Scientists at the University of Sydney and in the U.S. have solved a long-standing mystery about the Sun that could help astronomers predict space weather and help us prepare for potentially devastating geomagnetic storms, reports Phys.org. The Sun's internal magnetic field is directly responsible for space weather – streams of high-energy particles from the Sun that can be triggered by solar flares, sunspots, or coronal mass ejections that produce geomagnetic storms. Yet it is unclear how these happen,...
A new article in Science magazine gives an overview of almost three decades of research into colloidal quantum dots, assesses the technological progress for these nanometer-sized specs of semiconductor matter, and weighs the remaining challenges on the path to widespread commercialization for this promising technology with applications in everything from TVs to highly efficient sunlight collectors, Phys.org reports. "Thirty years ago, these structures were just a subject of scientific curiosity studied by a small group of...
As clinical evidence mounts that the leading cause of death in COVID-19 patients is the dangerous condition known as a cytokine storm, University of Alberta researchers have identified a protein in the blood that could be responsible, Medical Xpress reports. The team found that COVID-19 patients have significantly elevated levels of a protein called galectin-9 in their blood plasma. Perhaps more importantly, they also found a positive correlation between the levels of galectin-9 and...
The cardiac pacemaker of the future could be powered by the heart itself, according to researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. During the AIP Publishing Horizons—Energy Storage and Conversion virtual conference, running today through Aug. 6, Yi Zhiran, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, is presenting research on a way for a batteryless pacemaker to harvest kinetic energy from the heart to power the lifesaving device. Current cardiac pacemakers use a battery power supply and leads to keep hearts beating regularly. Yi and...
Shares in two of China's biggest online gaming firms have slipped after a state media outlet called them "electronic drugs", the BBC reports. Tencent and NetEase shares fell more than 10% in early Hong Kong trading before regaining some of those losses. In recent months, Chinese authorities have announced a series of measures to tighten their grip on technology and private education companies. An article published by the state-run Economic Information Daily said many teenagers had become...
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world die early every year because of exposure to air pollution caused by use of chemical products and fuels, including paints, pesticides, charcoal, and gases from vehicle tailpipes, according to a study out of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Led by former CIRES postdoctoral researcher Benjamin Nault and CIRES Fellow Jose-Luis Jimenez, the study determined that air pollution caused by "anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol" causes 340,000-900,000 premature deaths...
As more renewable generation from such sources as wind, solar, and hydro enters the grid, the effectiveness of these technologies will increasingly rely on the development of long-duration energy storage solutions that support variability in electric power generation. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a Storage Financial Analysis Scenario Tool (StoreFAST) model to evaluate the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), also known as the levelized cost of storage (LCOS). This model can identify potential long-duration...
A dramatic triplet of galaxies takes centre stage in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which captures a three-way gravitational tug-of-war between interacting galaxies, reports Phys.org. This system – known as Arp 195 – is featured in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. The schedule for Hubble observations is calculated using a computer algorithm that allows the spacecraft to occasionally gather bonus snapshots of data between longer observations. The image of the clashing galaxy triplets in...
Biologist Sara Weinstein, a Smithsonian-Mpala postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and her colleagues saw African crested rats in Kenya chewing poisonous tree bark, and combing the toxin into specialized hairs on their coats, reports CBC's Quirks & Quarks. Their study confirmed an older hypothesis that the rats are sequestering toxins from the bark of a tree for defence against predators. At first glance, the African crested rat looks like a cute, furry,...
The world's first commercial fully re-programmable satellite lifted off from French Guiana today on board an Ariane 5 rocket, ushering in a new era of more flexible communications, Phys.org reports. Unlike conventional models that are designed and "hard-wired" on Earth and cannot be repurposed once in orbit, the Eutelsat Quantum allows users to tailor the communications to their needs – almost in real time. The satellite was placed in orbit about 36 minutes after launch. Because it can...
