Articles by Andrea Alfano
Science Images Of The Week: Pancake Bounce, Mouse Ear Art And More
Whether studying the blood vessels in a mouse's ear or the bizarre behavior of a droplet of water, scientists served up some stunning shots this week. There was even beauty to be found in the patches of cells in our own bodies that may serve as a gateway for brain-destroying pathogens.
This Dying Star Looks Like A Cosmic Soap Bubble
Planetary nebulas are one of the most spectacular ways in which stars can die. This is the best view yet of the planetary nebula nicknamed the Southern Owl Nebula.
A New Ultrafast Light Source Is Setting The Stage For Optical Computing
Capable of blinking at the incomprehensible speed of 90 billion times per second, a new light source represents a key step toward optical computers. These computers could, in theory, run even faster than current computers.
Podmasters: 'Why Oh Why' Host Andrea Silenzi Gives A Podcaster's View On Live Performances
Podcasts are going live with what appears to be great success. Andrea Silenzi gave Tech Times an insider's perspective after last week's 'Tape Festival.'
Substances That Allow Earthworms To Transform Our World Discovered With Molecular Microscopes
Earthworms are ecosystems engineers, without whom forests and many other parts of our planet would look completely different. Using molecular microscopes, researchers recently uncovered the key to their amazing aptitude for the critical task of recycling plant matter.
Empowering Drones With Insectlike Eyes
An ‘artificial eye’ modeled off those of insects could lead to big advances for small drones. The tiny sensors weigh just a couple of milligrams, far smaller than any digital camera that is available today.
Hubble Catches Sight Of A Dying Star’s Beautiful Final Moments
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this breathtaking image of a planetary nebula. Like a supernova, a planetary nebula is the explosive phase of a star's death, but these two phenomena are not the same.
Borrowing The Boxfish’s Shell Design To Create Better Body Armor And Flexible Electronics
The boxfish's beautiful arrangement of hexagonal scales creates an incredibly tough armor that still manages to remain flexible. Scientists are taking inspiration from this amazing natural material to design new materials with applications ranging from human body armor to flexible electronics.
New Way To Make Quality Graphene Boosts Commercial Viability
Graphene is a 2D material with seemingly unlimited applications in the lab, but the cost of producing it in large sheets has severely limited its applications in the real world. A new technique for growing graphene could change that.
This Week In Space: Streaming The Golden Record And Studying Extraterrestrial Kombucha
Earthlings got new access to something that humans launched into space nearly 40 years ago and also learned about why humans launched kombucha microorganisms into space more recently. Plus, alien auroras, a gorgeous new shot of Earth that spotlights Africa, and more.
Bug-Inspired Bots Can Leap Off Liquid Water
Walking on water is already a tough enough task, but jumping from the surface of water presents an even greater challenge. By studying water strider insects, scientists were able to build a tiny robot that can launch itself off this ubiquitous liquid.
ESA Sent Kombucha Into Space To Learn About Potential For Extraterrestrial Life
Kombucha is all the rage among health nuts and hipsters these days, and apparently scientists have taken interest in the ancient brew, too. ESA has sent samples of the microorganisms that turn tea into Kombucha to space in order to learn more about what forms of life can survive beyond our planet.
Science Images Of The Week: Hard Drugs, Beautiful Chaos, And More
Drugs, chaos, and snakes were just a few of the sources of amazing science images this week. As always, we got some breathtaking perspectives from space, plus some inspiring science-based art.
Smartphone DNA Test For Chlamydia Offers Affordable Alternative
Most people living with chlamydia don't even know they have it. The expense of testing for this STD has been an obstacle to early detection and treatment, so researchers developed a lower-cost testing device that attaches to smartphones.
Editing The Genomes Of Human Immune Cells Is Now Possible With CRISPR
With the powerful new genetic engineering tool known as CRISPR, scientists were able to successfully edit key cells in the human immune system. This advance could aid efforts to fight diseases such as HIV and even various cancers.
Brain Scans Show How Suspenseful Movies Hack Into Your Attention Circuits
Scientists scanned people's brains while they watched suspenseful movies to figure out how these fictional stories are so powerful for capturing our attention. They found that watching thrillers can hack your brain’s attention circuits to give you tunnel vision.
