Scientists just made the first time crystal you can see– www.sciencedaily.com Source Link Excerpt:
Imagine a clock that doesn’t have electricity, but its hands and gears spin on their own for all eternity.
In a new study, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used liquid crystals, the same materials that are in your phone display, to create such a clock — or, at least, as close as humans can get to that idea. The team’s advancement is a new example of a “time crystal.” That’s the name for a curious phase of matter in which the pieces, such as atoms or other particles, exist in constant motion.
The researchers aren’t the first to make a time crystal, but their creation is the first that humans can actually see, which could open a host of technological applications.
“They can be observed directly under a microscope and even, under special conditions, by the naked eye,” said Hanqing Zhao, lead author of the study and a graduate student in the Department of Physics at CU Boulder.
RFK Jr. wants to overhaul the country’s ‘vaccine court.’ Here’s what stands in his way.– www.livescience.com Source Link Excerpt:
For almost 40 years, people who suspect they’ve been harmed by a vaccine have been able to turn to a little-known system called the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program — often simply called the vaccine court.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long been a critic of the vaccine court, calling it “biased” against compensating people, slow and unfair. He has said that he wants to “revolutionize” or “fix” this system.
Fixing broken bones with a 3D-printing glue gun– cosmosmagazine.com Source Link Excerpt:
A new bone repair solution that could reduce surgery times might soon find its way onto the operating table, with researchers testing out a 3D-printing glue gun on rabbit bone fractures in a new study published in the journal Device.
They showed the glue gun device can print bone grafts directly onto fractures and breaks during surgery by quickly designing the graft on the spot.
Graphical abstract. Credit: Jeon et al. / Device (CC BY-SA)
Bone grafts and implants have historically been made from metal or donor bone, while some recent studies have also used 3D-printed material. When a bone has broken in irregular ways, these implants need to be carefully designed and produced prior to the surgery which can potentially extend waiting and surgery times.
This is not the case for the newly developed device.
Researchers Criticize Putting Preschoolers on Stimulant Drugs– www.madinamerica.com Source Link Excerpt:
In a new study, researchers found that preschoolers are not receiving appropriate guideline-directed care for ADHD.
Clinical practice guidelines for this age group recommend beginning with family/behavioral therapy. Drugs are recommended by the guidelines only after therapy has failed to improve the situation or in very severe cases. But the researchers found that 42.2% of these 3- to 5-year-olds were given stimulant drugs before therapy could even be attempted.
“Clinical practice guidelines recommend medications as second-line treatment in cases with substantial dysfunction or lack of response to behavioral treatment,” the researchers write. Yet, they add, “more than one-third of patients lacked sufficient time for an evidence-based behavioral treatment before starting medications.”
The study was led by Yair Bannett at Stanford University and published in JAMA Network Open.
Strange new bacteria found in Amazon sand flies. Could it spread to humans?– www.sciencedaily.com Source Link Excerpt:
A new species of bacteria of the genus Bartonella has been found in the Amazon National Park in the state of Pará, Brazil, in phlebotomine insects, also known as sand flies. This type of insect is generally associated with transmitting leishmaniasis, but according to the researchers, the DNA of the newly discovered microorganism is similar to that of two other Andean species of bacteria, B. bacilliformis and B. ancashensis. These bacteria cause Carrión’s disease (also known as Peruvian wart and Oroya fever) and are both transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies.
There is currently no evidence in Brazil that this new species of bacteria can cause disease. However, since species of the genus Bartonella are responsible for several diseases in other countries, further studies are needed.
The research was conducted by Marcos Rogério André in partnership with Eunice Aparecida Bianchi Galati. Both researchers are affiliated with Brazilian institutions: the Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences of São Paulo State University (FCAV-UNESP) in Jaboticabal campus and the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo (FSP-USP). The study was supported by FAPESP through two projects (22/08543-2 and 22/16085-4).
Scientists discover how Earth’s interior took shape in its first 100 million years |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
Scientists have discovered fascinating new insights into what Earth looked like before it was fully formed. A study led by Charles-Édouard Boukaré, physicist at York University, reveals that our planet’s essential features were established within its first 100 million years. Published in Nature, the research combines geochemistry with advanced computer simulations to show how Earth’s molten interior cooled and solidified into distinct layers that continue to shape its geology today. These results challenge long-standing theories of planetary formation and provide a new perspective not only on Earth’s origins but also on how rocky planets across the universe evolve.
Astronomers have discovered extraordinarily powerful X-ray jets blasting from two supermassive black holes that are so ancient that the jets shine in the afterglow of the Big Bang.
