Population III stars are a hypothetical population of extremely massive, luminous and hot stars with virtually no metals, except possibly for intermixing ejecta from other nearby population III supernovae. Such stars are likely to have existed in the very early universe (i.e., at high redshift) and may have started the production of chemical elements heavier […]
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter involved in various cognitive and affective functions. Drugs targeting serotonin transmission, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are the first-line pharmacological treatments for many neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. These antidepressants increase the concentration in the synaptic space of this neurotransmitter […]
Pyrite, also known as “fool’s gold,” is an abundant iron sulphide mineral in the Earth’s crust. All organisms need iron and sulphur to grow. Because pyrite does not dissolve in oxygen-free conditions, scientists previously thought that organisms could not use pyrite in the absence of oxygen. Research shows that certain single-celled microorganisms can dissolve pyrite […]
Typically, psychiatric disorders come more than one at a time. That is why patients often fit the profile of more than one illness. Until now, it was unclear why this was the case. Recent research seems to have thrown light on this question, as it identified a brain network common to at least six psychiatric […]
Shockwaves through the “cosmic web” spotted Astronomers have detected the first evidence of shockwaves in intergalactic magnetic fields running throughout the cosmic web. Researchers combined data from four radio wave detection sites to identify the waves resulting from merging matter in the network of filaments that weave galaxies together. Full Story: Space First wiring map […]
One feature of supramolecular chemistry is that of self-assembly, in which the structure forms spontaneously as a consequence of the nature of the molecules. Weak non-covalent bonds are fundamental for designing self-assembled organic structures with potentially high responsiveness to mechanical, light, and thermal stimuli. The contributions of multiple weak interactions control the ability of the […]
The brain tissue is filled by cells, the living units that enable function; the extracellular matrix, the scaffold wherein cells organize; and the blood vessels, which transport metabolic fuels such as oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Among the brain cells, we find the neurons, highly specialized cells that transmit information; and the glial cells […]
Greenhouse gases act like a layer of window glass in the atmosphere: They prevent heat from being radiated from the Earth’s surface into space. Methane does that 28 times as effectively as carbon dioxide – it is (to stay in the picture) a kind of invisible double glazing. Over the past 200 years, the concentration […]
As we mentioned in the second entry of this series, the distinction between ‘the observable’ and ‘the theoretical’ focused on the first of these two concepts, so that the notion of ‘theoretical’ was implicitly understood as meaning simply ‘non-observable’. This distinction was submitted to powerful criticisms since the end of the fifties, when it was […]
Phytoplankton increasingly blooming on coastlines Phytoplankton blooms increased around 13% in extent and occurred 59% more often along global coastlines between 2003 and 2020. The microscopic algae are both beneficial to fisheries and potentially dangerous for marine animals in large amounts, researchers note, and the increase in phytoplankton blooms is caused by warmer ocean temperatures […]