ESO’s Very Large Telescope has been used to obtain this view of the nebula LHA 120-N 44 surrounding the star cluster NGC 1929. Lying within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way, this region of star formation features a colossal superbubble of material expanding outwards due to the influence of the cluster of young stars at its heart that sculpts the interstellar landscape and drives forward the nebula’s evolution. Credit: ESO/Manu Mejias
ESO’s Very Large Telescope captured this striking view of the nebula around the star cluster NGC 1929 within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way. A colossal example of what astronomers call a superbubble dominates this stellar nursery. It is being carved by the winds from bright young stars and the shockwaves from supernova explosions.
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Ancient footprints show human-like walking began nearly four million years ago Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that ancient footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, show that human-like features of the feet and gait existed almost two million years earlier than previously thought.
A toothy grin only a palaeontologist could love (PhysOrg.com) -- McGill and University of Sao Paulo researchers identify new species of 70-million-year-old crocodile - with really big teeth and dog-shaped head.
An advance toward ultra-portable electronic devices Scientists are reporting a key advance toward the long-awaited era of "single-molecule electronics," when common electronic circuits in computers, smart phones, audio players, and other devices may shrink to the size of a grain of sand. The breakthrough is a method for creating and attaching the tiny wires that will connect molecular components, reports a new study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Piece of cake: Arrays of long nanotubes may help measure terahertz laser power Terahertz radiation can penetrate numerous materials—plastic, clothing, paper and some biological tissues—making it an attractive candidate for applications such as concealed weapons detection, package inspection and imaging skin tumors. However, to date there is no standard method for measuring the absolute output power of terahertz lasers, one source of this type of radiation. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have found that dense arrays of extra-long carbon nanotubes absorb nearly all light of long wavelengths, and thus are promising coatings for prototype detectors intended to measure terahertz laser power.
New test measures key properties of polymer thin films and membranes (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a measurement technique that reliably determines three fundamental mechanical properties of near-nanoscale films. The technique, which highlights the challenge of making mechanical measurements on an object with at least one dimension comparable to the size of a virus, should enable better design and engineering for a variety of thin-film technologies, particularly reverse-osmosis membranes for water purification.
Chilled atoms are going to heat up scientific opportunities A collection of atoms in the basement of Small Hall is a million times colder than outer space. It’s one of the coldest spots in the universe, but it’s not cold enough. Yet.
The constants they are a changin': NIST posts latest adjustments to fundamental figures The electromagnetic force has gotten a little stronger, gravity a little weaker, and the size of the smallest "quantum" of energy is now known a little better. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has posted the latest internationally recommended values of the fundamental constants of nature.
Seeing the S-curve in everything Esses are everywhere. From economic trends, population growth, the spread of cancer, or the adoption of new technology, certain patterns inevitably seem to emerge. A new technology, for example, begins with slow acceptance, followed by explosive growth, only to level off before "hitting the wall."
Bristol physicists break 150-year-old law (PhysOrg.com) -- A violation of one of the oldest empirical laws of physics has been observed by scientists at the University of Bristol. Their experiments on purple bronze, a metal with unique one-dimensional electronic properties, indicate that it breaks the Wiedemann-Franz Law. This historic discovery is described in a paper published today in Nature Communications.
Breakthrough in quantum computing: Resisting 'quantum bug' Scientists have taken the next major step toward quantum computing, which will use quantum mechanics to revolutionize the way information is processed.
Fermilab experiment discovers a heavy relative of the neutron (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists of the CDF collaboration at the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced the observation of a new particle, the neutral Xi-sub-b (Ξb0). This particle contains three quarks: a strange quark, an up quark and a bottom quark (s-u-b). While its existence was predicted by the Standard Model, the observation of the neutral Xi-sub-b is significant because it strengthens our understanding of how quarks form matter. Fermilab physicist Pat Lukens, a member of the CDF collaboration, presented the discovery at Fermilab on Wednesday, July 20.
Oil from giant spill reaches Chinese coast: Xinhua Oil from a huge spill off the Chinese coast has been found washed up on the shore in two separate areas, state media reported on Wednesday.
