Perseverance captures sun halo Despite decades of exploration on the surface of Mars and thousands of photographs of the skies above the red planet, scientists only observed signs of a sun halo recently. NASA’s Perseverance rover finally documented the phenomenon, which occurs when atmospheric ice crystals warp sunlight to create the appearance of a halo […]
Electron correlations and topology are well established as engines for surprising and potentially functional properties. Strong correlations promote quantum fluctuations, which engender abundant phases of matter and various quantum phase transitions. Meanwhile, extensive developments have taken place in noninteracting electron systems, especially those with sizable spin-orbit couplings. It can reasonably be expected that the intersection […]
A key feature that makes natural materials highly sustainable and recyclable is their modularity. Biodegradable materials are such because biological organisms can digest and break their constituting chemicals into simpler building blocks. Often such simpler building blocks are then reused for energy or structural purposes. In other words, nature needs materials that can be broken […]
For a long time, it was thought that dreaming occurred in the rapid eye movement phase of sleep (REM sleep). It is now well established that it can occur at any stage of sleep and, therefore, is not exclusive to a specific global vigilance state. Today, there is no known physiological correlate of a dream […]
Spaceflight alters DNA of astronauts’ blood Blood samples collected from all 14 astronauts who traveled to space as part of NASA’s space shuttle program between 1998 and 2001 showed evidence of DNA mutations after being stored for 20 years. While the mutations are below a key threshold for concern, researchers suggest astronauts submit to periodic […]
Several classes of correlated electron systems such as cuprates, iron-pnictides, iron-chalcogenides, and several heavy-fermion compounds, have been identified as unconventional superconductors. More recently, superconductivity with unconventional features has also been identified in twisted bilayer graphene. In this vein, the electronic correlations intrinsically present in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), a family of layered materials, are promising […]
Intermittent fasting is more than the latest diet fad, it has proven benefits –at least in animal models– against longevity, and it appears that it could even improve nerve regeneration, according to new research. The problems with axons in the peripheral nervous system is that their regenerative capacity is not very high. There are certain […]
Social networks and digital platforms allow adolescents to interact with each other and to develop and maintain positive interpersonal relationships and support networks that are critical in their development. In general, teens benefit from socialization opportunities such as keeping in touch, sharing images, or interchanging ideas. In addition, social networking encourages participation, creative expression, and […]
Carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation (CO + ½ O2 → CO2) is an industrially relevant catalytic reaction, and accordingly, it is among the most studied processes in fundamental surface science. This has led to a wealth of research studies in vacuum, but the doubts remain on whether this reaction proceeds in the same way when changing […]
Blazars draw power from black holes High-energy particles such as neutrinos and cosmic rays that pummel the Earth from the depths of space originate in actively galactic nuclei fueled by giant black holes, known as blazars. “The discovery of the connection between these objects and the cosmic rays may be the ‘Rosetta stone’ of high-energy […]