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May 27, 2021

This record-breaking camera can zoom in 100 million times

Posted by in categories: electronics, particle physics

Step aside, Nikon P1000, the new king of zoom is here. It’s an electronic microscope, though, but it can zoom in 100 million times and still keep the subject clear. It’s so impressive, in fact, that it earned a spot in the Guinness World Records.

Although electron microscopes allow scientists to see individual atoms, zooming all that far will not result in a sufficiently clear image. It’s due to the aberrations in the lenses which are corrected with special aberration correctors. But the problem is that you can’t stack those correctors forever.

David Muller and Sol Gruner, physics professors of Cornell University, came up with a new approach that they first introduced back in 2018. Their electron microscope achieves high resolution using a high-powered detector and a technique called ptychography. Thanks to this technique, they could capture in sharp detail even particles that measure down to 0.39 ångströms or 0.039 nanometers (one-billionth of a meter).

May 27, 2021

AI is learning how to create itself

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Is AI that learns on its own the path to truly intelligent machines?

May 27, 2021

Living Creatures Need Water. But Could They Make Do With Sulfuric Acid?

Posted by in category: futurism

Can there be life in exotic solvents? — such as sulfuric acid?


New results cast doubt on the presence of life in the Venusian atmosphere.

May 27, 2021

Dr. Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD — Senior VP, Deputy Director, and CSO — Fox Chase Cancer Center

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, chemistry, health

Innovating At The Frontiers Of Cancer Biology — Dr. Jonathan Chernoff MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Deputy Director, and Chief Scientific Officer, Fox Chase Cancer Center.


Dr. Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD, is Senior Vice President, Deputy Director, and Chief Scientific Officer, at Fox Chase Cancer Center (https://www.foxchase.org/) where he coordinates and charts the future course of research for the organization.

Continue reading “Dr. Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD — Senior VP, Deputy Director, and CSO — Fox Chase Cancer Center” »

May 27, 2021

Immune function of small chloroplasts in the epidermal cells of plants

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, food

It is said that 10 to 15% of the world’s agricultural production loss is caused by diseases, which is equivalent of the food for about 500 million people. And since 70–80% of this plant disease is caused by filamentous fungi, protecting crops from filamentous fungi is an important issue in effectively feeding the world population. In order for pathogenic fungi to infect plants, they must break through the epidermal cells of the plant and invade the interior. In other words, plant epidermal cells act as the first barrier to stop the attack of pathogenic fungi in the environment. So what kind of defense functions do epidermal cells have?

Interestingly, it was known that the epidermis of contain small chloroplasts that are not so involved in photosynthesis. However, it was unclear what function it had. Why are there small chloroplasts in the epidermis of plants that do not contribute much to photosynthesis?

Assistant Professor Hiroki Irieda of the Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University and Professor Yoshitaka Takano, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, found that small chloroplasts in the epidermis of plants control the entry of fungal pathogens. The duo discovered that the small chloroplasts move inside the cell dramatically to the surface layer in response to the fungal attack and is involved in such defense response. Furthermore, the duo found that multiple immune factors involved in the defense response of plants are specifically found in the epidermal chloroplast, which contributes to the enhancement of resistance to the invasion of pathogen filamentous fungi.

May 27, 2021

AI Could Soon Write Code Based on Ordinary Language

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Microsoft reveals plans to bring GPT-3, best known for generating text, to programming. “The code writes itself,” CEO Satya Nadella says.

May 27, 2021

Greenwald vs. Dershowitz Debating Government Surveillance

Posted by in categories: government, surveillance

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Join political heavyweights Glenn Greenwald and Alan Dershowitz as they go head to head to address this question for the ages in a live video debate exclusively for Freedom Forum News and Arium at 9pm ET on May 29th.

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May 27, 2021

Atoms viewed at highest ever resolution

Posted by in categories: information science, particle physics

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a technique that involves beaming electrons through a specimen to form an image. This enables the generation of significantly higher resolution than traditional optical microscopes. While the latter devices are typically limited to around 1000x magnification due to the resolving power of visible light, TEM can provide zoom capabilities that are orders of magnitude greater – surpassing even a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

In recent years, TEM instruments have begun to reach extraordinary levels of detail. Spatial resolutions are now edging into the realm of individual atoms, measuring less than 0.0000005 millimetres (mm).

However, TEM is prone to lens aberrations and multiple scattering, limiting its use to samples thin enough to let electrons pass through. The process is technically challenging and requires additional tools to perform. In 2018, researchers at Cornell University offered a potential solution. They built a high-powered detector combined with a new algorithm-driven process called ptychography. This achieved a new record for microscopic resolution, tripling the previous state-of-the-art.

May 27, 2021

Nanotubes aligned in pristine condition

Posted by in category: nanotechnology

Scientists from Japan’s RIKEN Institute have developed a new ‘dry transfer technique’ which enables the precise positioning of optical-quality carbon nanotubes, without needing a solvent.

May 27, 2021

This New 8-Seat Electric Airplane Costs 80% Less to Fly Than Conventional Aircraft

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 800 is a clean-sheet design that will carry eight people, including one or two pilots. The 800 will have two motors, powered by a grid of electric cells across the airframe.

This is the third model in a lineup of electric planes from the Denver-based aerospace firm, but the first with two motors. The eFlyer 2 is a two-seater for professional flight training that was developed when the company launched in 2014, and the eFlyer 4, a four-seater for air taxi and advanced training, came later. Both models have more than 360 orders each.