Astronomers take first-ever image of turbulent gas between the stars
Astronomers have known for decades that turbulent motion mixes and heats the interstellar medium (ISM), the dust and gases between the stars. But until now no one had been able to actually photograph this motion....
New hardware powers through DNA tests in under 3 minutes
The Polymerase Chain Reaction, which amplifies specific DNA sequences out of mixtures (starting with as little as a single molecule), has revolutionized molecular biology, enabling DNA-based tests that once took months to be per...
With wolves going off the endangered list, should states step up to preserve populations?
The wolf—once quite literally a symbol of evil—was very nearly driven to extirpation in the United States before conservation measures began to offer protection to the iconic predators. That protection culminat...
Researchers create stealth virtual machine that can run alongside insecure VMs
A team of researchers have devised a way to create an isolated and trusted environment on virtualized servers. Called the "Strongly Isolated Computing Environment" (SICE), the approach makes it possible to run sensitive compu...
Crab nebula’s neutron star is pulsing with gamma rays
In 1054, a supernova went off in our galactic neighborhood and was recorded in a number of historical accounts. Today, the remnants of that blast form the spectacular Crab Nebula shown above. Buried within...
Honoring World Space Week | Be curious. Be inspiring.
53 years ago the Space Age began, launching curious minds into a celebration of discovery. Yesterday marked the 54th launch anniversary of Sputnik 1, the satellite that drew the starting line for humanity’s race into space. Now a week long celebr...
Part of placebo effect ascribed to cannabinoids
In clinical trials, new drugs are often compared to older treatments, but sometimes they're also compared to placebos—inert treatments that ought to have no effect. Except that's not what happens. The placebo effect c...
Nobel Prizes honor immune work, but include recently deceased winner
This year's Noble Prizes in Physiology or Medicine honor researchers who helped identify and characterize previously unknown arms of the immune system. When we think of the immune system, the focus is often on...
Making a photonic crystal with a couple of light beams
We're experimenting with a slightly different article format. The meat of the story will appear first; links within it can take you to a more detailed explanation that appears at the end. Please let us...
Sustainable rocketry: SpaceX to cut launch costs with reusable rocket
Privately-held SpaceX will attempt to build a re-usable rocket, founder Elon Musk announced last week. The effort marks a bold and refreshing attempt to change the technology and economics of reaching space.
Bold in comp...
Weird Science avoids "professional exposure to goats"
Latest cancer risk is "professional exposure to goats": This one makes a bit more sense when you dive into the details, but only a bit. There's an unusual form of lung cancer that...
Do cosmic rays set the earth’s thermostat?
In recent years, the idea that the climate is driven by clouds and cosmic rays has received plenty of attention. Interest in the idea was prompted by a Danish physicist named Henrik Svensmark, who first...