Scientists Are Making Lasers Out Of Pig Fat
As if anyone needed another reason to love pig fat, scientists are now turning it into cellular lasers. Besides being a lot of fun to play around with, the lasers could help scientists learn about cells in new ways.
The Extreme Darkness Of Moth Eyes May Help Scientists Improve Solar Panels
Moths’ eyes are exquisitely adapted for seeing in the dark, so they absorb almost all of the light that hits them. This same property may help researchers create solar panels capture more light so that they can generate more energy.
Fruit Flies Show They May Be Self-Aware By Playing A Video Game
Scientists set up fruit flies to essentially play a virtual reality video game to test whether these insects are self-aware. Their results suggest that the flies were actually aware they were controlling the avatars on the screen.
This Week In Space: Humans On The Moon And Intelligent Aliens In The Universe
If you thought that space news was going to quiet down now that last week’s Pluto flyby climax has passed, you were wrong. New plans to return to the moon, the announcement of the largest-ever project focused on finding intelligent alien life, and the successful journey of three new people to the International Space Station were just a few of this week’s exciting developments.
Megafauna Extinction Driven Mainly By Climate Change, Not Humans
Samples of ancient DNA from fossils of megafauna like mammoths reveal that the extinction of large land mammals correlates more closely with warming climates than the arrival of humans. The researchers looked at these trends at an unprecedented evolution that allowed them to uncover strong evidence to the contrary of the prevailing theory that humans caused the demise of megafauna.
Creating Self-Assembling Nanoscale Origami Out Of DNA
With the help of 3D-modeling software, researchers were able to craft strands of DNA that could spontaneously fold into shapes like bunnies. This new technique could aid in biological research and may even be useful for drug delivery.
Science Images Of The Week: Origami Bunnies Made Of DNA, A Cosmic Collision And More
From the enormous scale of two cosmically intertwined stars to the extremely tiny scale of intricately folded strands of DNA, this week's science news revealed a diverse array of amazing images. We also got an update on the famous 'Blue Marble' photo, and learned the science behind the mysterious phenomenon of hair ice.
Mysterious Phenomenon Of Ice That Grows Like Hair Explained
The strange formation in this photo is actually made out of ice. Known as hair ice, this strange phenomenon has puzzled scientists for decades, but a group of researchers in Switzerland and Germany have at last solved the mystery.
How Fireflies Can Help Light The Way To Earlier Disease Diagnosis
Scientists have found a way to use a modified version of the molecule responsible for fireflies' signature glow to illuminate signs of disease. This new firefly-enabled technique could help doctors diagnose diseases, including cancer, more quickly.
‘Smart Wires’ In Bionic Hand Contract The Same Way Natural Muscles Do
A chief goal of prosthetic appendages is to resemble the natural body parts they replace as closely as possible. Equipped with new 'smart wire' technology, this bionic hand mimics the system that natural muscles use to move, allowing it to be more lightweight and flexible.
Gender Dysphoria Is Not Caused By Hormonal Imbalances, Study On Transgender Youth Finds
The claim that the transgender experience is a result of hormonal imbalances can be harmful to transgender people looking to gain acceptance for who they are. A new study that shows transyouth have hormone levels typical of the gender they were assigned at birth provides further evidence that such claims are unfounded.
Fresh Footprints On The Moon Are Feasible Under Current NASA Budget, Study Finds
A new study funded by NASA details a cost-effective plan to return to the moon for the first time since 1972. The report was released on the 46th anniversary of the first moonwalk, July 20, 1969.
Podmasters: 5 Thought-Provoking Philosophy Podcasts You Should Be Listening To Now
This week's roundup of great podcasts is for all of the thinkers out there. If you're looking for a new podcast that will keep your brain busy while you're out for a run, cleaning your house, or doing whatever you do while you listen to podcasts, these shows are well worth a listen.
Mimicking Shift Work Schedule In Mice Leads To Weight Gain And Cancer
When scientists disrupted the natural light-dark cycles of day and night, mice exhibited significantly earlier onset of breast cancer and gained more weight than those on a more natural schedule. The findings add to mounting evidence that shift work can have serious health consequences.
