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New research from the University of Göttingen reveals that amethyst geodes in Uruguay formed at low temperatures from groundwater-like fluids, proposing a new model for their formation based on extensive geological surveys and innovative analytical methods.

Amethyst, the violet variety of quartz, has been used as a gemstone for centuries and is a key economic resource in northern Uruguay. Geodes are hollow rock formations often with quartz crystals, such as amethyst, inside.

In Uruguay, amethyst geodes have been found in cooled lava flows dating back to the original breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana approximately 134 million years ago. However, their formation has remained a mystery.

Most of the current atom interferometers are large instruments, occupying buildings and requiring towers that can reach tens of meters in height. Now, University of Michigan physicists have developed a design for a quantum rotation sensor with a core size that is barely visible to the human eye.

The proof-of-concept design could help bring atom interferometer-based quantum sensors out of the laboratory and into the world, according to lead author and U-M doctoral student Bineet Dash.

Scientists could use atom interferometers in quests ranging from the continual hunt for the tiny ripples in the fabric of our universe caused by gravitational waves to understanding minute, localized changes in Earth’s gravity caused by melting ice sheets in Antarctica, Dash says. But because of their size, atom interferometers are typically bound to laboratory settings. Currently, the most sensitive atom interferometers use tall towers inside buildings to shoot beams of atoms across tens of meters to gather information.

Bioengineered bacteria to eat plastic in seawater:3 Which in large quantities can eat all the plastic in the ocean:3 Yay face_with_colon_three

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a highly recyclable plastic that has been extensively used and manufactured. Like other plastics, PET resists natural degradation, thus accumulating in the environment. Several recycling strategies have been applied to PET, but these tend to result in downcycled products that eventually end up in landfills. This accumulation of landfilled PET waste contributes to the formation of microplastics, which pose a serious threat to marine life and ecosystems, and potentially to human health. To address this issue, our project leveraged synthetic biology to develop a whole-cell biocatalyst capable of depolymerizing PET in seawater environments by using the fast-growing, nonpathogenic, moderate halophile Vibrio natriegens. By leveraging a two-enzyme system—comprising a chimera of IsPETase and IsMHETase from Ideonella sakaiensis —displayed on V. natriegens, we constructed whole-cell catalysts that depolymerize PET and convert it into its monomers in salt-containing media and at a temperature of 30°C.

Scientists studying viruses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently opened their lab door for a tour, looking to shine a light on their work after being targeted by a Republican bill.

The legislation would have prohibited some of the research that has been done in the past in Madison…

The bill would have ended all so-called “gain-of-function” research at higher education institutions in the state, and cut funding from any university that continued such experiments.

Continue reading “Under scrutiny, UW-Madison virus lab opens its doors” »

Researchers explore an intriguing phenomenon in quantum systems, drawing inspiration from a recent quantum computing experiment.

Earlier this year, researchers at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Quantum Physics (CCQ) announced that they had successfully used a classical computer and sophisticated mathematical models to thoroughly outperform a quantum computer on a task that some thought only quantum computers could solve.

NASA reconnected with Voyager 1 after a fault protection system prompted the spacecraft to turn off a transmitter.

Engineers at JPL are investigating the incident, facing the challenge of managing commands and data over a 15 billion-mile distance. The team aims to stabilize communications and address the technical difficulties of the aging spacecraft in interstellar space.

Reestablishing Contact With Voyager 1

AI take over of education is now underway. In full swing by early 2030s.

A new study shows that even today’s most advanced AI vision-language models can’t compare with human comprehension capabilities.

Google is doubling down on AI internally to make its business more efficient.