“They are transforming the first light of the universe into high-energy jets,” Jaya Maithil, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told reporters Monday (June 9) at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska.
Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), Maithil and her team found that each jet spans a whopping 300,000 light-years — nearly three times the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy. Each jet emerges from an actively feeding supermassive black hole, known as a quasar, located about 11.6 billion and 11.7 billion light-years away.
UK police unit to monitor social media for signs of anti-migrant content – The Economic Times Source Link Excerpt:
A new intelligence unit within the UK’s National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) will begin monitoring social media for early signs of anti-migrant unrest, as authorities respond to renewed demonstrations across parts of England. The move follows concerns of a repeat of last summer’s violent outbreaks that were triggered by misinformation and civil disorder, as reported by The Guardian.
The policing minister, Diana Johnson, informed Members of Parliament on Sunday that the Home Office is considering the formation of a dedicated “national internet intelligence investigations team.” This team will be embedded within the NPoCC and tasked with identifying potential threats by analysing online activity, helping local forces respond more quickly to emerging risks.
The new Online Safety Act rules came into force last week 🚨
Online Safety Act’s age verification rules came into force on July 25.
A petition calling to repeal it has passed 300,000 signatures.
But what will happen next – and will it be debated?
A petition urging the government to repeal the new Online Safety Act has passed 300,000 signatures – just days after the new rules came into force.
The changes came into effect on Friday (July 25), and one of the measures included requiring UK residents to verify their ages before accessing websites with pornography or other content that could be considered harmful to children. This can be done by uploading a picture of yourself for ‘facial age estimation’ or a photo of ID.
A new quantum state of matter has been found in a material which could be useful in building self-charging and deep-space quantum computers.
The phase of matter was independently theoretically predicted by several researchers in the mid-1960s. Its discovery in a lab experiment is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
“It’s a new phase of matter, similar to how water can exist as liquid, ice or vapor,” says corresponding author Luis A. Jauregui, professor of physics & astronomy at the University of California, Irvine in the US.
Professor Luis Jauregui of the UC Irvine Department of Physics & Astronomy described how the new material he and his lab developed only exists in their labs. Credit: Steve Zylius / UC Irvine.
Scientists make incredible breakthrough with bendable battery that could transform future tech: ‘Overcomes the usual limits’ – Yahoo! Tech Source Link Excerpt:
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently completed a study outlining their design and development of a hydrogel electrolyte that uses urea and zinc acetate to enable zinc-ion batteries to bend without losing voltage.
The study, published in the international edition of Angewandte Chemie, sought an alternative to conventional means of improving flexibility.
Quasi-solid-state electrolytes, for instance, encounter limitations in terms of cost, durability, and environmental impact — limitations overcome by the inexpensive, eco-friendly zinc acetate compound.
That’s not to say the researchers faced zero obstacles along the way.
Zinc acetate’s poor solubility, according to a summary published on Tech Xplore, interferes with performance, meaning the researchers needed to cultivate a “salting out” strategy — that is, removing hydration shells around polymer chains — in order to strengthen the electrolyte’s durability.
“This approach overcomes the usual limits of the low-cost [zinc acetate] salt, making it much better at resisting wear and tear,” noted researcher Li Zhaoqian. “It allows the material to withstand repeated processes of zinc plating and stripping, as well as other physical stress, improving its overall durability.”
Zinc-ion batteries are used in a range of applications, from smart technology to electric vehicles and renewable power storage, serving as a much more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which tend to be expensive to source and contain hazardous pollutants.
Breakthrough lung cancer treatment supercharges immune cells with mitochondria– www.sciencedaily.com Source Link Excerpt:
While chemotherapy remains a cornerstone of lung cancer treatment, it often weakens the immune system it relies on for long-term control. Now, researchers have found a way to turn this weakness into strength — by transplanting healthy mitochondria into the tumor environment. In advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), combining mitochondrial transplantation with cisplatin not only enhanced immune cell infiltration but also reversed tumor metabolism and improved the drug’s effectiveness. This innovative approach transforms mitochondria from mere energy suppliers into active allies in cancer therapy, showing potential to reshape how we treat aggressive lung tumors.
Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for 85% of cases. Chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC, yet its effectiveness is hampered by toxic side effects and emerging resistance. Moreover, chemotherapy damages immune cells and reduces their presence in the tumor microenvironment, limiting long-term control. Adding to this challenge, tumors can hijack immune cell mitochondria through nanotube-like structures, further dampening immunity. Immunotherapy has improved outcomes for some, but many patients still fail to respond. Due to these limitations, there is a pressing need for strategies that restore immune power and metabolic balance during chemotherapy.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rescinded the emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines and tightened eligibility requirements to exclude most healthy adults and children. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the decision was based on “science, safety, and common sense.”
