Scientists in Switzerland have created a new “living” material that contains blue-green algae and could one day be used in buildings to fight climate change, they say. Thanks to the blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, the new material is photosynthetic. This means it can chemically convert carbon dioxide (CO2), sunlight and water into oxygen and sugars, … Read more
After decades of preparation, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory released its first images to the world in a live stream on Monday (June 23). The photos, taken by the world’s largest digital camera, are highly-detailed and show relatively large areas of the sky. In a televised news conference, scientists from the observatory revealed new details … Read more
Industrial waste can turn into rock in as little as 35 years, new research reveals, instead of the thousands or millions of years previously assumed. The finding challenges what scientists know about rock formation, revealing an entirely new “anthropoclastic rock cycle.” The scientists found that waste from seaside industrial plants turns into rock especially rapidly … Read more
New research suggests that the explosive death throes of massive stars, known as supernovas, may have had dramatic effects on our planet’s climate over its distant history. Investigating historic incidents of these events could help scientists predict similar events in the future and prepare for them. Supernovas occur when stars that are much more massive … Read more
When Apollo astronauts first set foot on the lunar surface, they expected to find grey rocks and dust. What they didn’t anticipate was discovering something that looked almost magical: tiny, brilliant orange glass beads scattered across the Moon’s landscape like microscopic gems. These beads, each smaller than a grain of sand, are actually ancient time … Read more
A British firm has received approval to mass-produce an ultra-high-power-density electric vehicle (EV) battery that can be fully recharged in just 18 seconds. The RML Group was granted Conformity of Production certification for its VarEVolt battery on June 2. This government approval signifies that the firm can mass-produce the powerful batteries for EV manufacturers. The … Read more
Male fertility rates have been plummeting over the past half-century. An analysis from 1992 noted a steady decrease in sperm counts and quality since the 1940s. A more recent study found that male infertility rates increased nearly 80% from 1990 to 2019. The reasons driving this trend remain a mystery, but frequently cited culprits include … Read more
Very few people live beyond a century. So, if no one had babies anymore, there would probably be no humans left on Earth within 100 years. But first, the population would shrink as older folks died and no one was being born. Even if all births were to suddenly cease, this decline would start slowly. … Read more
Imagination relies on an ability to differentiate between what’s real and what’s not — and now, scientists have uncovered potential brain mechanisms that make this distinction possible. These, they hypothesize, may be significant in conditions like schizophrenia, which can affect people’s perception of reality. A paper published June 5 in the journal Neuron explored these … Read more
Disease name: Werner syndrome, sometimes called “adult progeria” Affected populations: Werner syndrome is estimated to affect 1 in 100,000 live births worldwide, though its prevalence varies among countries. In Japan, the syndrome affects an estimated 1 in 40,000 to 1 in 20,000 people, whereas the prevalence in the United States is around 1 in 200,000. … Read more
