NASA just made all the scientific research it funds available for free
NASA just announced that any published research funded by the space agency will now be available at no cost, launching a new public web portal that anybody can access.
The free online archive comes in response to a new NASA policy, which requires that any NASA-funded research articles in peer-reviewed journals be publicly accessible within one year of publication.
Genetically modified soil bacteria work as electrical wires
Scientists have genetically modified a common soil bacteria to create electrical wires that not only conduct electricity, but are thousands of times thinner than a human hair. As electronic devices increasingly touch all facets of people’s lives, there is growing appetite for technology that is smaller, faster and more mobile and powerful than ever before. Thanks to advances in nanotechnology (manipulating matter on an atomic or molecular scale), industry can manufacture materials only billionths of a meter in thickness
Researchers resolve a problem that has been holding back a technological revolution
Imagine an electronic newspaper that you could roll up and spill your coffee on, even as it updated itself before your eyes.
It’s an example of the technological revolution that has been waiting to happen, except for one major problem that, until now, scientists have not been able to resolve.
Researchers at McMaster University have cleared that obstacle by developing a new way to purify carbon nanotubes – the smaller, nimbler semiconductors that are expected to replace silicon within computer chips and a wide array of electronics.
Physicists confirm possible discovery of fifth force of nature
Recent findings indicating the possible discovery of a previously unknown subatomic particle may be evidence of a fifth fundamental force of nature, according to a paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters by theoretical physicists at the University of California, Irvine
“If true, it’s revolutionary,” said Jonathan Feng, professor of physics & astronomy. “For decades, we’ve known of four fundamental forces: gravitation, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. If confirmed by further experiments, this discovery of a possible fifth force would completely change our understanding of the universe, with consequences for the unification of forces and dark matter.”
Safer opioid painkiller made from scratch
Researchers have developed a new opioid drug candidate that blocks pain without triggering the dangerous side effects of current prescription painkillers. Their secret? Starting from scratch — with computational techniques that let them explore more than four trillion different chemical interactions. The New compound, tested in mice, could reduce overdoses and possibly curb addiction.
Legions of nanorobots target cancerous tumors with precision
Researchers have just achieved a spectacular breakthrough in cancer research. They have developed new nanorobotic agents capable of navigating through the bloodstream to administer a drug with precision by specifically targeting the active cancerous cells of tumors.
Babies’ spatial reasoning predicts later math skills
Spatial reasoning measured in infancy predicts how children do at math at four years of age, finds a new study. It provides the earliest documented evidence for a relationship between spatial reasoning and math ability.
Prenatal BPA exposure linked to anxiety and depression in boys
Boys exposed prenatally to a common chemical used in plastics may be more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression at age 10-12. The new study examined early life exposure to the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA).
Cowpea mulled as soy substitute
Cowpeas can make a suitable substitute for soy in processed meat to address consumer fears around soybean products, an Egyptian research centre has found.
The Egyptian Agricultural Research Centre has produced a burger made with cooked cowpea, which will be offered at food outlets managed by the country’s agriculture ministry this month. The burger is meant to offer an alternative to consumers who have become wary of soy content in meat products, after rumours spread in the country around soy’s influence on sexual health in men.
Time of day influences our susceptibility to infection
We are more susceptible to infection at certain times of the day as our body clock affects the ability of viruses to replicate and spread between cells, suggests new research. The findings may help explain why shift workers, whose body clocks are routinely disrupted, are more prone to health problems, including infections and chronic disease.