Category Archives: Michael Irving

Solar Chameleons: CERN's search for dark energy particles from the Sun

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Dark energy is one theory to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe, and a new ...

One of the biggest mysteries of the universe is why its expansion seems to be speeding up. Physicists have attributed it to a strange force called dark energy, but exactly how it works is largely speculative. Hypothetical “chameleon” particles could be behind dark energy, and physicists at CERN have been searching for these particles streaming from the Sun. Now, the team has reported the first results of their search.

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Category: Physics

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Astronomers analyze atmosphere of exoplanet unlike any in our solar system

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So far we’ve spotted more than 4,000 planets orbiting stars other than our Sun, but we know very little about their atmospheres. Now, NASA astronomers have managed to probe the atmosphere of GJ 3470 b, a planet unlike any in our solar system…. Continue reading Astronomers analyze atmosphere of exoplanet unlike any in our solar system→

Nuclear fusion plasma could be stabilized against large eruptions – by causing lots of small ones

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As the Sun and stars themselves can attest, nuclear fusion could be an essentially unlimited energy source, if we can only harness it. The problem is that the plasma used is inherently unstable, and large eruptions can damage the reactors con… Continue reading Nuclear fusion plasma could be stabilized against large eruptions – by causing lots of small ones→

Rock radioactivity may tell the tale of long-lost continents on early Earth's crust

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Rock radioactivity models suggest that long-lost continents may have arisen and fallen on Earth's crust earlier ...

Earth has had a tumultuous past, so it’s hard to get a clear idea of those wild early days. But a new study by researchers from the University of Adelaide raises the possibility that continents may have risen out of the sea much earlier than is currently believed, before being destroyed once again by tectonic activity.

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Category: Science

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"Primordial" proteins successfully inserted into engineered E. coli in synthetic biology breakthrough

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Researchers at Rutgers and Rice Universities have shed some light on the mystery of how life on Earth got started. After studying proteins that are key to metabolism in modern cells, the team reverse engineered a simplified protein that may h… Continue reading "Primordial" proteins successfully inserted into engineered E. coli in synthetic biology breakthrough→

NASA's TESS spots three new Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting nearby star

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The three new planets discovered by TESS – L 98-59b, c and d – as compared ...

Three new, roughly Earth-sized exoplanets have been found orbiting a nearby star. Named L 98-59b, c and d, the small worlds were spotted by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), as part of a larger haul of data that finally brings the total tally past the milestone of 4,000 exoplanets discovered to date.

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Category: Space

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Pig-Pen Effect: How our "personal pollution clouds" affect indoor air quality

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New research from Pennsylvania State University has found that each of us is regularly producing our own personal cloud of pollutants, which actually affects indoor air quality. Don’t start sniggering and blaming the dog though – it’s not the… Continue reading Pig-Pen Effect: How our "personal pollution clouds" affect indoor air quality→

Eye-tracking, depth-sensing "autofocal" glasses keep everything looking sharp

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No matter how good your eyesight, there’s a decent chance that it’ll start to fade at a certain point in your life. Presbyopia is a common form of age-induced far-sightedness, where the lenses in the eyes become stiff and have trouble focusin… Continue reading Eye-tracking, depth-sensing "autofocal" glasses keep everything looking sharp→

Drugs laced with artificial DNA release ingredients in sequence

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Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have demonstrated a prototype of a drug that can release three active ingredients, at different times in sequence. The key to this unusual and useful ointment is artificial DNA, which br… Continue reading Drugs laced with artificial DNA release ingredients in sequence→

Super 64 connects and upscales your old Nintendo 64 to modern TVs

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After releasing the NES Mini and SNES Mini, Nintendo stopped short of the logical next step – a Nintendo 64 Mini. Even if you still have the original console, it’s hard to hook up its analog outputs to the digital inputs of a modern TV. Now a… Continue reading Super 64 connects and upscales your old Nintendo 64 to modern TVs→