Game Development

New observations of the giant exoplanet Beta Pictoris b are challenging assumptions about how and where massive planets form. New observations of Beta Pictoris b, a massive planet orbiting a young star, are challenging a method astronomers hoped could reveal where giant planets form. More precise measurements of the planet’s atmosphere have overturned an earlier […]

The same plastic that keeps marathon runners warm could help future moon bases withstand extreme temperatures and years of rough treatment. Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed an insulating material by stacking hundreds of thin sheets of Mylar. In laboratory tests, the stacks combined effective insulation in a vacuum with flexibility and resistance […]

Bangladesh’s brick kilns found a way to pollute less and earn more, but workers saw no measurable improvement in their pay or working conditions. Simple adjustments to how coal is fed and bricks are stacked helped traditional kilns burn less fuel, release less pollution, and produce better bricks. Yet a companion study found no measurable […]

Ocean measurements show a vast Southern Hemisphere water layer growing saltier and denser, a shift that could send more heat into deep waters than climate models predict. Every Antarctic summer, melting sea ice sends a vast pulse of fresh water into the ocean. That seasonal supply helps sustain Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), a layer of […]

An El Niño that could beat 1997’s record is taking shape in the Pacific, leaving scientists watching for its next move. El Niño is part of a natural climate pattern that returns roughly every two to seven years. Its most recent very strong events, in 1997–98 and 2015–16, disrupted weather worldwide. Consequences included fires in […]

DNA uncovered a hidden species among Japan’s lace bugs and hints that a tree introduced by humans could help give rise to another. Lace bugs living on two groups of Japan’s remote Ogasawara Islands had been classified as a single species, despite differences in their diets and coloring. Comparisons of their DNA have now revealed […]

Researchers have uncovered subtle optical signatures that could help distinguish atomic defects in a promising quantum material. An atomic defect too small to see could leave a recognizable signature in laser light, giving scientists a new way to identify structures that may be useful for quantum technology. Researchers at the University at Buffalo have predicted […]

A new technique allows researchers to manipulate magnetism deep within a single atom. Scientists have used radio waves to control the magnetic spin of a single atomic nucleus, achieving a result that challenges their understanding of how atomic magnetism works. The experiment, conducted at Delft University of Technology and published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that […]

An immune protein called perforin can turn iron against cancer cells in laboratory experiments, suggesting a possible route to more effective immunotherapy. The immune system can attack cancer cells by punching holes in their outer membranes and sending in enzymes that kill them. Research led by the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center shows […]

A genetic analysis of 2.8 million people points to specific brain cells that may influence Alzheimer’s, offering researchers new leads to investigate in the search for treatments. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia, which is projected to affect more than 150 million people worldwide by 2050. Genes play a substantial role in Alzheimer’s […]