Nanobacteria in clouds could play a crucial role in the spread of disease and in the formation of rain drops, scientists have claimed in a new research paper. Nanobacteria – believed to be micro-organisms much smaller than ordinary bacteria – and their possible role in creating rainfall in clouds was examined in a paper appearing […]
A study, appearing in the American Journal of Psychiatry, has found that light therapy effectively treats mood disorders, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other depressive disorders. The study, led by a psychiatrist at the University of North Carolina (UNC), also found that the effects of light therapy, also known as phototherapy, are comparable to […]
Research appearing in the journal Physical Review Lettersshows for the first time how ultra-cold matter can be arranged into complex molecules. The experiments – conducted by Cheng Chin at the University of Chicago and his colleagues under the leadership of Rudolf Grimm at Innsbruck University – may lead to a better scientific understanding of superconductivity […]
University of California scientists and researchers from Chonnam National University in South Korea have found that magnetic fluctuations appear to be responsible for superconductivity in a compound called plutonium-cobalt-pentagallium (PuCoGa5). The discovery of this “unconventional superconductivity” may lead scientists to a whole new class of superconducting materials and toward the goal of creating superconductors that […]
Physics professor Alan Kostelecky of Indiana University describes light as “a shimmering of ever-present vectors in empty space” and compares it to waves propagating across a field of grain. This description is markedly different from existing theories of light, in which scientists believe space is without direction and the properties of light are a result […]
Engineers at the University of Bath believe that almost all everyday household objects could be manufactured cheaply and quickly by appliances based on today’s rapid-prototyping machines. Rapid prototype machines are typically used to produce plastic components for industry, such as vehicle parts. The method they use, in which plastic is laid down in designs produced […]
Climate modelers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) have quantified the rates of sea level rise and global temperature increase that we will see in the 21st century. They say that even if no more greenhouse gases were added to the atmosphere, globally averaged surface air temperatures would rise about a half degree […]
Up until now, neuroscientists had assumed that the innate actions (hard-wiring) in primate brains were limited to simple movements. They believed that complex behaviors were all learned. But new studies are finding that a number of surprisingly complex behaviors appear to be hard-wired rather than learnt. Generally, these are “biologically significant” behaviors that appear likely […]
Finger length continues to be an area of fascination for researchers around the world. Hot on the heels of research that showed a correlation between finger length and sexual preference, comes a new study that notes the statistical match-up between finger length and aggressiveness. Author of the study, Peter Hurd, thought the whole idea was […]
Researchers believe that black holes and their associated large gravity wells may be hindering our ability to ever locate the center of the universe. Multiple black holes and other massive objects can make the light beams bend in unexpected and unpredictable ways, say the researchers. “Any attempt to discover what was happening a long time […]
