Micro-tornadoes help transport nutrients within egg cells
Scientists in the US have simulated the transport of nutrients through maturing egg cells such as those found in newly formed embryos. Using a simple system comprising microtubules, motors and a fluid,...
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JWST data reveal interior structure of puffy exoplanet
With a puffy structure rather like candy floss, WASP-107 b is a giant exoplanet 200 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo. Almost as big as Jupiter, but less than one-tenth the mass,...
View ArticleQuantum entanglement expands to city-sized networks
Three new protocols for generating verifiable quantum entanglement between two nodes in a network have been developed independently by teams in China, Europe and the US. The research, which allows...
View ArticleStellar magnetic fields may give doomed exoplanets a temporary reprieve
The fate of so-called “hot Jupiter” exoplanets is as fiery as it is inevitable. Over billions of years, these exoplanets – which have about the same mass as the familiar giant planet Jupiter, but much...
View ArticleWild songbirds respond to mathematically synthesized song
Understanding how birds react to each other’s songs can shed light on their behaviour and communication in the wild. But such studies require a way to generate realistic-sounding synthetic birdsong....
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3D printing creates personalized pharmaceuticals
Personalized pills that release timed doses of medication tailored to an individual patient’s requirements could improve treatment effectiveness and increase patient compliance. With this goal,...
View ArticleBoson sampler uses atoms rather than photons
A boson sampler that uses atoms rather than photons has been developed by researchers in the US. The team used its system to determine a complex quantum state more accurately than would be practicable...
View ArticleQuantum error correction produces better ‘magic’ states
Humans like to build robust systems – ones that resist change and minimize unreliable or undesirable results. In quantum computing, this desire manifests itself as fault-tolerant quantum computing...
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Blurred tomography fabricates custom microlenses with optically smooth surfaces
Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has revolutionized many sectors with its speed, flexibility and unparalleled design freedom. But previous attempts to create high-quality optical...
View ArticleEarly Earth’s magnetic field strength was similar to today’s
Ancient organisms preserved in the Earth’s oldest fossils may have experienced a planetary magnetic field similar to the one we observe today. This finding, from a team of researchers at the University...
View ArticleAre dusty quasars masquerading as Dyson sphere candidates?
Seven candidate Dyson spheres found from their excess infrared radiation could be a case of mistaken identity, with evidence for dusty background galaxies spotted close to three of them. The seven...
View ArticleSimulations point to the existence of a charming and beautiful tetraquark
Supercomputer simulations done by a trio of physicists in India provide strong evidence for the existence of new type of tetraquark. Dubbed Tbc, the tetraquark comprises two heavy quarks (charm and...
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‘Cavendish-like’ experiment could reveal gravity’s quantum nature
Cavendish-like: A schematic diagram of the proposed experiment on gravitational interaction between two torsion balances. Two torsion pendula are placed with their equilibrium orientations (dashed...
View ArticleLaser-driven accelerator benefits from clever use of light pulses
Physicists in Germany say they have passed an important milestone in the development of laser-driven, plasma-based particle acceleration. Proton pulses with energies as high as 150 MeV were created by...
View ArticleMRI technique detects light-emitting molecules deep inside the brain
A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique maps the location of cells labelled with light-emitting molecules even when they are located deep within organs and other tissues. The technique, which...
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Ultrasound patch continuously tracks blood flow in the brain
Continuous monitoring The conformal ultrasound patch enables volumetric mapping of the major arteries in the brain and recording of blood flow spectra. The patch consists of an array of piezoelectric...
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Nuclear physicists tame radius calculation problem
Nucleon numbers The research team found a new way of calculating the size of atomic nuclei such as the ones represented on this grid. (Courtesy: Serdar Elhatisari) A new way of calculating the size of...
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Optical tweezers think big
Trapped: Researchers developed contour-tracking optical tweezers that can trap large and irregularly shaped particles such as the ones pictured. The blue dots show illumination points while the red...
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Simple equation predicts how quickly animals flap their wings
Consistent coefficient: Wingbeat frequency data for a variety of flying animals (plus a few swimming ones), plotted against the square root of the animal’s mass divided by its wing or fin area....
View ArticleNanostring sensor loses ‘almost no energy’ while vibrating
A new “nanostring” has the highest quality factor ever recorded for a room-temperature mechanical resonator, vibrating for unprecedented periods of time while dissipating hardly any energy. The device,...
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