Radiation tsunamis may be coming from quasars Quasars may be releasing tsunami-like bursts of radiation that can push material from their home galaxies outward and may inhibit star formation, according to findings in six studies published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. “The amount of mechanical energy that these outflows carry is up to several […]
Chemistry • Condensed matter • Materials • Nanotechnology • Quantum physics
Usually, optical activity is understood as the ability some substances have to change the handedness of polarized light when it goes through them. Molecules that show optical activity have no plane of symmetry. The commonest case of this is in organic compounds in which a carbon atom is linked to four different groups. An atom […]
We all know exercise is important to be healthy, every doctor in the world would tell you so. Now, new research in the journal Nature Communications , we also know who to thank for. Sestrins, a protein family has been linked to the health benefits of exercise. Sestrins improve physical performance It was previously known […]
An interesting question is whether the brains of gay and straight people are the same or different. One study found that they are slightly different and that the brains of gay men, in the aspects analyzed, are more similar to those of heterosexual women. This would support the idea that sexual orientation is a biological […]
GPS measurements help map Himalayas’ quake risk Scientists who studied measurements from GPS stations say they’ve identified four parts of the Himalayas that could be shaken by major earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 8.5. Researchers examined fault-locking levels in the Himalayan arc by comparing the Indian and Eurasian plates’ convergence rates with their relative velocities […]
A quantum dot (QD) is a nanometric crystalline structure of semiconductor materials. In a QD electrons are confined in a region of space, thus creating a well defined structure of energy levels that depends very much on the size and shape of the quantum dot. This structure resembles that of atoms, that is why sometimes […]
Believe it to not, little worms (C.elegans) are an useful tool for researchers studying aging. Specially, the genetics of aging. A recently released article in Cell Reports shows that gene modification in two specific cellular pathways drives 500% life extension in worms. Why worms? Worms are the ideal research subject for aging and genetics because […]
Why do some songs succeed and others fail? Some researchers believe that a key factor is their involvement with our personal universe: if they foster feelings of social connection, they get the approval of the public; if not, they are ignored and forgotten. If that were true, songs that fit that personal pattern should fall […]
Why crocodilians weather climate change well Crocodilians may be uniquely suited to adapt well to climate change because they’ve survived two mass extinction events and have a special kind of reproductive biology, but their diversity has decreased. “[T]he main lesson that crocs can teach us is that extinction really is forever, and really destroys so […]
A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. As the catalyst itself takes part in the reaction it may undergo a physical change. Metal complexes are typically regarded as catalysts that convert organic substrates into more valuable compounds; however, to date, catalytic transformations […]