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Study by the Universities of Bonn and St. Andrews proposes a new possible explanation for the Hubble tension.

The universe is expanding. How fast it does so is described by the so-called Hubble-Lemaitre constant. But there is a dispute about how big this constant actually is: Different measurement methods provide contradictory values. This so-called “Hubble tension” poses a puzzle for cosmologists. Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and St. Andrews are now proposing a new solution: Using an alternative theory of gravity, the discrepancy in the measured values can be easily explained — the Hubble tension disappears. The study has now been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).

Understanding the Universe’s Expansion.

Scientists have made a pivotal advancement in creating compact laser technology using organic semiconductors. This development promises diverse applications, from enhancing OLED displays to aiding in disease detection and environmental monitoring. The new laser, which emits green light in short pulses, overcomes the traditional need for an external laser in organic semiconductor lasers. Credit: SciTechDaily.com.

Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in creating an electrically driven organic semiconductor laser, paving the way for advanced and versatile laser applications.

Researchers at the University of St. Andrews are leading a significant breakthrough in a decades-long challenge to develop compact laser technology.

New research has unveiled an advancement in Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, offering unparalleled sensitivity and precision in measuring the distance of remote objects.

This research, published in Physical Review Letters, is a result of a collaboration between the group of Professor Yoon-Ho Kim at POSTECH in South Korea, and the Quantum Science and Technology Hub at the University of Portsmouth.

Coherent LIDAR has long been a cornerstone in distance measurement, but its capabilities have been restrained by the time of the light source. In a pioneering move, researchers have introduced two-photon LIDAR, eliminating the range limitations imposed by coherence time, to achieve accurate and precise ranging of a remote object situated far beyond the coherence time dictated by the spectral bandwidth of the light source.

The advancement of higher cognitive abilities in humans is predominantly associated with the growth of the neocortex, a brain area key to conscious thinking, movement, and sensory perception. Researchers are increasingly realizing, however, that the “little brain” or cerebellum also expanded during evolution and probably contributes to the capacities unique to humans, explains Prof. Henrik Kaessmann from the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University.

His research team has – together with Prof. Dr Stefan Pfister from the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg – generated comprehensive genetic maps of the development of cells in the cerebella of humans, mice, and opossums. Comparisons of these data reveal both ancestral and species-specific cellular and molecular characteristics of cerebellum development spanning over 160 million years of mammalian evolution.