Surprising spider hair discovery may inspire stronger adhesives
Just how do spiders walk straight up—and even upside-down across—so many different types of surfaces? Answering this question could open up new opportunities for creating powerful, yet reversible, bioinspired adhesives. Scientists have been worki.....»»
Most bees don"t die after stinging—and other surprising bee facts
Most of us have been stung by a bee and we know it's not much fun. But maybe we also felt a tinge of regret, or vindication, knowing the offending bee will die. Right? Well, for 99.96% of bee species, that's not actually the case......»»
Researchers uncover "parallel universe" in tomato genetics
In a paper appearing in Science Advances, Michigan State University researchers have unraveled a surprising genetic mystery centered on sugars found in what gardeners know as "tomato tar.".....»»
Microsoft’s Phi-3 shows the surprising power of small, locally run AI language models
Microsoft’s 3.8B parameter Phi-3 may rival GPT-3.5, signaling a new era of “small language models." Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a new, freely available lightweight AI language model.....»»
First discovery in decades of blue whales near Seychelles
Blue whales are fascinating animals. At 24–30 meters in length (longer than a basketball court) they are the largest creatures on Earth. They are also among the rarest. Estimates suggest that there are only about 5,000 to 15,000 blue whales left in.....»»
Astronomers offer new model for formation of recently discovered "free-floating" planets
The recent discovery of a potential new class of distant and mysterious "free-floating" planets has intrigued astronomers since stunning new images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope were shared late last year......»»
Pulsating Snake: First millisecond pulsar discovered in the galactic center
Astronomers from the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF) report the discovery of a new millisecond pulsar in the "Snake"—a radio filament in the galactic center. It is the first millisecond pulsar detected in the center of our galaxy. The.....»»
Secrets of the Octopus takes us inside the world of these “aliens on Earth”
Dr. Alex Schell on the surprising things we're learning about these amazing creatures Enlarge / A Day octopus (Octopus cyanea) named Scarlet parachutes her web over a coral head while Dr. Alex Schnell observes. (credit: National.....»»
Technical trials for easing the (cosmological) tension
Thanks to the dizzying growth of cosmic observations and measurement tools and some new advancements (primarily the "discovery" of what we call dark matter and dark energy) all against the backdrop of General Relativity, the early 2000s were a time w.....»»
Green mystery: Plumbian orthoclase reveals hidden resources
Plumbian orthoclase is a bit of a mystery, but this unique Aussie mineral is part of a mining industry revolution. The mineral's glowy green hue feels otherworldly. Although this Aussie kryptonite's origin is terrestrial, it's no less surprising......»»
Accelerating the discovery of new materials via the ion-exchange method
Tohoku University researchers have unveiled a new means of predicting how to synthesize new materials via the ion-exchange. Based on computer simulations, the method significantly reduces the time and energy required to explore for inorganic material.....»»
Smoother surfaces make for better accelerators
With every new particle accelerator built for research, scientists have an opportunity to push the limits of discovery. But this is only true if new particle accelerators deliver the desired performance—no small feat in a world where each new machi.....»»
Research reveals a surprising topological reversal in quantum systems
In principle, one shouldn't compare apples to oranges. However, in topology, which is a branch of mathematics, one must do just that. Apples and oranges, it turns out, are said to be topologically the same since they both lack a hole—in contrast to.....»»
Discovery of new ancient giant snake in India
A new ancient species of snake dubbed Vasuki Indicus, which lived around 47 million years ago in the state of Gujarat in India, may have been one of the largest snakes to have ever lived, suggests new research published in Scientific Reports. The new.....»»
The Atlas Robot Is Dead. Long Live the Atlas Robot
Before the dear old model could even power down, Boston Dynamics unleashed a stronger new Atlas robot that can move in ways us puny humans never can......»»
iPhone 17 Plus display might be a hair smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus
Apple may make a controversial change, with a new rumor claiming that the size of the iPhone 17 Plus screen could shrink a bit, when compared to iPhone 16 Plus.iPhone 15 Plus [left] and iPhone 15Apple has gradually increased the display size of its i.....»»
New plastic coating discovery gives greater functionality to 3D printing
Scientists and engineers have developed a new coating for plastic particles that are used in 3D printing, which significantly increases their functionality and opens up new possibilities for commercial application......»»
Discovery of bacterial proteins that induce asexual reproduction in insects
From microbes in the human gut to symbiotic algae in coral reefs, research in recent decades has increasingly revealed the pivotal roles that microorganisms (or microbial species) play in shaping the biology of host organisms and of broader ecosystem.....»»
Trash to treasure—Researchers turn metal waste into catalyst for hydrogen
Scientists have found a way to transform metal waste into a highly efficient catalyst to make hydrogen from water, a discovery that could make hydrogen production more sustainable......»»
Astronomers inspect open cluster Berkeley 50
Using the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT), astronomers from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, have observed a young Galactic open cluster known as Berkeley 50. Results of the observational campaign, presented April 5 on the preprint serv.....»»
CMS collaboration releases Higgs boson discovery data to the public
As part of its continued commitment to making its science fully open, the CMS collaboration has just publicly released the combination of CMS measurements that contributed to establishing the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012......»»