361
Combating olive oil fraud with nuclear innovations
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is developing new and rapid methods to rapidly screen and authenticate the origin of foods like extra virgin olive oil.
Topics /
Science & Space
The most popular blog posts about science & space on Hacker News. 384 posts.
362
The Gravo-Thermal Catastrophe
In 1962, V. A. Antonov did some remarkable simulations showing that in Newtonian mechanics, gravitating systems can violate the usual rules of thermodynamics. Instead of reaching equilibrium they c…
363
The origins of the steam engine (2023)
An essay with interactive animated diagrams
364
Edward C. Stone, 1936-2024
Caltech mourns the loss of Edward C. Stone, leader of humanity’s first foray into interstellar space.
365
The rise and impending fall of the dental cavity
Another of history's great killers is on the chopping block
366
MIT engineers design tiny batteries for powering cell-sized robots
A zinc-air microbattery designed by MIT engineers could enable the deployment of cell-sized, autonomous robots for drug delivery within in the human body, as well as other applications such as locating leaks in gas pipelines.
367
Researchers discover physical cause of long Covid tiredness
Researchers from Amsterdam UMC and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) have discovered that the persistent fatigue in patients with long-COVID has a biological cause, namely mitochondria in muscle cells that produce less energy than in healthy patients. The results of the study were published today in Nature…
368
Rotation curves: still flat after a million light-years
That rotation curves become flat at large radii is one of the most famous results in extragalactic astronomy. This had been established by Vera Rubin and her collaborators by the late 1970s. There …
369
New work extends the thermodynamic theory of computation
In a paper published in Physical Review X on May 13, a quartet of physicists and computer scientists expand the modern theory of the thermodynamics of computation. By combining approaches from statistical physics and computer science, the researchers introduce mathematical equations that reveal the minimum and maximum…
370
The marvelous disappearing capacitor
The performance of photodiode amplifiers can be improved in a clever way.
371
UMD study: N95 masks nearly perfect at blocking Covid
Researchers Found Even Lower-Performing Masks Were Protective
372
Unlocking the secrets of myelin repair
New research supported by Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute could lead to novel treatments for
373
Does anybody know this fractal? (2012)
Experimenting with the "divisibility" of complex numbers, I stumbled across this thingy. It looks like a fractal. Although the formula does not do any iterations. It reminds me of something. But I dont know what. Doing a Google image search brings up a couple of galaxies :) This image shows the region from (-1/-1) to…
374
Researchers Create First Functional Semiconductor Made from Graphene
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created the world’s first functional semiconductor made from graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms held together by the strongest bonds known. Semiconductors, which are materials that conduct electricity under specific conditions, are foundational components…
375
International Study Detects Consciousness in Unresponsive Patients
Your trusted health & wellness resource- explore a wealth of expert articles offering invaluable insights and guidance.
376
Carl Sagan, nuking the moon, and not nuking the moon
Most of us go about our lives comforted by the thought “I would never drop a nuclear weapon on the moon.” The truth is that given a lot of power, a nuclear weapon, and a lot of extremely specific c…
377
Juice rerouted to Venus in first lunar-Earth flyby
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) has successfully completed a world-first lunar-Earth flyby, using the gravity of Earth to send it Venus-bound, on a shortcut to Jupiter through the inner Solar System.
378
Battery-free self-powered sensor harvests magnetic energy
MIT researchers designed a self-powering, battery-free, energy-harvesting sensor. Using the framework they developed, they produced a temperature sensor that can harvest and store the energy from the magnetic field that exists in the open air around a wire.
379
Moving objects precisely with sound
EPFL researchers have succeeded in directing floating objects around an aquatic obstacle course using only soundwaves. Their novel, optics-inspired method holds great promise for biomedical applications such as noninvasive targeted drug delivery.
380
How the brain responds to reward is linked to socioeconomic background
The brain’s sensitivity to rewarding experiences — a critical factor in motivation and attention — can be shaped by socioeconomic conditions, according to an MIT study.
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382
Sinusoidal Sunlight
The graph of daylight over the course of a year looks like a sine wave, but is it?
383
When (if ever) did the Sun set on the British Empire?
It hasn't. Yet. But only because of a few dozen people living in an area smaller than Disney World.
384
China is building more coal plants but might burn less coal
China is adding more coal capacity, but its plants are running less often.