NTU undergraduates build nano and pico satellites They weigh just 3.5 kg and 1.5 kg but they will punch above their weight when NTU's latest two satellites are launched into space in 2013.
.Safety testing on Gulf seafood Government assurances that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are the result of a monitoring and testing program that continues more than a year after the April 20, 2010 disaster. The little-known story of the effort by Federal agencies to assure safety of Gulf seafood is the topic of the cover article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS's weekly news magazine.
GOES satellite sees a triple header in the tropics The GOES-13 satellite captured a triple-header in the tropics today when it captured three tropical cyclones in one image in the Northern Hemisphere.
NASA officials remember Mars rover Spirit Scientists and engineers gathered Tuesday at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to remember the legacy of the hard-luck rover Spirit that came through in the end with geologic evidence that Mars was once a warm and wet place where life potentially could have formed.
Last space shuttle aims for Thursday landing (Update) (AP) -- On the eve of NASA's historic, wheel-stopping end to the shuttle program, the four astronauts making the final journey and the flight controllers who will guide them home said Wednesday they're starting to feel a rush of emotions.
Two NASA probes tackle new mission: Studying the moon (PhysOrg.com) -- Two small NASA probes that had been used to study space weather now are orbiting the moon to study its interior and surface composition.
Juno processing continues in Florida (PhysOrg.com) -- Processing on NASA's Juno spacecraft continues with the spacecraft being inserted into its payload fairing yesterday, (July 18, 2011). The payload fairing acts as a protective cocoon that will shield Juno from the elements during the first 205 seconds of the spacecraft's ascent to orbit. The encapsulation process is expected to take about four days.
80 percent of world climate data are not computerized In order to gain a better knowledge of climate variations, such as those caused by global warming, and be able to tackle them, we need to understand what happened in the recent past. This is the conclusion of a research study led by the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), which shows that the scientific community today is only able to access and analyse 20% of the recorded climate information held. The remaining data are not accessible in digital format.
Environmental pollutants lurk long after they 'disappear' The health implications of polluting the environment weigh increasingly on our public consciousness, and pharmaceutical wastes continue to be a main culprit. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher says that current testing for these dangerous contaminants isn't going far enough.
NASA satellites confirm Tropical Storm Bret's heaviest rains on the eastern side Two NASA Satellites confirmed that the heaviest rainfall in Tropical Storm Bret is occurring in the eastern side of the storm. One satellite using precipitation radar measured rainfall, and another satellite using infrared light measured cloud-top temperatures which indicate strength of thunderstorms.
Frigid cloud top temperatures show Hurricane Dora's power Extremely cold cloud top temperatures in thunderstorms are an indication of the strength they possess, and infrared satellite data from NASA revealed a large area of very cold and powerful thunderstorms around the center of Hurricane Dora.
Landsat satellites track continued Missouri River flooding Flooding along the Missouri River continues as shown in recent Landsat satellite images of the Nebraska and Iowa border. Heavy rains and snowmelt have caused the river to remain above flood stage for an extended period.
Space shuttles will soon be museum pieces The end of the US space shuttle program brings the start of a new chapter for the remaining orbiters, which will soon take up residence as museum pieces in Florida, Virginia, California and New York.
NASA fends off tears with shuttle end in sight NASA astronauts and engineers fought off tears Wednesday as Atlantis made its final approach toward Earth, bringing an end to the 30-year shuttle program and closing a chapter in human spaceflight.
Major moments in the US shuttle program The US space shuttle is part cargo truck, part passenger bus, part airplane built for orbit, and has known soaring highs and devastating lows during its 30-year career.
US shuttle, the most complex flying machine ever built The US space shuttle is the most complex and costly flying machine ever built. It helped build a pioneering space outpost but also kept Americans confined to low Earth orbit for 30 years.
Being 'secondary' is important for a Webb Telescope mirror (PhysOrg.com) -- "Secondary" may not sound as important as "primary" but when it comes to the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope a secondary mirror plays a critical role in ensuring the telescope gathers information from the cosmos. The Webb's secondary mirror was recently completed, following polishing and gold-coating.
