Science & Technology
Smart surgical implant coatings provide early failure warning while preventing infection
Newly developed ‘smart’ coatings for surgical orthopedic implants can monitor strain on the devices to provide early warning of implant failures while killing infection-causing bacteria, researchers report. The coatings integrate flexible sensors with …
Exciton fission: One photon in, two electrons out
Photovoltaics, the conversion of light to electricity, is a key technology for sustainable energy. Since the days of Max Planck and Albert Einstein, we know that light as well as electricity are quantized, meaning they come in tiny packets called photo…
Scientist uncovers roots of antibiotic resistance
Microbiologists have uncovered the evolutionary origins of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. His studies on the bacterium that causes cholera, Vibrio cholerae, provide insight into deciphering what conditions must occur for infectious agents …
Archaea in a warming climate become less diverse, more predictable
Using a long-term multifactor experimental field site researchers showed that experimental warming of a tallgrass prairie ecosystem significantly altered the community structure of soil archaea and reduced their taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity.
Single approach on wild horses
Because contrasting societal views have created an approach that simultaneously manages horses on the range as wildlife, livestock and pets, current U.S. government programs are incapable of succeeding, according to researchers.
The evolution of honey bee brains
Researchers have proposed a new model for the evolution of higher brain functions and behaviors in the Hymenoptera order of insects. The team compared the Kenyon cells, a type of neuronal cell, in the mushroom bodies (a part of the insect brain involve…
Scientists capture elusive chemical reaction using enhanced X-ray method
Researchers have captured one of the fastest movements of a molecule called ferricyanide for the first time by combining two ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy techniques. They think their approach could help map more complex chemical reactions like oxygen t…
Researchers create a tool for accurately simulating complex systems
A new technique eliminates a source of bias in a popular simulation method, which could enable scientists to create new algorithms that are more accurate and boost the performance of applications and networks.
Scurrying centipedes inspire many-legged robots that can traverse difficult landscapes
Intrigued to see if the many limbs could be helpful for locomotion in this world, a team of physicists, engineers, and mathematicians are using this style of movement to their advantage. They developed a new theory of multilegged locomotion and created…
Archaeologists map hidden NT landscape where first Australians lived more than 60,000 years ago
Scientists have used sub-surface imaging and aerial surveys to see through floodplains in the Red Lily Lagoon area of West Arnhem Land in Australia. These ground-breaking methods showed how this important landscape in the Northern Territory was altered…
A special omega-3 fatty acid lipid will change how we look at the developing and aging brain
Scientists have found a lipid transporter crucial to regulating the cells that make myelin, the nerve-protecting sheath.
Viewing art can improve our mood and well-being
A recent study sheds light on online art viewing as a source of pleasure and meaning-making that can boost our well-being.