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Ancient metabolic process recreated: Iron and sulfur reactions in simulated black smokers shed light on early life

The very first cells obtained their energy from geochemical reactions. LMU researchers have now managed to recreate this ancient metabolic process in their laboratory.

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Torsion unipolar barrier heterojunction device simplifies optical imaging and sensing

Polarization, along with intensity, wavelength, and phase, is a fundamental property of light. It enhances contrast and resolution in imaging compared to traditional intensity-based methods. On-chip polarization devices rely on complex four-pixel arrays or external polarizers.

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Hubble spots a magnetar zipping through the Milky Way

Magnetars are among the rarest—and weirdest—denizens of the galactic zoo. They have powerful magnetic fields and may be the source of fast radio bursts (FRBs). A team of astronomers led by European Space Agency researcher Ashley Chrimes recently used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to track one of these monsters called SGR 0501+4516 (SGR0501, for […]

How well would a laser communication system work from Mars?

Communications with Mars explorers face unique challenges, including 4–24 minute signal delays and limited bandwidth that restricts data transmission. While NASA’s Deep Space Network currently manages these communications, future missions may be able to employ advanced laser systems capable of dramatically faster data rates.

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The moon is a constant source of minimoons

Earth has only one natural satellite, the moon, which is relatively large compared to its parent planet. It orbits Earth at an average distance of about 384,400 kilometers and completes one revolution approximately every 27.3 days. The moon is thought to have formed about 4.5 billion years ago, likely resulting from a massive collision between […]

Quantum computer outperforms supercomputers in approximate optimization tasks

A quantum computer can solve optimization problems faster than classical supercomputers, a process known as “quantum advantage” and demonstrated by a USC researcher in a paper recently published in Physical Review Letters.

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Electron scattering experiment results in new method to produce an extremely heavy hydrogen isotope

For the first time, a research team has successfully produced one of the most neutron-rich isotopes, hydrogen-6, in an electron scattering experiment.

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Hemispherical mirror technique results in quantum noise reduction

Researchers at Swansea University have discovered a way to use mirrors to dramatically reduce the quantum noise that disturbs tiny particles—a breakthrough that might seem magical but is rooted in quantum physics.

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BWC: Fla. police leap onto circling boat after boater thrown overboard

Boat crews, including the Sarasota PD Marine unit, were able to safely stop the vessel after the boater was thrown overboard

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How CADRE passed its autonomy testing

Getting missions to land successfully on the moon has been difficult. Recent missions, such as IM-1 and IM-2, which the private company Intuitive Machines completed, have been qualified successes at best, with both landers settling at unintended angles and breaking parts of them off along the way. Such experiences offer excellent learning opportunities, though, and […]

How do robots feel in space?

How do robots feel in space? This is both a practical and possibly an existential question. Still, today, we’ll focus on the practical side by looking at a review paper from Hadi Jahanshahi and Zheng Zhu of York University in Canada that discusses different tactile sensor types and their advantages and disadvantages for use in […]

Webb confirms the coldest planet ever found. It’s orbiting a white dwarf

In 2020, astronomers detected WD 1856+534 b, a gas giant that orbits a star 81 light-years from Earth. This exoplanet, which is roughly six times the mass of Jupiter (making it a “super-Jupiter”), was the first transiting planet known to orbit a white dwarf (WD) star. In a recent paper, an international team of astronomers […]

BWC: Ind. officer struck by fleeing driver while deploying stop sticks

Mooresville Officer Chase Pitcock was clipped while diving away from the speeding vehicle

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Deputy unions push back after Wash. sheriff reclaims jail weapons against court order

A judge ordered the Franklin County sheriff to leave riot gear in the county jail; a deputies’ union has filed for a restraining order after he told officers to remove it anyway

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Universal all-optical logic gate reaches 240 GHz at room temperature

A research team from Skoltech and the University of Wuppertal in Germany determined that an all-optical universal logic gate that was previously developed at Skoltech can operate at a speed of 240 GHz at room temperature.

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