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Science & Space
The most popular blog posts about science & space on Hacker News. 2,418 posts.
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New lightweight material is stronger than steel
MIT chemical engineers have created a new material that is stronger than steel, as light as plastic, and can be easily manufactured in large quantities.
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Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Agostini, Krausz, and L’Huillier
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier "for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter"
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MIT class project turns into an FDA-cleared treatment for tremors
Encora Therapeutics, which developed a wrist-based device that reduces essential tremor, started as a project in MIT’s famous product-design class, 2.009 (Product Engineering Processes).
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What everyone should know about the human eye
Odds are, you will one day build something someone will see. Here are three key findings from people who study how people see to keep in mind for your next project.
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Solar energy is now the cheapest source of power, study
University of Surrey research finds solar is now the lowest cost electricity source in sunniest regions. Discover what this means for the global energy future.
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Humans began to rapidly accumulate technological knowledge 600k years ago
Each of us individually is the accumulated product of thousands of generations that have come before us in an unbroken line. Our culture and technology today are also the result of thousands of years of accumulated and remixed cultural knowledge.
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Fungus breaks down ocean plastic
A fungus living in the sea can break down the plastic polyethylene, provided it has first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. Researchers from, among others, NIOZ published their results in the scientific journal Science of the Total Environment. They expect that many more plastic degrading fungi are living in…
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Solar Orbiter gets world-first views of the Sun's poles
Thanks to its newly tilted orbit around the Sun, the European Space Agency-led Solar Orbiter spacecraft is the first to image the Sun’s poles from outside the ecliptic plane. Solar Orbiter’s unique viewing angle will change our understanding of the Sun’s magnetic field, the solar cycle and the workings of space…
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Adding crushed rock to farmland pulls carbon out of the air
Learn from UC Davis researchers how adding crushed volcanic rock to farmland removes carbon dioxide from the air.
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Scientists discover receptor that blocks Covid-19 infection
University of Sydney scientists have discovered a protein in the lung that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection and forms a natural protective barrier in the human body.
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MIT engineers develop stickers that can see inside the body
MIT engineers designed an adhesive patch that produces ultrasound images of the body. The stamp-sized device sticks to skin and can provide continuous ultrasound imaging of internal organs for 48 hours.
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Transfer of atomic mass with a photon solves the momentum paradox of light
The Department of Applied Physics pursues vigorous research in physical sciences and creates important industrial applications.
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FAA approves hundreds more engines to use unleaded avgas
The FAA has approved approximately 611 more engine models to burn General Aviation Modifications Inc.'s 100-octane unleaded avgas that, when combined with approvals announced in July, account for about 70 percent of the GA aircraft fleet's powerplants. An AOPA consultant said the move signals the FAA's "bullish"…
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AI system self-organises to develop features of brains of complex organisms
Cambridge scientists have shown that placing physical constraints on an artificially-intelligent system – in much the same way that the human brain has to develop and operate within physical and biological constraints – allows it to develop features of the brains of complex organisms in order to solve tasks.
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Atlas: A World Model for Spatial Intelligence
Introducing Atlas, our new omni world model for spatial intelligence.
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Meta announces nuclear energy projects
Our landmark agreements with Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo will expand the operation of three nuclear power plants, boost the development of nuclear technology, and foster job growth in American communities.
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Our brain is a prediction machine that is always active
This is in line with a recent theory on how our brain works: it is a prediction machine, which continuously compares sensory information that we pick up (such as images, sounds and language) with internal predictions. "This theoretical idea is extremely popular in neuroscience, but the existing evidence for it is…
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Chai-1: Decoding the molecular interactions of life
Building frontier artificial intelligence to predict and reprogram the interactions between biochemical molecules.
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Study helps explain why motivation to learn declines with age
MIT neuroscientists have identified a brain circuit critical for learning to make decisions that require evaluating the cost or reward of an action. They showed this circuit is negatively affected by aging and in Huntington’s disease.
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Giant trees have no trouble pumping water to top branches: new research
The world’s tallest tropical trees have no trouble pumping water to their topmost branches, new research reveals. Conventional scientific theory suggests that as trees grow, it becomes harder to transport water from roots to leaves
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Cancer death rates are falling, five-year survival rates rising
Cancers are one of the leading causes of death globally. Are we making progress against them?
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Caltech Develops First Noninvasive Method to Continually Measure Blood Pressure
Device uses sound waves to gather blood pressure data from blood vessels, monitoring the response with ultrasound.