MI weekly selection #132
Scientists piece together what Milky Way might look like to outsiders
Researchers have pieced together clues to conceptualize what our galaxy looks like from the outside. An artist’s concept shows the Milky Way’s four spiral arms.
Friction all but disappears with new technique
Scientists have created a technique that simulates friction down to the atomic scale, allowing a pair of surfaces to slide together with almost no friction, a phenomenon called superlubricity. The system could help machines save energy by significantly cutting back on friction between moving parts.
In-vitro study finds sildenafil affects malaria-infected blood cells
In in-vitro tests, sildenafil, or Viagra, increased the rigidity of malaria-infected red blood cells. Researchers were examining how the cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway regulates the deformability of infected cells.
Newly discovered horned dinosaur points to species’ diversity
A new species of horned dinosaurs closely related to the Triceratops has been described in a study published in Current Biology. Regaliceratops peterhewsi stands out from the crowd of chasmosaurines that lived about 68 million years ago thanks to its stubby eye horns and a longer horn on its snout, all topped off with a short, but heavily adorned frill. Horned dinosaurs were more diverse than once thought.
7 new species of colorful, tiny frogs found in Brazil
Seven new species of minuscule frogs have been found in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil. The brightly colored amphibians measure about 0.8 centimeters long and belong to the genus Brachycephalus.