Braiding strengthens the case for anyons’ existence Physicists created a device to observe the braiding of particles known as anyons, quasiparticles thought to occur in just two dimensions. “[T]o see [anyons] in reality takes it to another level,” says theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek, who was not involved in the study but was the originator of […]
Visible light through a soap bubble branches out Physicists have observed branching flow for the first time in visible light created with a laser through a soap bubble. Variations in the thickness of the soap membrane produce different color patterns and deflect the light in such a way to cause the flow of light to […]
New class of neutrinos observed A class of neutrinos generated from the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen process, far less common than the proton-proton chain, was discovered during the Borexino experiment. “With this outcome, Borexino has completely unraveled the two processes powering the sun,” says researcher Gioacchino Ranucci. Science News Getting energy from black hole possible […]
Green glow detected in Mars atmosphere for first time A green glow similar to the one around Earth, caused by sunlight and oxygen mixing in the upper atmosphere, has been detected for the first time around Mars. The orientation of the MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument was manipulated to look across the Martian atmosphere rather than […]
Dust may boost planets’ likelihood of habitability Faraway planets are more likely to be habitable if airborne dust is present to help keep temperatures moderate by cooling a planet’s hot side and warming its dark side. “Airborne dust is something that might keep planets habitable, but also obscures our ability to find signs of life […]
Urban foxes in UK becoming more doglike Urban red foxes in the UK appear to be evolving to better adapt to urban life, with a shorter, more powerful snout and a smaller brain than their country cousins. They’re also becoming less afraid of humans, and “adapting to life around humans actually primes some animals for […]
Stronger cyclones could intensify global warming The growing intensity of tropical cyclones in the Pacific may be feeding global warming by speeding up some ocean eddies, suppressing others and carrying more heat via the Kuroshio Current. “The collision of these two giant monsters — tropical cyclones and mesoscale eddies — will probably lead to dramatic […]
Miniature robots can carry cancer drug through blood Researchers have created minuscule robots that they say could one day deliver drugs precisely to cancer cells from within patients’ blood streams. The robots, called microrollers, are spherical with a magnetic nanofilm on one half, are coated with the drug doxorubicin on the other half and can […]
Puhahonu shield volcano is Earth’s biggest Scientists say new research shows the Puhahonu volcano, which is about 1,100 kilometers northwest of Honolulu in the Pacific Ocean and contains about 150,000 cubic kilometers of rock, is the world’s largest shield volcano. About a third of it rises above the seafloor, while the rest is buried under […]
Ridges on moon may indicate tectonic activity Scientists who studied temperature data from a NASA orbiter say ridges on the moon may be evidence of recent tectonic activity. “From this paper, it appears that the moon may still be creaking and cracking — potentially in the present day — and we can see the evidence […]