Cracking the mystery of nitrogen ice dynamics on Pluto
Sputnik Planitia, a basin on the surface of Pluto filled with nitrogen ice, displays an astonishing pattern of flat polygons separated by narrow troughs. This feature is a sign of thermal convection within the icy mass that constantly renews its surf.....»»
This beautiful nebula holds a starry mystery at its heart
A gorgeous nebula turns out to hold a surprise at its center: a pair of stars that don't match as they should......»»
The beautiful nebula holds a starry mystery at its heart
A gorgeous nebula turns out to hold a surprise at its center: a pair of stars that don't match as they should......»»
Study uncovers the role of soil microbes in forest ecosystems
Assessing the function of forest ecosystems requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms of soil nitrogen mineralization. A study conducted by a team of researchers has shed light on how soil N-cycling genes drive soil nitrogen mineralization duri.....»»
Scientists discover first nitrogen-fixing organelle
Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants that fix nitrogen, such as legumes, do so by harboring symbiotic bacteria in root nodules. But a recen.....»»
Researchers find a new organelle evolving
A "nitroplast" converts nitrogen from the air to a chemically useful form. Enlarge / A photo of Braarudosphaera bigelowii with the nitroplast indicated by an arrowhead. (credit: Tyler Coale) The complex cells that under.....»»
Solving an early medieval money mystery with lead isotope and trace analysis
Anglo-Saxon England experienced trade revival, surge in silver coins in 660–750 CE. Enlarge / A selection of the Fitzwilliam Museum coins that were studied, including coins of Charlemagne and Offa. (credit: The Fitzwilliam Mus.....»»
Researchers resolve old mystery of how phages disarm pathogenic bacteria
Bacterial infections pose significant challenges to agriculture and medicine, especially as cases of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to rise. In response, scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife Research are elucidating the ways that bacteria-infecti.....»»
Measuring the atmospheres of other worlds to see if there are enough nutrients for life
Life on Earth depends on six critical elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur. These elements are referred to as CHNOPS, and along with several trace micronutrients and liquid water, they're what life needs......»»
Gravitational waves reveal “mystery object” merging with a neutron star
The so-called "mass gap" might be less empty than physicists previously thought. Enlarge / Artistic rendition of a black hole merging with a neutron star. LIGO/VIRGO/KAGRA detected a merger involving a neutron star and what might.....»»
Early medieval money mystery solved
Byzantine bullion fueled Europe's revolutionary adoption of silver coins in the mid-7th century, only to be overtaken by silver from a mine in Charlemagne's Francia a century later, new tests reveal. The findings could transform our understanding of.....»»
Cracking the code of flash floods: New insights from China"s mountainous regions
Recently, researchers have made breakthroughs in flash flood forecasting by studying how different rainfall patterns affect flash floods in China's mountainous regions. This research leads to the possibility of more accurate and localized flood warni.....»»
Scientists solve a long-standing mystery surrounding the moon"s "lopsided" geology
About 4.5 billion years ago, a small planet smashed into the young Earth, flinging molten rock into space. Slowly, the debris coalesced, cooled and solidified, forming our moon. This scenario of how the Earth's moon came to be is the one largely agre.....»»
Colin Farrell stars in new mystery drama Sugar, streaming now on Apple TV+
Colin Farrell stars in a new drama series ‘Sugar‘, streaming now on Apple TV+. Farrell plays the titular John Sugar, who is a private detective tasked with investigating the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the daughter of a famous Holl.....»»
Scientists harness chemical dynamics for complex problem solving
At the intersection of chemistry and computation, researchers from the University of Glasgow have developed a hybrid digital-chemical probabilistic computational system based on the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction which can be used for solving com.....»»
Why there may be oceans inside dwarf planets beyond Pluto—and what this means for the likely abundance of life
Earth was long thought to be the only planet in our solar system with an ocean, but it is beginning to look as though there are underground oceans inside even the most surprising icy bodies......»»
Engineers "symphonize" cleaner ammonia production
Among the many chemicals we use every day, ammonia is one of the worst for the atmosphere. The nitrogen-based chemical used in fertilizer, dyes, explosives and many other products ranks second only to cement in terms of carbon emissions, due to the h.....»»
Researchers show depth-dependent responses of soil organic carbon under nitrogen deposition
In a study published in Global Change Biology, scientists from the Institute of Earth Environment and the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have shed light on understanding the effects of nitrogen addition on soil organi.....»»
Ancient Adélie penguin DNA reveals that small repeats persist for hundreds of millions of years
Microsatellites are valuable tools for studying inheritance, genetic diversity, and population dynamics across a wide range of organisms including bacteria, plants, animals, and fungi. These short, repeating sequence motifs are a common feature of bo.....»»
Researchers reveal evidence of transition from ergodic toward ergodic breaking dynamics
A collaborative research team has reported experimental evidence of a transition from ergodic toward ergodic breaking dynamics in driven-dissipative Rydberg atomic gases. The results were published in Science Advances......»»
Distant "space snowman" unlocks mystery of how some dormant deep space objects become "ice bombs"
A new study is shaking up what scientists thought they knew about distant objects in the far reaches of the solar system, starting with an object called the space snowman......»»