Birds" dazzling iridescence tied to nanoscale tweak of feather structure
The iridescent shimmer that makes birds such as peacocks and hummingbirds so striking is rooted in a natural nanostructure so complex that people are only just beginning to replicate it technologically. The secret to how birds produce these brilliant.....»»
Mass extinction 66 million years ago triggered rapid evolution of bird genomes, study finds
Shortly after an asteroid slammed into Earth 66 million years ago, life for non-avian dinosaurs ended, but the evolutionary story for the early ancestors of birds began......»»
Researchers explore cancer susceptibility in birds
In one of the largest studies of cancer susceptibility across bird species, researchers at Arizona State University describe an intriguing relationship between reproductive rates and cancer susceptibility......»»
Nanoscale imaging provides insights into 2D and phase-change materials
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley have developed cutting-edge nanoscale optical imaging techniques to provide unprecedented insights into the ultrafast carrier dynamics in advanced materials......»»
Scientists discover entirely new wood type that could be highly efficient at carbon storage
Researchers undertaking an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from some of the world's most iconic trees and shrubs have discovered an entirely new type of wood......»»
Elusive predicted water structure created in the laboratory
Clathrate hydrates are complex water structures that contain foreign guest molecules inside a host water-molecule shell. A predicted clathrate hydrate phase structure has been stably synthesized in the lab and may play an important role in future mat.....»»
New, more sustainable method for manufacturing microchips and other nanoscale devices
Putting 50 billion transistors into a microchip the size of a fingernail is a feat that requires manufacturing methods of nanometer level precision—layering of thin films, then etching, depositing, or using photolithography to create the patterns o.....»»
Solar storms could cause more auroras on Tuesday night
Massive explosions on the sun have triggered warnings of geomagnetic storms that could create dazzling auroras in the northern United States, Europe and southern Australia on Tuesday night......»»
Birds of a feather flock together but great white sharks have swum apart "forever"
Great white sharks separated into three distinct population groups up to 200,000 years ago and continue to mix only within these separate groups, new research has found......»»
Unlocking carbon"s potential: CRISPR boosts lignocellulose absorption
Lignocellulosic biomass, such as paper mulberry, holds promise for sustainable material production due to its cost-effectiveness and renewability. However, optimizing lignin composition remains challenging due to its complex structure and varied comp.....»»
Ghosts of species past: Shedding new light on the demise of NZ"s moa can help other flightless birds
New Zealand was once home to giant flightless birds called moa. They had grown accustomed to life without predators. So the arrival of humans in the mid-13th century presented a massive—and ultimately insurmountable—challenge to their existence......»»
Folded peptides are more electrically conductive than unfolded peptides, study reveals
What puts the electronic pep in peptides? A folded structure, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences......»»
Scientists figure out why there are so many colorful birds in the tropics and how these colors spread over time
The color palette of the birds you see out your window depends on where you live. If you're far from the Equator, most birds tend to have drab colors, but the closer you are to the tropics, you'll probably see more and more colorful feathers......»»
Want to cook like a Neanderthal? Archaeologists are learning the secrets
There were distinct patterns of cut marks, bone breakage in cooked vs. uncooked birds. Enlarge / A scientist defeathers one of the birds used in hands-on experiments to replicate Neanderthal butchering and cooking methods. (cred.....»»
Scientists try to replicate ancient butchering methods to learn how Neanderthals ate birds
It's hard to know what Neanderthals ate: food preparation, especially when it comes to smaller items like birds, can leave few archaeological traces. But understanding their diets is critical to understanding these incredibly adaptable hominins, who.....»»
Counter-drug strategies in Central America are worsening deforestation, threatening many species of birds
Activities associated with cocaine trafficking threaten two-thirds of the most important landscapes in Central America for 196 forest bird species, including 67 migratory species. This is the key takeaway from a study that colleagues and I published.....»»
Lethal bird flu could decimate Oceania"s birds—from vigilance to vaccines, here"s what Australia is doing to prepare
Avian influenza viruses have infected the world's birds for millennia. We first became aware of them in the 19th century, when mass deaths of poultry triggered interest in what was then called "fowl plague.".....»»
New 3D reconstruction method aids analysis of property-defining defects
An international research collaboration, including a group from Cornell Engineering, has applied a new X-ray-based reconstruction technique to observe, for the first time, topological defects in a nanoscale self-assembly-based cubic network structure.....»»
Study deciphers intricate 3D structure of DNA aptamer for disease theranostics
In a study published in PNAS, a research team has resolved the first high-resolution structure of the sgc8c DNA aptamer that targets protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7), engineered two optimal sgc8c variants for disease theranostics efficiently, and rev.....»»
Results suggests titanium-48"s nuclear structure changes when observed at varying distances
The world around us is made up of particles invisible to the naked eye, but physicists continue to gain insights into this mysterious realm. Findings published in Physical Review C by Osaka Metropolitan University researchers show that the nuclear st.....»»
New insights into interfacial hydrogen bonds could enhance photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water is a key technology for achieving sustainable hydrogen production. However, the direct impact of the microscopic structure of interfacial water molecules on photocatalytic reactivity remains unexplored......»»