool.....»»
Artemis missions could put the most powerful imaging telescope on the moon
Ground-based interferometry on Earth has proven to be a successful method for conducting science by combining light from several telescopes into acting like a single large telescope. But how can an ultraviolet (UV)/optical interferometer telescope on.....»»
Multifunctional phosphor developed for white LED lighting and optical thermometry
In the realm of lighting and temperature measurement, advancements in material science are paving the way for significant improvements in technology and safety. Traditional methods, which combine yellow phosphors with blue chips in LEDs, have limitat.....»»
Dual-feedback mechanism can enhance anti-oxidation coatings in fiber composites
Fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) have been the primary choice for radome materials in hypersonic vehicles due to their high toughness, strength, and other advantageous properties. However, oxidation by oxygen in the atmospheric envir.....»»
New mass spectrometry technology could transform tiny sample analysis
Mass spectrometry is a powerful technique that allows scientists to break down and identify the building blocks of just about anything by measuring the mass of the tiny particles of which something is comprised. It has a major limitation, however—a.....»»
Found: 280 Android apps that use OCR to steal cryptocurrency credentials
Optical Character Recognition converts passwords shown in images to machine-readable text. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Researchers have discovered more than 280 malicious apps for Android that use optical character re.....»»
Plasmonic modulators could enable high-capacity space communication
Researchers have achieved data rates as high as 424Gbit/s across a 53-km turbulent free-space optical link using plasmonic modulators—devices that use special light waves called surface plasmon polaritons to control and change optical signals. The.....»»
A cargo bike with a low price and pedals so low they scrape the ground
A budget offering with a torque sensor (good!) and a whole lot of issues (not good). Enlarge / The CycWagon. (credit: John Timmer) More so than most other forms of bicycle, cargo bikes are specifically designed to make d.....»»
Space-based experiments could help to advance early cancer detection through blood tests
Imagine a sensor so sensitive it can detect early cancer in a single drop of blood, enabling diagnosis and treatment before the first symptoms—possibly before a tumor even forms......»»
Verizon to buy Frontier for $9.6 billion, says it will expand fiber network
Verizon once sold part of its network to Frontier; now it's buying the company. Enlarge / A Verizon FiOS truck in Manhattan on September 15, 2017. (credit: Getty Images | Smith Collection | Gado) Verizon today announce.....»»