Nepal will measure exact height of Mount Everest Nepal has ordered a new measurement of Mount Everest to determine exactly how high the world's highest mountain is.
Future of spaceflight? NASA is outsourcing the job (AP) -- How America gets people and stuff into orbit is about to be outsourced in an out-of-this-world way.
Twisted tale of our galaxy's ring (PhysOrg.com) -- New observations from the Herschel Space Observatory show a bizarre, twisted ring of dense gas at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Only a few portions of the ring, which stretches across more than 600 light-years, were known before. Herschel's view reveals the entire ring for the first time, and a strange kink that has astronomers scratching their heads.
A cosmic superbubble (w/ video) (PhysOrg.com) -- ESO’s Very Large Telescope captured this striking view of the nebula around the star cluster NGC 1929 within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way. A colossal example of what astronomers call a superbubble dominates this stellar nursery. It is being carved by the winds from bright young stars and the shockwaves from supernova explosions.
Opportunity rover tops 20 miles of Mars driving (PhysOrg.com) -- More than seven years into what was planned as a three-month mission on Mars, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has driven more than 20 miles, which is more than 50 times the mission's original distance goal.
Movement of black holes powers the universe's brightest lights Whether on their own or orbiting as a pair, black holes don't typically sit still.
Hubble discovers another moon around Pluto (PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a fourth moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto. The tiny, new satellite, temporarily designated P4, was uncovered in a Hubble survey searching for rings around the dwarf planet.
Massive enzyme footballs control sugar metabolism Neutrons have shown how massive enzyme complexes inside cells might determine whether sugar is burnt for energy or stored as fat. These findings will improve understanding of diabetes and a range of metabolic diseases.
Controlling movements with light German researchers at the Ruhr-Universitaet have succeeded in controlling the activity of certain nerve cells using light, thus influencing the movements of mice. By changing special receptors in nerve cells of the cerebellum such that they can be activated and deactivated by light, the researchers have shown that the signaling pathways, which are activated by the receptors play a crucial role in controlling movement.
Quick test diagnoses bacterial or viral infection Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed a new test that quickly and accurately distinguishes between bacterial and viral infections in as little as five hours.
Seaweed as a rich new source of heart-healthy food ingredients In an article that may bring smiles to the faces of vegetarians who consume no dairy products and vegans, who consume no animal-based foods, scientists have identified seaweed as a rich new potential source of heart-healthy food ingredients. Seaweed and other "macroalgae" could rival milk products as sources of these so-called "bioactive peptides," they conclude in an article in ACS's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
New compounds for molecule interferometry experiments When waves meet, a new single wave is created. This phenomenon is well understood for mechanical waves such as sound, and electro-magnetic waves such as light, and the "interference" of light waves is applied in astronomy, fiber optics, and oceanography. The observation that even individual large organic molecules can delocalize over large distance and interfere—not with each other, but each one with itself—is rather new, and its study requires suitable substances.
Scientists create vaccine against heroin high Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have developed a highly successful vaccine against a heroin high and have proven its therapeutic potential in animal models.
Evolution provides clue to blood clotting A simple cut to the skin unleashes a complex cascade of chemistry to stem the flow of blood. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have used evolutionary clues to reveal how a key clotting protein assembles. The finding sheds new light on common bleeding disorders.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to harvest energy from flowing water. This discovery aims to hasten the creation of self-powered microsensors for more accurate and cost-efficient oil exploration.
Photonic neuron may compute a billion times faster than brain circuits
(PhysOrg.com) -- The name of the project -- "photonic neuron" -- was catchy enough, but what really caught Mitchell Nahmias' attention was the opportunity to combine his interests in engineering and neuroscience.
