It is commonly said that Astronomy is an observational science. We cannot create and study stars or galaxies in our laboratories and, thus all the information we have from the Universe comes from observations. However, there is another approach: simulations. Astronomers use complex algorithms and computational techniques, in combination with the laws of physics, to […]
Like the river of Heraclitus, our bones are constantly changing. Although it may look tough and immutable , the bone is a very dynamic tissue that is constantly formed and destroyed, having different appearances during each of the stages of life. Bone destruction or reabsorption is mediated by a particular cellular type known as the […]
Huge family tree gives researchers clues about human movements, relationships An enormous family tree that involves 13 million individuals over the course of 11 generations has been constructed by researchers using public information from genealogy site Geni.com. Researchers are using information gleaned from the tree to learn more about how people moved throughout the world […]
During the last decades, the electronics industry has been very successful in pushing forward the advancement of electronic building blocks, but the limit of silicon-based electronic devices especially in terms of miniaturization are almost reached. There are many ideas how to overcome this problem, for example, by adding functionality based on approaches originating from molecular […]
Keep in mind the word Enlightenment , because it’s very likely that it will be one of the most fashionable concepts within the next months. At a global level, Steven Pinker’s new book, Enlightenment now , will probably carry the lead in terms of sellings, comments and criticisms. But by a fortunate coincidence, its publication […]
The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is an atypical nuclear receptor. In principle, it may seem a mere receptor with a specific ligand and an evident role: it is capable of detecting mineralocorticoids (like aldosterone), exerting an essential function controlling sodium and water reabsorption in the kidneys. In fact, knockout mice lacking MR die shortly after being […]
Older fossils raise questions about how dinosaurs are defined New fossil finds are raising questions about long-held beliefs on what attributes constitute a dinosaur. As older remains are found, the number of features that determine whether a creature was a dinosaur has dropped, and only one remains: a hip-socket hole, according to a number of […]
Adsorption commonly is understood as the reversible binding of molecules and atoms from the gaseous or liquid phase on surfaces, mostly of highly porous adsorbent media. In chemisorption a single layer of molecules, atoms or ions is attached to the adsorbent surface by chemical bonds; in physisorption only van der Waals forces are involved. The […]
Face morphing has become quite popular in the last years; from mixing the faces of two celebrities to guessing how your baby could look, many TV shows and apps use software which changes one face into another through a continuous and smooth transition. Among the different mathematical tools that can be used for face morphing […]
The most used mechanism to guarantee universal education in a country is by providing free public education, where public means both publicly financing and public provision. Milton Friedman (1962) made the case to keep the public funding but make the provision private through a system of school vouchers. Say that the State spends 100 per […]