WEIRD SCIENCE
Renewables powered by pastry could help the grass grow. By Mike Brown – A morning croissant could hold the answer to the planet’s energy problems. Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have developed a dielectric capacitor with the ability to store more …
A light-based machine could hold the answers. By Mike Brown – A quantum computer with a processor made entirely out of laser lights offers “extreme scalability,” its creators claim. The prototype design, 10 years in the making, could offer a more promising approach …
By Nick Lavars – Screen grab from a high-frame rate video depicting violent flares at the heart of a black hole. University of Southampton. – Advances in imaging technology are allowing researchers to observe scientific phenomena in exciting new ways, both here on Earth …
By Michael Irving – The team who discovered the stable new form of plutonium, standing with the ROBL spectrometer that confirmed the find. K. Kvashnina/ESRF. – A team of scientists has discovered a new, stable form of plutonium – and done so by accident. …
Picky eaters, beware. By Ali Hill – Scurvy is on the rise in the UK and picky eating might be the cause, a recent report in Metro suggests. But is this something we should worry about? As with most things, it’s not as …
By Ben Coxworth – Wood ants foraging within an apple orchard. Jens Henrik Petersen. – Although some gardeners may be put off by the sight of ants on their flowers, a new study indicates that the insects can be very effective at protecting …
By Rich Haridy – An artist impression of the newly discovered analgesic molecule, found in a fungus on a boat ramp in Tasmania. Professor Richard Sessions, University of Bristol, UK. – An exciting new study, led by a team of Australian researchers, has …
By Rich Haridy – A study suggests slow gait at the age of 45 may be a sign of accelerated aging. Andreaobzerova/Depositphotos. – Gait speed, or the pace at which a person walks, has long been effectively used as a biomarker for neurological and …
Here’s why you might eat greenhouse gases in the future. By Robby Berman – Jordane Mathieu on Unsplash. The company’s protein powder, “Solein,” is similar in form and taste to wheat flour. Based on a concept developed by NASA, the product has wide …
“What we have in mucus is a therapeutic gold mine.” By Alexandra Pattillo – Flu season is here and in turn, we’ve returned to the familiar sights and sounds of runny snot and thick phlegm. However, most of the time, mucus isn’t just …