Under the new policy, people over the age of 65 will still be eligible, while younger adults and children must show they have an underlying health condition such as asthma or obesity that places them at higher risk for serious illness.
“I promised 4 things,” Kennedy wrote on X. “1. to end covid vaccine mandates. 2. to keep vaccines available to people who want them, especially the vulnerable. 3. to demand placebo-controlled trials from companies. 4. to end the emergency.”
“In a series of FDA actions today we accomplished all four goals,” he continued. “The emergency use authorizations for Covid vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded.”
Ever wondered if life itself shines, even if just a little? A fascinating 2024 study published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters by researchers at the University of Calgary and the National Research Council of Canada reveals that all living organisms emit an ultraweak light, scientifically called ultraweak photon emission (UPE), which mysteriously disappears the moment life ends.This glow is so faint that our eyes cannot see it, but advanced EMCCD cameras detect it clearly in mice, plants, and potentially other living beings. Unlike bioluminescence in fireflies or jellyfish, UPE is a natural byproduct of cellular processes such as oxidative metabolism and stress responses.Remarkably, injured plant leaves glow brighter, indicating that cellular stress amplifies this faint light. The discovery not only gives scientific evidence to ideas like “auras” but also opens possibilities for real-world applications in medicine, agriculture, and biological research. Life literally leaves a subtle light signature, and death quietly turns it off, shedding new light on the invisible glow that accompanies vitality.
A research team at the Politecnico di Milano has developed an innovative single-atom catalyst capable of selectively adapting its chemical activity. This is a crucial step forward in sustainable chemistry and the design of more efficient and programmable industrial processes.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, one of the world’s most authoritative scientific journals in chemistry.
This achievement is a breakthrough in the field of single-atom catalysts. For the first time, scientists have demonstrated the possibility of designing a material that can selectively change its catalytic function depending on the chemical environment. It involves a sort of ‘molecular switch’ that allows complex reactions to be performed more cleanly and efficiently, using less energy than conventional processes.
This is one of the most tragic stories I have covered in a long time.
According to reports, a 14-year-old boy seemingly fell in love with an AI chatbot styled after Game of Thrones and then took his own life due to comments from the bot asking him to “come home” after he clearly displayed suicidal thoughts:
A 14 year old boy took his own life after falling in love with ‘Game of Thrones’ AI chatbot pic.twitter.com/JhsmZOfGlJ
The development tackles two challenges at once. Untreated human waste threatens waterways by flooding them with excess nutrients. At the same time, demand for biocompatible implant materials continues to grow, with the market expected to hit $3.5 billion by 2030.
Scientists at the University of California, Irvine, and partner institutions have engineered “osteoyeast,” a modified organism that mimics the cells responsible for building bones naturally. The yeast processes urea, adjusting pH levels to trigger calcium and phosphate collection. These minerals crystallize into hydroxyapatite, the same substance found in human bones and teeth.
Imagine the brain’s blood vessels as a bustling highway system, twisting, turning, and pulsing with life. Now picture a traffic jam in one of the most critical intersections: that’s what happens in cerebrovascular diseases, especially when stenosis (narrowing of blood vessels) blocks the flow.
Doctors have tools to clear the jam, like surgical rerouting, balloon angioplasty, and stents. These can help restore blood flow, but here’s the catch: they don’t rebuild the real complexity of the brain’s vascular network. It’s like fixing a highway with straight pipes when the brain needs winding mountain roads.
Traditional lab models? They’re often too simple. Static cultures and microfluidic chips can’t mimic the brain’s dynamic flow, flexible vessel walls, or biological responses. That’s like studying traffic patterns using toy cars on a flat board.
The United Kingdom has a problem with the U.S.: It’s that pesky Bill of Rights and our refusal to surrender our rights to Britain’s censorship and due-process-busting domestic spying schemes.
Enter, stage right: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
I reported earlier this week that 4chan’s notorious internet pranksters hired a couple of big-name law firms, after Britain threatened the American-based company with a £20,000 fine, followed by hefty daily fines, if the group failed to impose Britain’s censorship rules on 4chan’s users everywhere in the world — including in the U.S.
4chan’s representation called the actions of Britain’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) an “illegal campaign of harassment against American technology firms.”
Online Safety Act petition: 300,000 sign petition to repeal Online Safety Bill – what happens next – Derbyshire Times
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Scientists make incredible breakthrough with bendable battery that could transform future tech: ‘Overcomes the usual limits’ – Yahoo! Tech
Breakthrough lung cancer treatment supercharges immune cells with mitochondria– www.sciencedaily.com
