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Oct 27, 2024

Cracking the code: Researchers unlock a ‘new synthetic frontier’ for quantum dots

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, quantum physics, solar power

The type of semiconductive nanocrystals known as quantum dots are both expanding the forefront of pure science and also hard at work in practical applications including lasers, quantum QLED televisions and displays, solar cells, medical devices, and other electronics.

Oct 27, 2024

Perfect balance: How the brain fine-tunes its sensitivity

Posted by in category: neuroscience

A sensitive perception of the environment is crucial for guiding our behavior. However, an overly sensitive response of the brain’s neural circuits to stimuli can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy. University of Basel researchers report in the journal Nature how neuronal networks in the mouse brain are fine-tuned.

Oct 27, 2024

Dysfunction of neurons in the amygdala may be behind negative perceptions of the environment

Posted by in category: neuroscience

One of the characteristics of depression is a tendency to perceive sensory stimuli and everyday situations in an excessively negative way. But the mechanisms underpinning this “negativity bias,” which can fuel the development of depressive symptoms, had previously remained largely unknown.

Oct 27, 2024

Solving computationally hard problems with 3D integrated photonics

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, transportation

As technology advances, the limitations of conventional electronic computers are becoming increasingly apparent, especially when tackling complex computational challenges. NP-complete problems, which grow exponentially with size, represent some of the toughest puzzles in computer science. These issues have significant implications across various fields, including biomedicine, transportation, and manufacturing. In the quest for more effective…

Oct 27, 2024

Neuroscience sheds light on brain mechanisms underlying exceptional creativity

Posted by in category: neuroscience

A new study sheds light on how highly creative individuals, such as visual artists and scientists, may have brains that function differently compared to others. The research, published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, reveals that people who exhibit exceptional creativity—referred to as “Big C” creative individuals—demonstrate…

Oct 27, 2024

Neuronal wiring’s role in brain function varies across regions, study finds

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Different brain regions are connected by—and interact through—networks of neurons. But the extent to which neuronal wiring drives shared function between these different regions is not well understood. Is this structure-function relationship the same throughout the brain? The same across functions?

Oct 27, 2024

Revealing the hidden universe with full-shell X-ray optics

Posted by in category: cosmology

The study of X-ray emission from astronomical objects reveals secrets about the universe at the largest and smallest spatial scales. Celestial X-rays are produced by black holes consuming nearby stars, emitted by the million-degree gas that traces the structure between galaxies, and can be used to predict whether stars may be able to host planets hospitable to life.

Oct 27, 2024

Scientists propose a bold new reason for Betelgeuse’s volatile behavior

Posted by in category: space

The red giant star will explode, but it’s unknown when.

Oct 27, 2024

Computer Scientists Establish the Best Way to Traverse a Graph

Posted by in categories: computing, information science

A new proof shows that an upgraded version of the 70-year-old Dijkstra’s algorithm reigns supreme: It finds the most efficient pathways through any graph.

It doesn’t just tell you the fastest route to one destination.


In an interview toward the end of his life, Dijkstra credited his algorithm’s enduring appeal in part to its unusual origin story. “Without pencil and paper you are almost forced to avoid all avoidable complexities,” he said.

Continue reading “Computer Scientists Establish the Best Way to Traverse a Graph” »

Oct 27, 2024

Scientists discover a promising way to create new superheavy elements

Posted by in category: particle physics

What is the heaviest element in the universe? Are there infinitely many elements? Where and how could superheavy elements be created naturally?

The heaviest abundant element known to exist is uranium, with 92 protons (the atomic number “Z”). But scientists have succeeded in synthesizing up to oganesson, with a Z of 118. Immediately before it are livermorium, with 116 protons and tennessine, which has 117.

All have short half-lives—the amount of time for half of an assembly of the element’s atoms to decay—usually less than a second and some as short as a microsecond. Creating and detecting such elements is not easy and requires powerful particle accelerators and elaborate measurements.

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