How far are the stars we see every night? This was possibly one of the first questions early astronomers asked themselves and it is still among the most fundamental problems for present day astrophysics. In some sense, astronomers do build the Universe as the observing methods allow them to place neighboring stars, distant galaxies or […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Massive mountain range in Antarctica covered by protective ice The Gamburtsev Mountains in Antarctica are 100 million years old but look much younger due to lack of erosion because its massive expanse is entirely encased in ice. Scientists used airborne imaging technology to survey the range’s massive peaks and also found a network of subglacial […]
DNA damage is one of the most deleterious forms of cellular damage. If unrepaired, DNA lesions can create genomic instability, a hallmark of cancer . As most of the DNA is confined to the nucleus, for many years the study of DNA damage response has mainly focused on its nuclear effects, including mechanisms such as […]
Approximately 90% of world’s electricity is generated in turbines moved by hot steam, which, unfortunately, operate only at 30 to 40 percent efficiency. This means that around two thirds of the total energy input is lost into the environment as waste heat. Thermoelectric materials can convert such waste heat into useful electricity, although they are […]
This is the English version of a section in Ferreira (2014) , a paper dedicated to overview the experiments in Industrial Organization that appeared in Revista de Economía Industrial, and is reproduced here with the permission of the journal. Until a couple of decades ago many of the so called natural monopolies were regulated through […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Massive storms on Uranus baffle scientists Astronomers have detected a wave of powerful storms touching down on the planet Uranus, surprising scientists who previously observed much more placid weather. Some of the storms are so bright that even amateurs can observe them using less advanced equipment. National Geographic The puzzle over organic matter on Mars […]
Understanding aging and how it affects the lifespan of an organism is a fundamental problem in biology that is of great interest to our society. During the last decade, an incredible amount of research has been published trying to understand aging processes, unraveling what factors accelerate or decelerate this process in several animal models (worms […]
The Ebola outbreak has brought the fear of a viral pandemic to the headlines once more, as it happened before with the avian or swine flu. Although viruses-caused infections catch most of attention on the media, the greatest risk to human health comes from other microorganisms, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Contrary to viral outbreaks, the threat […]
The Mediterranean diet has proven to have health benefits to the population of the countries that consume it, such as Spain, Italy and Greece. For years researchers have observed lower incidences of certain diseases in the Mediterranean countries. Thus, the Mediterranean diet has been the scope of many research groups in order to understand which […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Half of all stars exist outside of galaxies As many as half the stars in the universe may be galaxy castoffs, causing a diffuse glow in the cosmos. Researchers sent a rocket beyond the atmosphere’s edge to record images in wavelengths of near-infrared light, leading them to the surprising discovery. Los Angeles Times / Science […]