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.
The last 2.6 million years are characterized by glacial cycles, a regular alternation of cold and warm periods. It is widely accepted that changes in the concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were largely responsible for these natural fluctuations of cold and warm periods. What exactly triggers the increase in … Read more
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have shown for the first time that a cheap catalyst can split water and generate hydrogen gas for hours on end in the harsh environment of a commercial device. The electrolyzer technology, which is based on a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), has … Read more
Was there such a thing as ‘the good old days’ when people were happier? Are current Government policies more or less likely to increase their citizens’ feelings of wellbeing? Using innovative new methods researchers at the University of Warwick, University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School and The Alan Turing Institute in London have built … Read more
For decades, astronomers have speculated that the space between stars may be populated by exosolar minor bodies – comets and asteroids – ejected from their home planetary systems. Studies have also suggested that these bodies may occasionally pass through the Solar System and be identified thanks to their strongly open orbits. The discovery of ‘Oumuamua’ … Read more
Scientists at Lancaster University and the University of Oxford have created a nano-electronic circuit which vibrates without any external force. Using a tiny suspended wire, resembling a vibrating guitar string, their experiment shows how a simple nano-device can generate motion directly from an electrical current. The research has been published in Nature Physics. To create the … Read more
An international research team, led by Chin-Fei Lee at Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA, Taiwan), has detected a pair of spiral arms in an accretion disk around a protostar (baby star), using the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA). Interestingly, these spiral density enhancements make the disk appear like a “space whirlpool.” … Read more
The intensity of summer algal blooms has increased over the past three decades, according to a first-ever global survey of dozens of large, freshwater lakes, which was conducted by Carnegie’s Jeff Ho and Anna Michalak and NASA’s Nima Pahlevan and published by Nature. Reports of harmful algal blooms – like the ones that shut down Toledo’s … Read more
Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) are asking the public to help investigate a phenomenon that’s killing Australia’s iconic snow gums. Dr Matthew Brookhouse says very little is known about ‘snow gum dieback’, despite it being widespread throughout the Australian Alps. “Snow gums are an iconic part of the Australian Alps – they’re the … Read more
Warmer temperatures linked to climate change are having a big impact on the breeding habits of one of Australia’s most recognisable bird species, according to researchers at The Australian National University (ANU). The study looked at the breeding season of superb fairy-wrens living in the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra. The research was led … Read more
In his landmark 2006 study, Western University’s renowned neuroscientist Adrian Owen and his collaborators showed for the first time ever that functional neuroimaging can reveal conscious awareness in some patients who appear to be entirely vegetative and can even allow some of these individuals to communicate their thoughts and wishes to the outside world. But … Read more