Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 35:
Prehistoric bugs from 230 million years ago found in amber (Update)
(Phys.org)�An international team of scientists has discovered the oldest record of arthropods�invertebrate animals that include insects, arachnids, and crustaceans�preserved in amber. The specimens, one fly and two mites found in millimeter-scale droplets of amber from northeastern Italy, are about 100 million years older than any other amber arthropod ever collected. The group's findings, which are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pave the way for a better evolutionary understanding of the most diverse group of organisms in the world.
Inverted polymer solar cell efficiency sets world record
(Phys.org)�For many years, researchers have strived to reach the goal of 10% efficiency for polymer-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells, a target widely considered to be the threshold for commercial applications. Now in a new study, researchers at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou have constructed an inverted OPV that has set a new record with a certified efficiency of 9.2%, a significant improvement over the previous record-high efficiency of 8.37%. Expecting the new design to catalyze developments to the 10% target in the near future, the research team is partnering with Houston-based Phillips 66 and Solarmer, a photovoltaic company in El Monte, California, to prepare for commercialization.
Arctic sea ice reaches lowest extent ever recorded (Update 2)
(Phys.org)�The blanket of sea ice floating on the Arctic Ocean melted to its lowest extent ever recorded since satellites began measuring it in 1979, according to the University of Colorado Boulder's National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Space-warping white dwarfs produce gravitational waves
(Phys.org)�Gravitational waves, much like the recently discovered Higgs boson, are notoriously difficult to observe. Scientists first detected these ripples in the fabric of space-time indirectly, using radio signals from a pulsar-neutron star binary system. The find, which required exquisitely accurate timing of the radio signals, garnered its discoverers a Nobel Prize. Now a team of astronomers has detected the same effect at optical wavelengths, in light from a pair of eclipsing white dwarf stars.
Quark matter's connection with the Higgs
(Phys.org)�You may think you've heard everything you need to know about the origin of mass. After all, scientists colliding protons at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Europe recently presented stunning evidence strongly suggesting the existence of a long-sought particle called the Higgs boson, thought to "impart mass to matter." But while the Higgs particle may be responsible for the mass of fundamental particles such as quarks, quarks alone can't account for the mass of most of the visible matter in the universe�that's everything we see and sense around us.
Japan court rejects Apple patent claims against Samsung (Update)
A Japanese court Friday rejected Apple's claim that Samsung stole its technology, dealing a blow to the iPhone maker which last week won more than $1 billion in damages in the US from its bitter rival.
WISE survey uncovers millions of black holes
(Phys.org)�NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission has led to a bonanza of newfound supermassive black holes and extreme galaxies called hot DOGs, or dust-obscured galaxies.
MASSIVE advances in aerodynamics
Engineers are closer to understanding, and therefore manipulating, invisible aerodynamic drag forces, that cause an estimated 50 per cent of transportation fuel to be lost before we can use it.
Ray of light could lead to next generation of superconductors
A superconductor, which can move electrical energy with no wasteful resistance, is the holy grail of cost-effective, efficient, and "green" power production. Unlike traditional conductors such as copper or silver, which waste power resources and lose energy when they heat up, an ideal superconductor would continuously carry electrical current without losing any power.
New research eclipses existing theories on the Moon formation
The Moon is believed to have formed from a collision, 4.5 billion years ago, between Earth and an impactor the size of Mars, known as "Theia." Over the past decades scientists have simulated this process and reproduced many of the properties of the Earth-Moon system; however, these simulations have also given rise to a problem known as the Lunar Paradox: the Moon appears to be made up of material that would not be expected if the current collision theory is correct. A recent study published in Icarus proposes a new perspective on the theory in answer to the paradox.
Researchers discover the 'anternet'
(Phys.org)�On the surface, ants and the Internet don't seem to have much in common. But two Stanford researchers have discovered that a species of harvester ants determine how many foragers to send out of the nest in much the same way that Internet protocols discover how much bandwidth is available for the transfer of data. The researchers are calling it the "anternet."
Computational biologist solves 200-year-old oceanic mystery
(Phys.org)�The origin of Cerataspis monstrosa has been a mystery as deep as the ocean waters it hails from for more than 180 years. For nearly two centuries, researchers have tried to track down the larva that has shown up in the guts of other fish over time but found no adult counterpart. Until now.
'Super Wi-Fi' poised for growth in US, elsewhere
Move over Wi-Fi, there's a new wireless technology coming.
Curiosity rover begins eastbound trek on Martian surface
(Phys.org)�NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has set off from its landing vicinity on a trek to a science destination about a quarter mile (400 meters) away, where it may begin using its drill.
Study: Adolescent marijuana use leaves lasting mental deficits
The persistent, dependent use of marijuana before age 18 has been shown to cause lasting harm to a person's intelligence, attention and memory, according to an international research team.
New technique could mean super thin, strong graphene-based circuits
(Phys.org)�Integrated circuits, which are in everything from coffeemakers to computers and are patterned from perfectly crystalline silicon, are quite thin�but Cornell researchers think they can push thin-film boundaries to the single-atom level.
Fossil skeleton of strange, ancient digging mammal clears up 30-year evolutionary debate
Shortly after dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops went extinct 65 million years ago, Earth's ancient landscapes were filled with unusual mammals only distantly related to those alive today. Until recently, one of these creatures, Ernanodon antelios, was only known from a single, highly distorted specimen that raised many questions about its habits and evolutionary relationships. In the most recent issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, scientists describe a second specimen of Ernanodon that sheds new light on this curious beast from the dawn of the "Age of Mammals."
Advance makes possible near-instantaneous DNA analysis
Picture this: You've brought your sick child to the doctor's office. After checking her pulse and blood pressure, he takes a nasal or throat swab and inserts it into a mysterious black box. Before the doctor finishes his examination, the black box beeps, indicating that the pathogen that's making your child sick has been identified.
New record in quantum communications
(Phys.org)�Researchers from The Australian National University have taken a quantum leap towards developing the next-generation super-fast networks needed to drive future computing.
DNA scan sheds new light on mankind's mysterious cousins (Update)
Max Planck researchers describe Denisovan genome, illuminating the relationships between Denisovans and present-day humans.
This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
http://phys.org/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment