Polarization: From better sunglasses to a better way of looking at asteroid surfaces
Using the same principles that make polarized sunglasses possible, a team of researchers at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico have developed a technique that will help better defend against asteroids on a collision course with Earth......»»
Shedding light on the dark problem of biofilms
Bacterial biofilms are clusters of microorganisms that form on wetted surfaces virtually everywhere. They harbor pathogens that compromise water quality, and they can disrupt the operation of many different engineered systems through the corrosion, f.....»»
Enhancing image quality with broadband achromatic and polarization-insensitive metalenses
Precise control of light is a crucial requirement in optical imaging, sensing, and communication. Traditional lenses employed for the purpose have limitations, necessitating more precise and compact solutions. To address this need, researchers have d.....»»
After bopping an asteroid 3 years ago, NASA will finally see the results
"Every sample here has a story to tell." Enlarge / A look inside the clean room where OSIRIS-REx's samples will be stored. (credit: NASA) Christmas Day for scientists who study asteroids is coming in just two months when.....»»
On-chip infrared circular polarization detector with ultrahigh discrimination
Polarization, as a primary physical quantity of light, is of great interest to almost all optical sciences and technologies. Along with linear polarization detection, circular polarization (or light ellipticity) detection is essential for chiral mole.....»»
Asteroid-smashing NASA probe sent boulders into space
When a NASA spacecraft successfully knocked an asteroid off course last year it sent dozens of boulders skittering into space, images from the Hubble telescope showed on Thursday......»»
Hubble observes a cluster of boulders around impacted asteroid Dimorphos
Last year, NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid. Now, Hubble has observed that a number of boulders have been ejected from the asteroid......»»
DART asteroid impact created a 10,000-kilometer debris field of boulders
The asteroid-smashing planetary defense mission knocked some large rocks free. Enlarge / The dusty debris from the DART collision dominates this image, but there are boulders present, too. (credit: NASA, ESA, David Jewitt (UCLA)).....»»
Once again, the US public says NASA should prioritize asteroid defense
Just 7 percent of US women want NASA to prioritize humans to Mars. Enlarge / Artist’s illustration shows the ejection of a cloud of debris after NASA’s DART spacecraft collided with the asteroid Dimorphos. (credit: ESO/M. Ko.....»»
Hubble sees boulders escaping from asteroid Dimorphos
Wayward asteroids present a real collision hazard to Earth. Scientists estimate that an asteroid measuring several miles across smashed into Earth 65 million years ago and wiped out the dinosaurs, among other forms of life, in a mass extinction. Unli.....»»
Researchers investigate "lipid raft" phenomenon on nanocarbon surfaces
A research team from the Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science at the Toyohashi University of Technology has discovered a phenomenon in which specific lipids were concentrated on graphene oxide in a multicomponent lipid bilayer membrane se.....»»
Immigration polarizes the right, and climate change polarizes the left: Study reveals Europe"s fault lines
The analysis of a representative survey conducted in ten European countries shows that affective polarization is at its greatest when it comes to "climate change" and "immigration.".....»»
New storage technology keeps nanosurfaces clean
Rice University engineers have created containers that can keep volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from accumulating on the surfaces of stored nanomaterials......»»
Preserved presolar silicate grains found in Ryugu samples
A large international team of space scientists and geochemists has found preserved presolar silicate grains in surface samples collected from the Ryugu asteroid by the Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 in 2018 and 2019 and returned to Earth in 2020. In.....»»
Cicadas could hold the secret to self-cleaning surfaces—new study
Nature is inspiring scientists all the time. Some ideas are still in research, like beaver-inspired super-warm wetsuits. But others are already part of human life, like Velcro (based on burdock burrs) and the Japanese bullet train (modeled on kingfis.....»»
Tidal capture of an asteroid by a magnetar
Recently astronomers have been able to associate two seemingly unrelated phenomena: an explosive event known as a fast radio burst and the change in speed of a spinning magnetar. And now new research suggests that the cause of both of these is the de.....»»
NASA decides not to launch two already-built asteroid probes
The Janus asteroid probes will remain on Earth. Enlarge / An artist's illustration of NASA's two Janus spacecraft as they would have appeared in space. (credit: Lockheed Martin) Two small spacecraft should have now been.....»»
ShadowVault macOS Stealer surfaces as the newest sophisticated Mac malware
Earlier this year, we saw a new malware designed for Macs called MacStealer that can compromise passwords, credit card numbers, crypto wallets, and more. After a second version of that popped up in April, a third advanced Mac malware called ShadowVa.....»»
A study reframes the definition of marine heatwaves to improve responses to climate change
Ocean heating leads to intense marine heatwaves that can be extremely harmful for marine ecosystems, especially on ocean surfaces. A study from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB), a joint center of the Spanish National.....»»
Asteroid named after Portuguese astrophysicist
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has named an asteroid after Pedro Machado, astrophysicist at Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA), at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Portugal). Along with the nomination of.....»»
Practicing the game-winning asteroid sample catch
The capsule looked like something from a 1960s sci-fi flick. Resting on the ground, slightly tilted, its white heat shield flaked off in places, it looked how one would expect after speeding in from outer space and streaking across the sky like a sho.....»»