The technology could lead to a new generation of powerful, low-cost 3D sensors for autonomous cars, drones, robots and even smartphones. When Google unveiled its first autonomous cars in 2010, the spinning cylinder mounted on the roofs really stood out. It was the vehicle’s light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system, which worked like light-based radar. Together with cameras and radar, LiDAR mapped the environment to help these cars avoid obstacles and drive safely. Since a then, inexpensive, chip-based cameras and…
Researchers provide the first plausible explanation to why one of the most massive black hole pairs observed to date by gravitational waves also seemed to merge on a non-circular orbit. Their suggested solution, now published in Nature, involves a chaotic triple drama inside a giant disk of gas around a super massive black hole in a galaxy far, far away. Black holes are one of the most fascinating objects in the Universe, but our knowledge of them is still limited…
Experiments point the way to solving mystery that keeps clusters hot. Galaxies rarely live alone. Instead, dozens to thousands are drawn together by gravity, forming vast clusters that are the largest objects in the universe. “Galaxy clusters are one of the most awe-inspiring things in the universe,” said Prof. Emeritus Don Lamb, a University of Chicago astrophysicist and co-author on a new paper published March 9—one that may point the way towards solving a decades-long mystery. Scientists have long known…
… for defusing explosive ordnance in the sea. Together with project partners, the LZH is developing a process to defuse world war ammunition under water using a laser. The goal: to affect the ecosystem as little as possible while saving time and costs. In the North and Baltic Sea, approximately 1.6 million tons of war ammunition lie on the seabed. The danger of unforeseen detonations is not the only problem. Over time, the water causes the steel shell of the…
Scientists at the University of Cologne have shown that the recycling program of cells, autophagy, leads to the fusion of several single cells into multinucleated cell units during wound healing / publication in ‘The EMBO Journal’. A team led by Professor Dr. Maria Leptin has shown in animal models that autophagy, a mechanism of stress responses in cells, plays an important role in wound healing: When a wound develops, the process of autophagy is initiated and regulated by the protein…
Intense mid-infrared excitation has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for controlling the magnetic, ferroelectric and superconducting properties of complex materials. Nonlinear phononics is key to this end, as it displaces specific atoms away from their equilibrium positions to manipulate microscopic interactions. So far, this effect has been thought to occur only within the optically excited volume. Now researchers in Hamburg discovered that the polarization reversal in ferroelectric lithium niobate (LiNbO3) even occurs in areas well away from the direct…
… and share backstory of Google’s time crystal. Researchers will discuss new experimental milestones in quantum science at the 2022 APS March Meeting, during a press conference at 10 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The conference will be held onsite and streamed via Zoom. A new study in Physical Review X reports experimental evidence for a recently predicted quantum theory. “We have for the first time observed the ‘quantum boomerang effect,’ a fundamental feature of localized matter whereby…
Diabetes is a long-term chronic disease with many complications and requires care over a lifetime. The longer a patient suffers from diabetes, the higher the risk of developing retinopathy which can progressively lead to a decline in vision and even to blindness. A POSTECH research team led by Professor Sei Kwang Hahn and Ph.D. candidate Geon-Hui Lee (Department of Materials Science and Engineering) in collaboration with Dr. Sangbaie Shin of PHI BIOMED Co. has recently developed a smart contact lens-type…
A newly proposed technique enables rapid 3D image acquisition. One-scan is a technique involving an elongated light spot that resembles a “needle” which captures three-dimensional (3D) images of a specimen. The new method, which was developed by researchers from Tohoku University and Osaka University, can rapidly take 3D images without moving the observation plane – something necessary in conventional laser scanning microscopes. Light microscopy is ubiquitous and vital for various fields including life science and medical diagnosis. As many biological…
Successful innitial laboratory research results at the Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the HZDR. In motor neuron diseases of the nervous system, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commands can no longer be sent to the muscles. This gradually leads to paralysis. Physicist Dr. Thomas Herrmannsdörfer from the German national lab Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and physician Prof. Richard Funk from the TU Dresden formulated the idea to selectively revive the motor neurons using magnetic fields. Initial laboratory research results…
… is first-ever fish described by a Maldivian scientist. Named after the country’s national flower, the species is added to the tree of life as part of the California Academy of Sciences’ global Hope for Reefs initiative. Though there are hundreds of species of fish found off the coast of the Maldives, a mesmerizing new addition is the first-ever to be formally described—the scientific process an organism goes through to be recognized as a new species—by a Maldivian researcher. The…
Findings could lead to new ways to treat brain injuries and disease. A single protein can reverse the developmental clock on adult brain cells called astrocytes, morphing them into stem-like cells that produce neurons and other cell types, UT Southwestern researchers report in a PNAS study. The findings might someday lead to a way to regenerate brain tissue after disease or injury. “We’re showing that it may be possible to reprogram the fate of this subset of brain cells, giving…
In the brain, neurons and astrocytes work together to process information and enable complex behavior and cognitive abilities. Astrocytes have many functions like controlling the blood-brain barrier, providing nutrients to the nervous tissue, and supporting its repair. An interesting feature of astrocytes is that they form large networks of connected cells. These couplings are made of specific membrane pores that are formed by a group of proteins called connexins. And through these connections, astrocytes can communicate with each other by…
Renowned engineering and architecture firm, IDOM, faces rigorous design requirements of the Giant Magellan Telescope’s enclosure to allow for unobstructed observations of the night sky. The Giant Magellan Telescope today announced they have awarded IDOM, a renowned engineering and architecture firm based in Spain, a contract to complete the telescope enclosure design by 2024. The award follows an extensive enclosure designer evaluation and selection process based on a detailed set of criteria involving design team experience, proposed approaches to specific…
… could make air travel easier on the environment. Built to take the heat: While conventional sensors reach breaking point at around 300°C, researchers at Fraunhofer IZM are creating a sensor that works reliably at twice that temperature. The secret of the heat-loving sensors: Silicon carbide, etched with exceptional precision. Their ability to monitor pressure even in extremely adverse environments could help fine-tune the combustion process in jet turbines and reduce the fuel consumption of aircraft. Humans have dreamt of…
Good things come to those who wait, as the saying goes. But wait no more! Shorter product development timeframes not only save time and money, but also improve competitiveness. This can be achieved with faster and more efficient testing processes. Fatigue tests [Ermüdungsversuche (EF)] on completed aircraft take up a significant portion of the time spent on aircraft development and certification. The aim is to reduce the time between the start of the project and certification from around eight years…
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