Category archives: Science

What happens in the brain when there’s a word ‘on the tip of the tongue’?

What happens in the brain when there’s a word ‘on the tip of the tongue’?

Neuroscience

By Invited Researcher

Author: Frédéric Bernard, associate professor in neuropsychology, Université de Strasbourg We’ve all experienced it: you’re in the middle of a conversation, searching for a word, a name, or a title, and… nothing. You know you know it–you can almost feel it–but it just won’t come. This phenomenon, known as having a word “on the tip […]

Towards a fully functional topological quantum computer

Towards a fully functional topological quantum computer

Computer scienceQuantum physics

By Mapping Ignorance

In a leap forward for quantum computing, a Microsoft team led by UC Santa Barbara physicists on Wednesday unveiled an eight-qubit topological quantum processor, the first of its kind. The chip, built as a proof-of-concept for the scientists’ design, opens the door to the development of the long-awaited topological quantum computer. “We’ve got a bunch […]

What lignin can do in cellulose nanofibre hydrogels

What lignin can do in cellulose nanofibre hydrogels

ChemistryDIPC BiochemistryMaterials

By DIPC

Hydrogels are fascinating materials that can absorb and retain large amounts of water, making them useful in various fields such as medicine, environmental science, and engineering. A recent study has explored a new type of hydrogels made from cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) and lignocellulose nanofibres (LCNFs), aiming to enhance their strength and water-absorbing capabilities. Cellulose and […]

Depletion of dendritic cells in established tumors suppresses immunotherapy efficacy

Depletion of dendritic cells in established tumors suppresses immunotherapy efficacy

Biomedicine

By Invited Researcher

The ability to uptake cellular debris and process the engulfed antigens for MHC class I presentation is mainly performed by a minority subset of dendritic cells . Immunologists identified them as “conventional-type 1 dendritic cells”, and characterized them identifying the presence of surface coexpression of CD11c, XCR1, and DNGR-1 molecules . In mice, two subsets […]

The surprising diversity of exploding white dwarfs

The surprising diversity of exploding white dwarfs

Astrophysics

By Mapping Ignorance

For decades, Type Ia supernovae have played a pivotal role in the discovery and study of dark energy—the mysterious force responsible for the accelerating expansion of the Universe. To do so, cosmologists compare two quantities: the redshift, i.e., the photon’s wavelength stretch caused by the geometrical expansion of the Universe ; and the Supernovae brightness […]

Unveiling the thermal secrets of tricalcium aluminate

Unveiling the thermal secrets of tricalcium aluminate

ChemistryDIPC Advanced materialsMaterials

By DIPC

Cement is a fundamental material in modern construction, used in everything from buildings to bridges. One of its key components, tricalcium aluminate (C₃A), plays a crucial role in determining cement’s setting time and durability. A recent study has provided new insights into how C₃A behaves under heat, combining computer simulations with experimental data to deepen […]

Does the universe really behave the same way everywhere?

Does the universe really behave the same way everywhere?

AstrophysicsCosmologyPhysics

By César Tomé

A new study presents a methodology to test the assumption of cosmic homogeneity and isotropy, known as the Cosmological Principle, by leveraging weak gravitational lensing—a light distortion effect described by general relativity—in astronomical images collected by new observatories such as the Euclid Space Telescope. Finding evidence of anomalies in the Cosmological Principle could have profound […]