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Topological materials have special universal properties, which are protected against perturbations. Such properties are theoretically described by topology, a branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of geometrical objects that are unchanged by continuous deformations. Topological materials behave like an ordinary insulator in the bulk but have conducting states on their boundaries, i.e., edges or […]

Populations are not static, and the geographic distribution of genetic diversity within and among populations is changing continuously. The drivers of genetic differentiation is one of the cornerstones in evolution, as genetic diversity is paramount for the ability of populations to adapt and persist in changing environments. The spatio-temporal changes in genetic diversity constantly taking […]

A chimera was a mythological animal in the Antique Greece, but now a biological chimera is an animal with cells from different organisms. In recently published research in Science Advances , researchers show the result of the newest trial to introduce human cells into a mouse embryo. The last human mouse chimera. This was not […]

Need a particle accelerator? How about a black hole? Researchers have figured out a way it would be possible for black holes to act as particle accelerators. Previously, it was thought that only theoretical “extremal” black holes would be able to allow fast-moving particles to get near enough to the event horizon without falling in […]

A nanoantenna with balanced electric and magnetic dipole moments exhibits a directive radiation pattern with zero backscattering. This is known as the first Kerker condition after Kerker, Wang, and Giles, who predicted in 1983 that, under plane wave illumination, magnetic spheres with equal relative permittivity and permeability radiate no light in the backscattering direction. They […]

When did something like us first appear on the planet? It turns out there’s remarkably little agreement on this question. Fossils and DNA suggest people looking like us, anatomically modern Homo sapiens, evolved around 300,000 years ago. Surprisingly, archaeology – tools, artefacts, cave art – suggest that complex technology and cultures, “behavioural modernity”, evolved more […]

Like intelligence, height is genetically determined, however there are thousands of genes implicated in height determination. That is why the finding by researchers from Harvard Medical School of a gene variant responsible for shortening the average height of Peruvians in about 2.2 centimetres is so interesting. There are other rare gene variants known that cause […]

Humans may pose SARS-CoV-2 risk to wildlife There is a significant risk that SARS-CoV-2 will be transmitted by people to wildlife populations, where it could spread and imperil already endangered species. The virus could persist in short-lived species, such as mice, and it could mutate in wild animal populations and be reintroduced into human populations […]

One of the unique features of the chemistry of carbon (and, to some extent, silicon) is its ability to form long chains of atoms. Polymers are substances that have macromolecules composed of many repeating units (known as ‘mers’). Many naturally occurring substances are polymers, including rubber and many substances based on glucose, such as the […]

Introducing a gaseous phase into a solid matrix is one of the most common strategies to reduce weight and increase thermal insulation in a wide range of materials, from ceramics to metals and polymers. How to produce these two-phase materials is mostly determined by the nature of the solid matrix and has led to the […]