Astronomers discover a rare eclipsing X-ray binary
An international team of astronomers reports the detection of a rare eclipsing Be/X-ray binary system as part of the Swift Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) Survey (S-CUBED). The finding was detailed in a research paper published March 12 on the preprint.....»»
Astronomers are on the hunt for Dyson spheres
There's something poetic about humanity's attempt to detect other civilizations somewhere in the Milky Way's expanse. There's also something futile about it. But we're not going to stop. There's little doubt about that......»»
Astronomers propose a new stellar theory to explain the origin of phosphorus
Astronomers have proposed a new theory to explain the origin of phosphorus, one of the elements important for life on Earth. The theory suggests a type of stellar explosion known as "ONe novae" as a major source of phosphorus......»»
Discover why the world went quiet in new A Quiet Place: Day One trailer
"It's the end of days. No more people, no more New York, no more nothing." Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn must escape a Manhattan overrun by aliens in A Quiet Place: Day One. Invading aliens transform a bustling New York City into.....»»
Researchers discover optimal conditions for mass production of ultraviolet holograms
Researchers have delved into the composition of nanocomposites for ultraviolet metasurface fabrication and determined the ideal printing material for crafting them. Their findings are featured in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering on April 22.....»»
Astrophysicists discover a novel method for hunting the first stars
A recent study led by the research group of Professor Jane Lixin Dai of the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has discovered a novel method for detecting the first-generations stars, known as Population III (Pop III) stars, w.....»»
Research investigates the environment of globular cluster NGC 6355
Using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), Argentinian astronomers have investigated the environment of a galactic globular cluster known as NGC 6355. The study, presented in a paper published May 2 on the pre-print server arXiv, found that the cluster ha.....»»
How Not to Get Brain-Eating Worms and Mercury Poisoning
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had both a brain parasite and mercury poisoning at the same time. Just how rare is each condition?.....»»
Strictly no dancing: Researchers discover "new molecular design rules"
Since the discovery of quantum mechanics more than a hundred years ago, it has been known that electrons in molecules can be coupled to the motion of the atoms that make up the molecules. Often referred to as molecular vibrations, the motion of atoms.....»»
Researchers discover new function of oncoproteins
Researchers at the University of Würzburg have discovered a new function of the oncoprotein MYCN: It not only helps cancer cells to grow stronger, but also makes them more resistant to drugs. The study is published in Molecular Cell......»»
Discovery of ancient Glaswegian shrimp fossil reveals new species
A short but robust little shrimp may have died out over 330 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, but the rare Scottish shellfish has been revitalized as a new species to science and as a Glaswegian......»»
Astronomers explore globular cluster NGC 2419
Using the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) and ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers have explored a galactic globular cluster known as NGC 2419. Results of the study, published April 29 on the preprint server arXiv, shed more light on the propertie.....»»
Researchers discover three ingots made of Roman lead in Northern Córdoba
Three ingots from the site of Los Escoriales de Doña Rama (Belmez) and dating from the Roman era demonstrate the importance of lead production and exportation in northern Córdoba. Measuring some 45 centimeters long and weighing between 24 and 32 ki.....»»
How NASA"s Roman mission will hunt for primordial black holes
Astronomers have discovered black holes ranging from a few times the sun's mass to tens of billions. Now a group of scientists has predicted that NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could find a class of "featherweight" black holes that has so f.....»»
Hackers discover how to reprogram NES Tetris from within the game
New method could help high-score chasers trying to avoid game-ending crashes. Enlarge / I can see the code that controls the Tetri-verse! (credit: Aurich Lawson) Earlier this year, we shared the story of how a classic NE.....»»
Researchers discover spontaneous liquefaction of solid metal–liquid metal interfaces in colloidal binary alloys
The boundary between solid metal and liquid metal can be much less "solid" than we ever suspected. RMIT researchers have discovered that the liquid-solid boundary can fluctuate back and forth, with metallic atoms near the surface breaking free from t.....»»
Collaboration identifies rare nuclear decay in long-lived potassium isotope
Some nuclei of certain elements decay radioactively into nuclei of different elements. These decays can be useful or annoying depending on the context. This is especially true for potassium-40. This isotope usually decays to calcium-40, but about 10%.....»»
Astronomers observe elusive stellar light surrounding ancient quasars
MIT astronomers have observed the elusive starlight surrounding some of the earliest quasars in the universe. The distant signals, which trace back more than 13 billion years to the universe's infancy, are revealing clues to how the very first black.....»»
Pokémon Go players are altering public map data to catch rare Pokémon
TPM 2.0 requirement apparently won't be enforced on Windows 10 systems. Enlarge / Rather than going to beaches to catch Wigletts, some Pokémon Go players are trying to bring the beaches to themselves. (credit: Niantic).....»»
Radio astronomers bypass disturbing Earth"s atmosphere with new calibration technique
An international team of researchers led by astronomers from Leiden University (Netherlands) has produced the first sharp radio maps of the universe at low frequencies. Thanks to a new calibration technique, they bypassed the disturbances of the Eart.....»»
Saturday Citations: Parrots on the internet; a map of human wakefulness; the most useless rare-earth element
We field a torrent of science news updates every week and on Saturday morning, we highlight three or four of them based on the observed preferences of a panel of dogs as shown by the Paired-Stimulus Preference Assessment, a standardized evaluation of.....»»