Quantum field theory has been the paradigm of modern physics since it was formulated in the first half of the last century. It is based on the idea that everything in physics corresponds to the interaction of some fundamental fields that permeate all space and the excitations of which represent the particles we see in […]
Proteins perform most of the daily work of the cell, they catalyse most of the biochemical reactions, initiate and mediate the electrical signals in our neurons and form an important part of the structure of our bodies. Formed by up to several thousand amino acids (from a set of 20 different types) chained one after […]
The wave nature of light expresses itself in the propagation all over space, showing an intrinsic limitation to be localized beyond the so-called diffraction limit which is of the order of half the wavelength of the photons propagating. However when interacting with matter, light often gets reflected, diffracted, scattered or absorbed depending on the interactions […]
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Electronics on paper At the moment the costs are still too high for them to be used in things like business cards or package labels, but remarkable advances in materials science and simpler fabrication methods are setting the stage for a whole new breed of cheap, bendable, disposable, and perhaps even recyclable electronics. And some […]
A translucent material allows light to pass through, but if we try to look an object behind such a material, the image will appear blurred or distorted. Think, for example, of the semitransparent glasses commonly used as showers screens. The reason why the image deforms when passing through the glass is the scattering of light […]
Neurons in your brain are interconnected through synapses, thus constituting the so-called neural networks. Following a simplified but conceptually useful view, each synapse can be seen as a “link” between two given neurons, and it has a certain associated strength. Such a strength gives an idea of how reliable a given synapse is in order […]
In addictions the first and toughest step is admitting our fault. The same applies in science: assuming our ignorance pushes us beyond the starting line, ready to delve into the unknown. So when in May 12th, 2008 a devastating earthquake struck the Sichuan province in Southwest China -labeled as ‘moderately quiet’ in terms of seismicity- […]
Symbiosis is a close relationship between two organisms that benefits both of them. Many different types of symbiotic processes exist in nature, some of them are very famous like the symbiosis between clownfish (like Nemo from the film) with sea anemone or for example lichens which consist in a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and […]
Thermodynamics is one of the oldest and more fruitful fields of science. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, is less than one hundred years old, but it is also useful and well accepted. They can look very different. Thermodynamics treats with macroscopic systems, composed by an Avogadro number (6.023×1023) of atoms or molecules, and quantum […]
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Your molar roots are leftovers from Homo erectus Adult human molar roots form for at least a year before erupting from the gum line, according to research published in the journal PLoS ONE. Researchers say the majority of the formation of teeth has evolved to keep up with longer human lifespans, except for the adult […]