SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
If scientists could give living cells magnetic properties, they could perhaps manipulate cellular activities with external magnetic fields. But previous attempts to magnetize cells by producing iron-containing proteins inside them have resulted in only weak magnetic forces. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Nano Letters have engineered genetically encoded protein crystals that can generate magnetic forces many times … Read more
To understand how individual molecules play their roles in biological processes inside the cells they are synthesized in, researchers have developed super-resolution microscopy methods to visualize them at the single-molecule level. However, to investigate their functions, ultimately, they would also like to be able to modify them individually at this high resolution. While the visualization … Read more
A first-of-its kind atlas depicting the lives and culture of Australia’s First Peoples has been updated for future generations. The Australian National University (ANU) led the project to produce the second edition of the Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia. The atlas is a “story in maps”, depicting all aspects of Indigenous culture, from 60,000 years … Read more
People who are accustomed to listening to Western music, which is based on a system of notes organized in octaves, can usually perceive the similarity between notes that are same but played in different registers – say, high C and middle C. However, a longstanding question is whether this a universal phenomenon or one that … Read more
The study, published today in the journal PLoS One, found this approach to kindergarten curriculum also enhanced children’s joy in learning and teachers’ enjoyment of teaching, and reduced bullying, peer ostracism, and teacher burnout. “Before children have the ability to sit for long periods absorbing information the way it is traditionally presented in school through lectures, … Read more
If the idea of flying on battery-powered commercial jets makes you nervous, you can relax a little. Researchers have discovered a practical starting point for converting carbon dioxide into sustainable liquid fuels, including fuels for heavier modes of transportation that may prove very difficult to electrify, like airplanes, ships and freight trains. Carbon-neutral re-use of … Read more
New research led by The Australian National University (ANU) has shown exposure to people from other racial backgrounds during childhood could help us better recognise faces across different races as adults. The study, led by Professor Elinor McKone, examined the ‘other-race effect’, a phenomenon in which people have difficulty telling apart individuals of a different … Read more
With apologies to “Spinal Tap,” it appears that black can, indeed, get more black. MIT engineers report today that they have cooked up a material that is 10 times blacker than anything that has previously been reported. The material is made from vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, or CNTs – microscopic filaments of carbon, like a … Read more
A Northwestern University research team has developed a new method for making highly desirable catalysts from metal nanoparticles that could lead to better fuel cells, among other applications. The researchers also discovered the method can take spent catalysts and recycle them into active catalysts. Made mainly of precious metals, these coveted catalysts are shaped like … Read more
Some creatures, such as chameleons and neon tetra fish, can alter their colors to camouflage themselves, attract a mate or intimidate predators. Scientists have tried to replicate these abilities to make artificial “smart skins,” but so far the materials haven’t been robust. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have taken a page from the chameleon’s playbook to … Read more