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(PhysOrg.com) -- By precisely shaking a container of shallow water, researchers have observed wave behavior that has never been seen before. In a new study, Jean Rajchenbach, Alphonse Leroux, and Didier Clamond of the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis in Nice, France, have reported the observation of two new types of standing waves in water, one of which has never been observed before in any media.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Suppose at some point the universe ceases to expand, and instead begins collapsing in on itself (as in the “Big Crunch” scenario), and eventually becomes a supermassive black hole. The black hole’s extreme mass produces an extremely strong gravitational field. Through a gravitational version of the so-called Schwinger mechanism, this gravitational field converts virtual particle-antiparticle pairs from the surrounding quantum vacuum into real particle-antiparticle pairs. If the black hole is made from matter (antimatter), it could violently repel billions and billions of antiparticles (particles) out into space in a fraction of a second, creating an ejection event that would look quite similar to a Big Bang.
Knowing how trees grow and how they age may be key to further understanding how trees react to a warmer climate, for instance, and other changes. Little is known, however, about the cause of the physical changes associated with tree growth.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have produced the first detailed data on how large-scale dairy facilities contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. This research was conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory in Kimberly, Idaho.
(AP) -- The last space shuttle is headed home.
NASA said Monday that it had reached an agreement with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to try to adopt the Atlas V commercial rocket to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
A total of 10 new planets have been unearthed by an international team of scientists, and one of these is orbiting a star just a few tens of millions years old.
Indianapolis, St. Louis, Detroit, Buffalo, Richmond and Providence – cities scattered across the eastern half of the United States – have something in common, all have coal-fired power plants. A new study from the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is among the first to investigate mercury deposits in industrialized city soil near this type of facility.
Tropical Storm Bret's cloud tops are getting warmer on NASA infrared satellite imagery. That's an indication that the cloud top heights are dropping and Bret is weakening.
Tropical Storm Dora was just a depression yesterday. Since then, NASA satellite imagery has watched Dora continue to strengthen as thunderstorm cloud tops have grown much colder. Dora is now stirring up high seas in the eastern Pacific and beach goers in southwestern will encounter warnings because of high surf Dora is kicking up. Warnings are also posted for three western Mexican states.
(AP) -- The mothballing of the space shuttle will be mourned by many astronauts, but Russia is relishing the prospect of serving as the only carrier to the International Space Station.
The crew of Atlantis undocked Tuesday from the International Space Station, wrapping up the last visit by a US shuttle to the orbiting outpost and setting its sights on an emotional homecoming.
(AP) -- In the geeky world of space engineering, this large, high-ceilinged room is close to holy. Inside, people speak in hushed tones and observe time-honored traditions.
Some of the strongest thunderstorms within Typhoon Ma-on are now affecting the southeastern coast of Japan and appeared on satellite imagery from two NASA satellites. Rough surf, gusty winds and heavy rainfall is affecting eastern coastal Japan today.
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft has returned the first close-up image after beginning its orbit around the giant asteroid Vesta. On Friday, July 15, Dawn became the first probe to enter orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and their collaborators have found that hundreds of the stars found in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) were stolen from another nearby galaxy – the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are both neighbor galaxies to our Milky Way Galaxy and easily visible to the unaided eye from the southern hemisphere.
A group of astronomers led by an MIT professor has spotted an exoplanetary eclipse of a star only 40 light years away — right around the corner, astronomically speaking — revealing a "super-Earth."
Scientists describe the birth of a protein
(PhysOrg.com) -- Yale researchers for the first time have captured the chemical reaction that occurs when a protein is created — one of life's most basic processes.
It was front page news around the world: a drug designed to disrupt malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, was so successful in its latest round of testing in humans that the tests were halted – like an early-round knockout in boxing – so patients in the trial who were receiving other treatments could be moved to the new medicine.
Materials scientists at the University of Birmingham have devised a way of making stainless steel surfaces resistant to bacteria in a project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council which culminated this week.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Evolution is based on heredity, changes to the genetic material (mutation), and the natural selection of those organisms that are best suited to the given environmental conditions. An international team led by Rupert Mutzel at the Freie Universität of Berlin has now successfully emulated one particular evolutionary process in the laboratory. As the researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they were able to generate a bacterial strain whose genetic material contains an artificial building block in place of a natural one. Their success results from a special automated cultivation technique.
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