Nano-spotlight used to capture first color photos of carbon nanotubes

Because nanoscale objects are so incredibly small, they don’t reflect enough light for even the best microscopes to discern details such as their color. A new lighting system, however, addresses that problem by acting as a tiny spotlight.Continue Readi… Continue reading Nano-spotlight used to capture first color photos of carbon nanotubes

Simple catalyst could clean contaminated water on Earth and soil on Mars

As if Matt Damon’s character in The Martian didn’t have enough to worry about already, his Red Planet potatoes could be contaminated with perchlorates. But new research led by the University of California Riverside has identified a relatively simple ca… Continue reading Simple catalyst could clean contaminated water on Earth and soil on Mars

Implant precisely dispenses drugs when triggered by a shockwave

Although there are implants that gradually release medication at specific sites within the body, it can be difficult to control their rate of release. An experimental new device, however, dispenses drugs when externally activated by a shockwave.Continu… Continue reading Implant precisely dispenses drugs when triggered by a shockwave

“Fool’s gold” fossils reveal trilobites breathed through their legs

Trilobites are one of the most common creatures found in the fossil record, but now some particularly well-preserved specimens have revealed some intriguing new details. It turns out that trilobites breathed oxygen – through their legs.Continue Reading… Continue reading “Fool’s gold” fossils reveal trilobites breathed through their legs

Remyelinating drug could help restore lost vision in MS patients

One common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) is vision impairment, and it can progress to blindness in some cases. Now, researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) report a drug that was able to reverse that vision loss in mice.Contin… Continue reading Remyelinating drug could help restore lost vision in MS patients

Food waste converted into bacteria-boosting liquid fertilizer

Everyone already knows that compost made from food scraps helps plants to grow. Now, however, scientists have fermented food waste to create a liquid fertilizer that boosts the number of beneficial bacteria within the plants themselves, and in their so… Continue reading Food waste converted into bacteria-boosting liquid fertilizer

Scientists calculate how much matter there is in the universe

Scientists have now estimated the total amount of matter in the universe, using a new, more precise method. By calculating the mass of hundreds of galaxy clusters, the team found that matter makes up less than a third of the contents of the universe.Co… Continue reading Scientists calculate how much matter there is in the universe

“Fitbit for chickens” detects mite infestations

Even when they’re allowed to roam about the farmyard, chickens are still susceptible to infestations of blood-sucking mites. It now turns out that a backpack-like device could let farmers know when those mites are biting, so treatment could begin as so… Continue reading “Fitbit for chickens” detects mite infestations

Oldest ancestor of almost all animals found in Australian fossils

Researchers have discovered the fossilized remains of the oldest known ancestor of almost every animal in existence today. The creature, named Ikaria wariootia, is a wormlike animal about the size of a grain of rice, and it appears to be the earliest e… Continue reading Oldest ancestor of almost all animals found in Australian fossils