Residents of a house in Hopewell, New Jersey, were surprised to find a grapefruit-sized metallic object had fallen through the roof and hit the floor of their home on Monday. The object left a hole in the roof and dented the floor. No one was in the house at the time of the incident. Could
As concerns grow over China’s ownership of TikTok and the effects of social media on children’s mental health, tech regulation has been gaining momentum on Capitol Hill. President Joe Biden has called for bipartisan legislation to impose stricter limits on the collection of personal data and ban targeted advertising to children. Both Republicans and Democrats
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) have developed a new experimental approach for tracking the motion of an electron in a strong infrared laser field. The approach is expected to be useful for studying laser-driven electron dynamics within larger atoms or molecules. The team used attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy together with
Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley have developed a way to use bacteria to create new-to-nature carbon products that can be used to produce sustainable biochemicals. The team used natural enzymatic reactions along with a new-to-nature reaction called the “carbene transfer reaction.” The process could offer alternatives to chemical manufacturing processes that
Mars’ surface appears quite lifeless, with its soil being several times drier than Earth’s driest desert, toxic air, and temperatures that range from one extreme to the other. However, evidence suggests that the planet was once much warmer and wetter, with standing and flowing water on its surface. Over time, most of this water was
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies become increasingly complex, the need for computing power has skyrocketed. To meet this demand while reducing energy consumption, researchers are exploring new, energy-efficient hardware designs. This could allow for faster processing and AI training to take place within the device itself. Recently, researchers at Stanford University found a material that
Solar energy has become a popular source of sustainable energy in recent years. However, the intermittent nature of solar energy has limited its use for certain applications, such as IoT devices, live remote sensing, and off-grid power supplies. Conventionally, batteries are used to store the energy generated by solar cells, but combining the two technologies
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools have become increasingly common in today’s technological landscape. However, most of these tools are based on “black box” models, which analyze data and make predictions without sharing their processes with human users. To address this issue, researchers at Meta Reality Labs have created a framework called XAIR that
Researchers from the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland have found that a particular genus of microbe, commonly found in wet and boggy environments, could play a critical role in Parkinson’s disease. The researchers discovered that the microbe generates compounds that activate proteins inside brain cells to form toxic clumps. These findings
As offices start to reopen after pandemic-induced remote working, a growing number of companies are asking employees to return to the office either full- or part-time. While this is a good opportunity to socialize with colleagues, it may have negative effects on health, depending on how long the commute is. The Research A research project
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new vaccine to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD). This is the first time that a vaccine has been approved for this purpose, and it is a significant moment that has been decades in the making. The vaccine,
A rare glimpse of how the Solar System may have formed billions of years ago has been revealed by shadows flickering across the dust roiling around a newborn star. Changing light around the star, named TW Hydrae, suggests that the giant disks of material circling the star are off-kilter, orbiting at slightly different angles of
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern (Pheic). This declaration marks the end of the emergency response period that began in January 2020. The WHO has also unveiled a new strategy to transition from an emergency response to longer-term sustained COVID-19 disease management.
The International Space Station (ISS) is constantly orbiting around the Earth, making 16 rounds every day. Photographer Andrew McCarthy was recently able to capture the ISS flying across the sun in a stunning portrait. But it took him 12 hours of composition, three telescopes, and two blown-out tires to achieve the shot. The critical moment
The blood-brain barrier is a protective shield that prevents toxins and pathogens from entering the brain. However, it also hinders the effectiveness of drugs designed to help treat brain cancer. For years, scientists have been searching for ways to overcome this barrier and deliver medications to the brain. In 2014, researchers discovered a method of
