Collaborate Disseminate
The missing link of evolution is often thought of as a step between apes and humans, but the biggest gap lies between non-living matter and the earliest living cells. A new study has found a mechanism that may have helped droplets transition … Continue reading Chemists concoct polyester "cells" that may plug gaps in origins of life
Cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer in the world – and it turns out we might have a two million year old ancestor to blame. Researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) have pinpointed a single gene that ancient … Continue reading A single gene mutation 2 million years ago may have made humans prone to heart disease
Our home galaxy is right on the border of a void so vast it’s hard to picture. To get a better idea of its shape and size, a team of astronomers has mapped out the edges of this extragalactic emptiness, and calculated just how much gravitatio… Continue reading Map of nothing: Astronomers size up the vast void next door to the Milky Way
One of the largest natural sources of renewable energy could be right under our feet – literally. The Earth itself is a big warm ball just waiting for us to tap into it, with vast stores of geothermal energy lying beneath Australia, the Unite… Continue reading New geothermal battery directly converts heat to electricity
As important and durable as it is, the heart has quite a lot of difficulty in repairing itself after sustaining damage. But now, researchers from the University of Calgary have found a previously unidentified cell population in the fluid that… Continue reading Newly-discovered cells help patch up scarred hearts
Statistically, it’s pretty much a given that alien life is out there somewhere, whether that’s Martian microbes or highly intelligent life beaming comms through the cosmos. While the Curiosity rover is poking around in the dirt for the former… Continue reading Powerful new telescope joins the search for possible laser pulses from aliens
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to a new cancer drug called selinexor. This pill, which also goes by the market name Xpovio, has been found to be successful in treating multiple myeloma in patients t… Continue reading FDA approves risky new type of cancer drug – with caveats
Magnets as we know them are always solid, but the closest thing we have to a magnetic liquid is a class called of liquids called ferrofluids. Made up of iron-oxide particles suspended in liquids, these materials are only magnetic temporarily,… Continue reading Berkeley Labs creates first fully magnetic liquids
The human brain is still a far more powerful computer than anything it itself has created so far. It’s no wonder then that engineers have recently focused on trying to emulate the structure of the brain with artificial synapses. Now, a team o… Continue reading Brain-mimicking chip uses different-colored light to learn and forget
It’s been said that red wine has health benefits, with studies suggesting it can help fight cancer, obesity, aging, and even cavities. Now, a new study may add muscle loss to the list. In tests on rats, a Harvard team has found that a red win… Continue reading Red wine compound could help astronauts keep their muscle mass