Myth, busted: Formation of Namibia’s fairy circles isn’t due to termites
Plants are "ecosystem engineers" that survive by forming optimal geometric patterns. Enlarge / Drone image of car driving through the NamibRand Nature Reserve, one of the fairy-circle regions in Namibia. (credit: Stephan Getzin).....»»
Using the shadows of clusters to measure the universe
Astronomers have begun using a sophisticated suite of simulations, an advanced machine learning model of the formation of galaxy clusters, and an exotic relationship between galaxies to understand the origins of dark matter and dark energy......»»
The role of a novel long non-coding RNA in the immune escape of pathogenic Vibrio in fish
MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate almost all biological processes, protein production, inflammatory responses, immune regulation, tumorigenesis and infection. In mammals, the classic formation of miRNA needs to transcribe a lo.....»»
James Webb captures stunning image of star formation in nearby galaxy
A stunning new image from James Webb is also leading astronomers to rethink their theories about how stars and planets could have formed in the early universe......»»
The Overwatch League ruled esports. Then everything went wrong
Activision-Blizzard’s ambitious, much-hyped initiative has stalled. Enlarge (credit: Sergio Flores/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Since its formation in 2017, the Overwatch League—the professional esports program for A.....»»
The chaotic cores of Perseus protostars
The formation of a star has a simple tale. A region of interstellar gas collapses under its own weight, eventually forming a dense protostar surrounded by a disk of gas and dust. The protostar and the disk rotate in the same plane, and often jets of.....»»
Scientists unveil a unified theory for rocky planet formation
A new theory for how rocky planets form could explain the origin of so-called "super-Earths"—a class of exoplanets a few times more massive than Earth that are the most abundant type of planet in the galaxy......»»
Webb uncovers star formation in cluster"s dusty ribbons
NGC 346, one of the most dynamic star-forming regions in nearby galaxies, is full of mystery. Now, though, it is less mysterious thanks to new findings from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope......»»
Scientists reveal the mechanism of temperature-dependent structure evolution during electrocatalyst formation
Recently, a research team led by Prof. Liang Haiwei from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) studied the structure evolution of intermetallic compounds, a fuel cell electrocatalyst, under high.....»»
Insights into the formation of ATP synthase: A new important function of the folding helper Hsp70
Scientists led by Prof. Thomas Becker, Director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), have gained new insights into the formation of ATP synthase, the turbine of the cells' power plants, the mit.....»»
Study reveals new insights on the mechanism of melanin formation
The skin is presumably the largest and one of the most versatile body organs. By providing a physical barrier, it protects our body from environmental assaults. Melanin—a natural pigment produced by specialized skin cells called melanocytes—shiel.....»»
Peering into clouds of dust to understand star formation
A new image from the European Southern Observatory shows a stunning starscape around the nebula Sh2-54......»»
Astronomers use "little hurricanes" to weigh and date planets around young stars
Little 'hurricanes' that form in the disks of gas and dust around young stars can be used to study certain aspects of planet formation, even for smaller planets which orbit their star at large distances and are out of reach for most telescopes......»»
Formation of pores in mitochondrial membrane elucidated
Mitochondria are considered to be the power plants of cells and are essential for human metabolism. Dysfunction in 40% of mitochondrial proteins are associated with human diseases, which is why mitochondria also play an important role in medical rese.....»»
Busting a myth: Saturn V rocket wasn’t loud enough to melt concrete
It also wasn't loud enough to ignite grass or hair, or "blast rainbows from the sky." Enlarge / Scientists disproved a myth claiming the Saturn V rocket tested on the Apollo 4 mission in 1967 was loud enough to melt concrete. (cr.....»»
Modeling the collective movement of bacteria to better understand the formation of troublesome biofilms
Biofilms form when microorganisms such as certain types of bacteria adhere to the surface of objects in a moist environment and begin to reproduce resulting in the excretion of a slimy glue-like substance......»»
Coral reefs are spatially distributed to maximize the availability of resources, finds reef formation study
Scientists from the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), the Universitat de Barcelona, the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and other European research centers have found that cold-water coral reefs—similar to those located in tropical areas but.....»»
NASA"s Webb Space Telescope unveils young stars in early stages of formation
Scientists taking a "deep dive" into one of Webb's iconic first images have discovered dozens of energetic jets and outflows from young stars previously hidden by dust clouds. The discovery marks the beginning of a new era of investigating how stars.....»»
An experimental strategy for recreating organ formation in the lab
RIKEN researchers have imitated the formation of organs in the lab by "hacking" certain signaling pathways that guide the development of connective tissues in the embryo, which support the formation of the liver, gut and other organs. In addition to.....»»
Myth, busted: Apatosaurus didn’t produce sonic booms when whipping its tail
Former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold did first computer simulations in late 1990s. No sonic boom: Scientists created a computer simulation showing the tail movement of Apatosaurus. Credit: Simone Conti. Back in 1997, Microsoft's the.....»»
Research explains basics of aerosol formation at the vocal folds
Very small exhaled droplets, so-called aerosol particles, play an important role in the airborne transmission of pathogens such as the coronavirus. Researchers in the field of fluid mechanics used a model to investigate how exactly the small droplets.....»»