[ad_1] Anton Petrus/Getty Images The FerrymanJustin Cronin (Orion Books) IN THE canon of contemporary science fiction, reality is a shaky concept. Books and movies have probed, pummelled and pulled apart the fabric of the material world to reveal countless deceits. Such revelations are the source of paranoid nightmares in works like The Matrix, The […]
[ad_1] Sudden infant death syndrome may partly be caused by reduced binding of the neurotransmitter serotonin to receptors in the lower brainstem janulla/iStockphoto/Getty Images Researchers may have identified a biological mechanism behind sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A better understanding of the condition’s causes could help scientists to develop a test that predicts a baby’s […]
[ad_1] Fluxonium qubits could make quantum computers more useful Bartlomiej K. Wroblewski/Alamy A superconducting qubit, or quantum bit, has broken the record for how long it can maintain its quantum properties. Extending this time will make future quantum computers more useful. The first step in building a quantum computer is choosing how to make its […]
[ad_1] Microfibres are shed from clothes during washing and drying Ariel Skelley/Blend Images LLC/Getty Images All tumble dryers release significant amounts of microfibres into the environment, research has revealed, putting fresh pressure on manufacturers to redesign their appliances. When clothes are washed and dried, they shed tiny particles of clothing fibres. Studies have already shown […]
[ad_1] Plant-based plastics don’t readily deteriorate at sea Shutterstock/MikeDotta A common plant-based plastic marketed as compostable has been found not to degrade when it ends up in the ocean, remaining intact for more than a year. Compostable “bioplastics” have been touted as a solution to plastic waste, which enters the ocean at the pace of […]
[ad_1] GERMAIN ROUSSEAUX owns what looks like a very long and very narrow fish tank, minus the fish. At the bottom, in the middle, is a plastic ramp. When he switches on the apparatus, waves sweep along the tank and pass over the ramp, speeding up as they do so. This, he says, is a […]
[ad_1] The nucleus of a thorium atom could make a useful clock RICHARD KAIL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY The discovery of an elusive flash of light from the nucleus of the element thorium, which physicists have been hunting for decades, brings us a step closer to building a nuclear clock. This could be the most precise timepiece […]
[ad_1] Gert-Jan Oskam walking with the aid of brain and spine implants and a backpack computer CHUV 2022/WEBER Gilles A Dutch man who was paralysed after breaking his neck can now walk with crutches after receiving implants that let his brain send signals to his spine through a computer in a backpack. Gert-Jan Oskam, who […]
[ad_1] These solar cells can bend without breaking Wenzhu Liu Lightweight and bendy solar cells that are just as efficient as conventional ones could massively expand the use of solar power. Most solar cells in use today are crystal silicon-based, thanks to their high efficiency and ease of manufacture, but they can only be placed […]
[ad_1] Cosmic Girl and LauncherOne Virgin Orbit Virgin Orbit, a space start-up founded by UK entrepreneur Richard Branson, has been shut down. Here’s what you need to know. Why has Virgin Orbit shut down? The firm’s troubles began with a failed mission in January, which was due to be the first-ever orbital launch from the […]