Massive protoplanet formed in unexpected way A protoplanet with a mass many times larger than Jupiter’s likely formed as the result of a massive implosion, pulling together gas and dust. Based on the planet’s size and distance from the nearest star, astronomers found that planet AB Aur b didn’t form as they originally thought, but […]
Scientists find galaxy far, far away Astronomers discovered HD1, an extremely energetic galaxy candidate that is 13.1 billion light-years from Earth, making it 100 million light-years farther away than what is currently the most distant galaxy. According to research, the energy emitted from HD1 could be because it is a gigantic black hole or contains […]
Heartbeats as passwords By recording and isolating the unique “musical” properties of a heartbeat — both rhythm and pitch — researchers have created a biometric identification system which can distinguish between people with a 99.6% accuracy rate. “We might use this solution in a building’s access control system where pre-registered users provide a template (a […]
Why don’t boa constrictors suffocate while eating? Constrictor snakes use their ribs and muscles to draw in air similar to a bellows, so they don’t suffocate while squeezing and swallowing large prey. Researchers put blood pressure cuffs on different sections of constrictors’ bodies and fitted the snakes’ heads with small helmets that measure air flow […]
Mice brains wired with “competitive” neurons Researchers studying social behaviors of mice have identified that competition among the rodents was tied not only to social status but to the activation of neurons in the brain associated with feelings of ambition, decision making and rank. Results of the study, published in Nature, could be used to […]
Ancient asteroid may have carried life to Earth The chemical analysis of granular samples collected from the surface of Ruygu — an asteroid several billions of years old — revealed the presence of amino acids within the rocky terrain, which researchers believe may be responsible for the foundation of the development of life on Earth […]
DNA can store more than just genetic code A team of researchers added seven synthetic nucleobases to DNA’s current four-letter code, thereby expanding the innate ability of the double helix to store a variety of information, findings in the journal Nano Letters reveal. The study suggests this method may be a solution to sustainable data […]
Brainwave data offers clues on moment of death Data captured at the time of death of an 87-year-old epilepsy patient indicated that the human brain may be designed to coordinate the transition to death, activating brainwaves most commonly associated with memory flashbacks. “[A]lthough our loved ones have their eyes closed and are ready to leave […]
Atomic clock may help with more precise measurements Physicists have created an atomic clock that is so accurate it won’t lose a second for 300 billion years. Researchers say the clock’s precision will help them better understand difficult to measure things as gravitational waves and dark matter. Space.com Map charts Milky Way’s leftovers from galaxy […]
Ryugu sample reveals asteroid’s inner secrets Samples returned from the Ryugu asteroid by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft are yielding information about materials found just beneath the object’s surface. “The variations in physical properties among the pebbles and sand, which were not expected before spacecraft arrival at the asteroid, reflect the geological history of Ryugu,” scientists wrote […]