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Categories: Energy: Technology, Space: Structures and Features
Published NASA's Webb captures an ethereal view of NGC 346
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source One of the greatest strengths of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is its ability to give astronomers detailed views of areas where new stars are being born. The latest example, showcased here in a new image from Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), is NGC 346 -- the brightest and largest star-forming region in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
Published Researchers capture first-ever afterglow of huge planetary collision in outer space
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A chance social media post by an eagle-eyed amateur astronomer sparked the discovery of an explosive collision between two giant planets, which crashed into each other in a distant space system 1,800 light years away from planet Earth.
Published Finding explanation for Milky Way's warp
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Though scientists have long known through observational data that the Milky Way is warped and its edges are flared like a skirt, no one could explain why. Now, astronomers have performed the first calculations that fully explain this phenomenon, with compelling evidence pointing to the Milky Way's envelopment in an off-kilter halo of dark matter.
Published Magnetoelectric material can reconnect severed nerves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Neuroengineers designed the first self-rectifying magnetoelectric material and showed it can not only precisely stimulate neurons remotely but also reconnect a broken sciatic nerve in a rat model.
Published Stellar fountain of youth with turbulent formation history in the center of our galaxy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An unexpectedly high number of young stars has been identified in the direct vicinity of a supermassive black hole and water ice has been detected at the center of our galaxy.
Published Wireless, battery-free electronic 'stickers' gauge forces between touching objects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers developed electronic 'stickers' that measure the force exerted by one object upon another. The force stickers are wireless, run without batteries and fit in tight spaces, making them versatile for a wide range of applications, from surgical robots to smart implants and inventory tracking.
Published Modular dam design could accelerate the adoption of renewable energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a new modular steel buttress dam system designed to resolve energy storage issues hindering the integration of renewable resources into the energy mix. The new modular steel buttress dam system facilitates the rapid construction of paired reservoir systems for grid-scale energy storage and generation using closed-loop pumped storage hydropower, cutting dam construction costs by one-third and reducing construction schedules by half.
Published Astronomers discover first step toward planet formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have gotten very good at spotting the signs of planet formation around stars. But for a complete understanding of planet formation, we also need to study examples where planet formation has not yet started. Looking for something and not finding it can be even more difficult than finding it sometimes, but new detailed observations of the young star DG Taurus show that it has a smooth protoplanetary disk without signs of planet formation. This successful non-detection of planet formation may indicate that DG Taurus is on the eve of planet formation.
Published Pulsars may make dark matter glow
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The central question in the ongoing hunt for dark matter is: what is it made of? One possible answer is that dark matter consists of particles known as axions. A team of astrophysicists has now shown that if dark matter consists of axions, it may reveal itself in the form of a subtle additional glow coming from pulsating stars.
Published Scientists discover the highest energy gamma-rays ever from a pulsar
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have detected the highest energy gamma rays ever from a dead star called a pulsar. The energy of these gamma rays clocked in at 20 tera-electronvolts, or about ten trillion times the energy of visible light. This observation is hard to reconcile with the theory of the production of such pulsed gamma rays, as the international team reports.
Published Plot thickens in hunt for ninth planet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A pair of theoretical physicists are reporting that the same observations inspiring the hunt for a ninth planet might instead be evidence within the solar system of a modified law of gravity originally developed to understand the rotation of galaxies.
Published Comfort with a smaller carbon footprint
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a data-driven AI algorithm for controlling the heating and cooling of an office building. The system does not require ambient sensors or specific knowledge of the building's rooms. During heating operations, the system was able to achieve energy savings of up to 30%, which can represent significant reductions to cost and environmental impact.
Published Insect cyborgs: Towards precision movement
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Insect cyborgs may sound like something straight out of the movies, but hybrid insect computer robots, as they are scientifically called, could pioneer a new future for robotics. It involves using electrical stimuli to control an insect’s movement. Now, an international research group has conducted a study on the relationship between electrical stimulation in stick insects' leg muscles and the resulting torque (the twisting force that causes the leg to move).
Published Bursts of star formation explain mysterious brightness at cosmic dawn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) first images of the universe’s earliest galaxies, the young galaxies appear too bright, too massive and too mature to have formed so soon after the Big Bang. Using new simulations, a team of astrophysicists now has discovered that these galaxies likely are not so massive after all. Although a galaxy’s brightness is typically determined by its mass, the new findings suggest that less massive galaxies can glow just as brightly from irregular, brilliant bursts of star formation.
Published Disaster-proofing sustainable neighborhoods requires thorough long-term planning
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers and scientists look at how thoughtful design can reduce a sustainably-designed neighborhood’s energy vulnerability during power disruptions, as well as which design characteristics are needed if and when local populations need to move to shelters. Researchers analyzed the design and energy characteristics of particular kinds of buildings and neighborhoods to assess their vulnerabilities and their access to alternative and renewable energy sources. The authors use several scenarios involving different lengths of power disruption to see which kind of response is most beneficial to the populations affected.
Published Metal-loving microbes could replace chemical processing of rare earths
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have characterized the genome of a metal-loving bacteria with an affinity for rare earth elements. The research paves the way towards replacing the harsh chemical processing of these elements with a benign practice called biosorption.
Published Colliding neutron stars provide a new way to measure the expansion of the Universe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In recent years, astronomy has seen itself in a bit of crisis: Although we know that the Universe expands, and although we know approximately how fast, the two primary ways to measure this expansion do not agree. Now astrophysicists suggest a novel method which may help resolve this tension.
Published Researchers dynamically tune friction in graphene
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The friction on a graphene surface can be dynamically tuned using external electric fields, according to researchers.
Published Capturing CO2 with electricity: A microbial enzyme inspires electrochemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Humanity continuously emits greenhouse gases and thereby worsens global warming. Increasing research efforts go into developing strategies to convert these gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), into valuable products. CO2 accumulates dramatically over the years and is chemically very stable, thus challenging to transform. Yet, for billions of years, some microbes have actively captured CO2 using highly efficient enzymes. Scientists have now isolated one of these enzymes. When the enzyme was electronically branched on an electrode, they observed the conversion of CO2 to formate with perfect efficiency. This phenomenon will inspire new CO2-fixation systems because of its remarkable directionality and rates.
Published A new twist on rechargeable battery performance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Rechargeable battery performance could be improved by a new understanding of how they work at the molecular level. Researchers upend what's known about how rechargeable batteries function.