Efficient generations of complex vectorial optical fields with metasurfaces
Vectorial optical fields (VOFs) exhibiting arbitrarily designed wave-fronts and polarization distributions are highly desired in photonics. To efficiently generate arbitrary VOFs, scientists in China proposed a generic approach based on metasurfaces.....»»
Sourdough under the microscope reveals microbes cultivated over generations
Sourdough is the oldest kind of leavened bread in recorded history, and people have been eating it for thousands of years. The components of creating a sourdough starter are very simple—flour and water. Mixing them produces a live culture where yea.....»»
First high-resolution 3D nanoscale chemical imaging achieved with multi-modal tomography
By exploiting a smart learning algorithm that fuses two microscopy signals, University of Michigan researchers have accomplished high-resolution, efficient 3D chemical imaging for the first time at the one-nanometer scale. For context, a nanometer is.....»»
New tool decodes complex, single-cell genomic data
Unlocking biological information from complex single-cell genomic data has just become easier and more precise, thanks to the innovative scLENS tool developed by the Biomedical Mathematics Group within the IBS Center for Mathematical and Computationa.....»»
Microgravity-grown crystals reveal new insights into protein structures
Biochemists have long been working around a blind spot when it comes to proteins. They know that hydrogen constitutes nearly half of the atoms in proteins, but how they contribute to protein function in these complex structures has been less clear. H.....»»
Intel’s big bet on efficient GPUs might actually work
An early look at Intel's next-gen Battlemage architecture holds promising signs for performance and power efficiency......»»
Climate change, Brexit threaten to wilt Dutch tulips
Arjan Smit gazes out over his tulip fields, a riot of red and pink flowers he has cultivated all his adult life and part of a family business his grandfather started in 1940......»»
Mapping the Milky Way"s magnetic field in 3D
We are all very familiar with the concept of the Earth's magnetic field. It turns out that most objects in space have magnetic fields but it's quite tricky to measure them. Astronomers have developed an ingenious way to measure the magnetic field of.....»»
Optical barcodes expand range of high-resolution sensor
The same geometric quirk that lets visitors murmur messages around the circular dome of the whispering gallery at St. Paul's Cathedral in London or across St. Louis Union Station's whispering arch also enables the construction of high-resolution opti.....»»
Researchers decipher how an enzyme modifies the genetic material in the cell nucleus
Inside the cell nucleus, the DNA molecule is found in a densely packed DNA-protein complex known as chromatin. Here the DNA is wrapped around a core of histone proteins and densely packed to form nucleosomes. The structure of the nucleosomes determin.....»»
Thiol-ene click reaction offers a novel approach to fabricate elastic ferroelectrics
A research group led by Prof. Li Runwei and Hu Benlin at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a facile and efficient approach to fabricate elastic relaxor ferroelectrics.....»»
One-pot strategy to simultaneously achieve heterodehydrocoupling of hydrostannane and reduction of quinoline
Heteroatom tin compounds (SSn, OSn, NSn, PSn) composed of heteroatoms S, O, N, P and tin atoms have attracted intense attention due to their wide applications in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical fields. The current methods for synthesis of such c.....»»
More efficient molecular motor widens potential applications
Light-driven molecular motors were first developed nearly 25 years ago at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. This resulted in a shared Nobel Prize for Chemistry for Professor Ben Feringa in 2016. However, making these motors do actual work.....»»
NASA"s Deep Space Optical Communications demonstration transmits data over 140 million miles
Riding aboard NASA's Psyche spacecraft, the agency's Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration continues to break records. While the asteroid-bound spacecraft doesn't rely on optical communications to send data, the new technology ha.....»»
How much trust do people have in different types of scientists?
Understanding why some people trust some scientists more than others is a key factor in solving social problems with science. But little was known about the trust levels across the diverse range of scientific fields and perspectives......»»
Philippines" counter-terrorism strategy still stalled after 7 years since the "ISIS siege" on Marawi
Following the 2017 siege of Marawi, the Philippines' counter-terrorism efforts have faced an increasingly complex and unpredictable landscape. While authorities have claimed victory, one which garnered global media attention during the peak of ISIS r.....»»
Synthesis of two new carbides provides perspective on how complex carbon structures could exist on other planets
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have gained new insights in the field of high-pressure carbon chemistry: They synthesized two new carbides—compounds of carbon and another chemical element—with unique structures. The results may provide.....»»
Family farms are fast disappearing: Research shows how young generations can take them up successfully
While some might think that family-run farms are a thing of the past, they are in fact the dominant business model in Europe. In 2020, they accounted for slightly more than 9 in every 10 of the EU's 9.1 million farms......»»
A shade closer to more efficient organic photovoltaics
Transparent solar cells will transform the look of infrastructure by enabling many more surfaces to become solar panels. Now, materials called non-fullerene acceptors that can intrinsically generate charges when exposed to sunlight could make semitra.....»»
How studying trends in human lifespans can measure progress in addressing inequality
People are living longer lives compared to previous generations but, over the last few decades, there has been a hidden shift—they are passing away at increasingly similar ages......»»
New method could cut waste from drug production
Scientists have developed a sustainable new way of making complex molecules, which could greatly reduce waste produced during drug manufacturing, a study suggests......»»