Category archives: Science

First real-space images of THz plasmon polaritons

First real-space images of THz plasmon polaritons

Condensed matterMaterialsQuantum physics

By César Tomé

Polaritons attract wide attention due to their ability to confine and guide light at the nanometre scale. These capacities are key for the development of ultrasmall resonators and waveguides that can be used for sensing, heat transfer and optical circuitry applications. But, what are polaritons in the first place? If, for the sake of the […]

Language of crime

Language of crime

LanguageLinguistics

By Invited Researcher

Author: Marta Sánchez-López is a PhD candidate at the Dept. of Linguistics and Basque Studies (UPV/EHU), The Bilingual Mind research group. What if I told you that language can incriminate you? Yes, it is true, the way you speak tells so much about yourself. Humans use language to communicate about events of the world and […]

Development of a barium detector for a neutrinoless double beta decay

Development of a barium detector for a neutrinoless double beta decay

ChemistryDIPC BiochemistryDIPC InterfacesDIPC Particle PhysicsParticle physics

By DIPC

The observation of the neutrinoless double beta decay is the only practical way to establish that neutrinos are their own antiparticles. But, because of the small masses of neutrinos, the lifetime of neutrinoless double beta decay is expected to be at least ten orders of magnitude greater than the typical lifetimes of natural radioactive chains […]

Reducing the energy requirements and carbon footprint of ammonia production

Reducing the energy requirements and carbon footprint of ammonia production

CatalysisChemical engineeringChemistry

By César Tomé

Ammonia (NH3), a ubiquitous compound, was generated in excess of 187 million tons globally in 2020. Roughly 85% is employed in the creation of nitrogenous fertilizers, while the remainder is used for refining petroleum, producing various other chemicals, and manufacturing synthetic fibers like nylon. However, these processes come with a substantial energy expenditure. Presently, the […]

Stolen phototrophy and enslaved nuclei: the sophisticated strategy of <i>Mesodinium rubrum</i>

Stolen phototrophy and enslaved nuclei: the sophisticated strategy of Mesodinium rubrum

BiologyMicrobiology

By Invited Researcher

Mesodinium Author: Ramón Muñoz-Chápuli has been Professor of Animal Biology in the University of Málaga until his retirement. He has investigated for forty years in the fields of developmental biology and animal evolution. The ciliate Mesodinium rubrum acquires phototrophy by ingestion of a photosynthetic cryptomonad. Besides the stolen plastid (derived from a secondary endosymbiotic event […]

A recyclable aqueous organic high-capacity battery

A recyclable aqueous organic high-capacity battery

ChemistryMaterials

By César Tomé

Our modern rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, are anything but sustainable. One alternative is organic batteries with redox-organic electrode materials (OEMs), which can be synthesized from natural “green” materials. A Chinese team has now introduced a new OEM for aqueous organic high-capacity batteries that can be easily and cheaply recycled. Traditional inorganic electrode materials […]

Botox can affect emotional processing

Botox can affect emotional processing

Neuroscience

By Rosa García-Verdugo

We reflect other people’s emotions through an ingrained, unconscious process. According to the facial feedback hypothesis, seeing a happy or angry face would make us contract or relax the appropriate face muscles to emulate that expression and better identify and experience the associated emotion. Since botox impairs some facial muscles from contracting in response to […]