Science & Discovery

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Today's briefSimulations explore nuclear mitigation of asteroid threatsphys.org · 2h ago
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Simulations explore nuclear mitigation of asteroid threats

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are developing three-dimensional simulations to examine how a nuclear device could be used to deflect or potentially disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth.

Brief phys.org · 2h ago · 1 min
Salt crystals could hold clues to life beneath Enceladus's ice

The ocean beneath Saturn's moon Enceladus lies under kilometers of ice, but some of its contents do reach the surface. Jets near the south pole spray out water vapor and icy particles, offering a way to investigate the hidden ocean without drilling down to it.

Brief phys.org · 6h ago · 1 min
The ambiguous costs of climate change

As human activity has increased temperatures globally, determining the costs directly incurred by climate change is challenging. The effects of climate change on extreme weather events—such as hurricanes and heat waves—can be locally specific and variable, and observations and cl

Brief phys.org · 7h ago · 1 min
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope exceeds expectations by nearly 30%

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has exceeded expectations after engineers made incredibly tiny adjustments to sharpen its view of the universe. By moving a mirror just one-sixteenth the width of a human hair, the team helped bring its powerful instruments into near-perfe

Brief sciencedaily.com · 8h ago · 1 min
Brain cells meant to protect us may be fueling cognitive decline

Scientists have uncovered a surprising cause of age-related cognitive decline involving brain cells previously thought to be entirely beneficial. As these cells become dysfunctional, they can produce abnormal amounts of myelin, disrupting nerve fibers and potentially contributing

Brief sciencedaily.com · 9h ago · 1 min
Global survey links financial hardship to lower trust in science

Poor access to health care, limited local influence over research priorities and an unequal distribution of scientific benefits are undermining public confidence in science, experts warn, following the release of a global trust survey.

Brief phys.org · 9h ago · 1 min
Optical imaging links altered metabolism and oxygen use in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is best known for its effects on memory and cognition, but the disease also involves changes in how brain cells produce and use energy. Mitochondria, the structures that supply much of a cell's energy, can become dysfunctional in Alzheimer's disease. At the sa

Brief phys.org · 13h ago · 1 min

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Simulations explore nuclear mitigation of asteroid threats

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are developing three-dimensional simulations to examine how a nuclear device could be used to deflect or potentially disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth.

phys.org · 2h ago
Hand-cranked device tells blood type and red cell levels in 1 minute

When someone is badly injured, doctors urgently need two facts: the patient's blood type, so that a transfusion is safe, and their hematocrit, the share of the blood made up of red blood cells, which reveals blood loss or anemia. Hospitals measure both with large machines that ne

phys.org · 5h ago
Salt crystals could hold clues to life beneath Enceladus's ice

The ocean beneath Saturn's moon Enceladus lies under kilometers of ice, but some of its contents do reach the surface. Jets near the south pole spray out water vapor and icy particles, offering a way to investigate the hidden ocean without drilling down to it.

phys.org · 6h ago
The ambiguous costs of climate change

As human activity has increased temperatures globally, determining the costs directly incurred by climate change is challenging. The effects of climate change on extreme weather events—such as hurricanes and heat waves—can be locally specific and variable, and observations and cl

phys.org · 7h ago
Lone, starless cloud may be a 'dark' galaxy

Astronomers using China's FAST radio telescope have discovered a compact cloud of hydrogen with no visible stars or galaxy around it. This could be one of the strongest candidates yet for an isolated "dark galaxy," containing nearly 500,000 times the sun's mass in neutral hydroge

phys.org · 8h ago
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope exceeds expectations by nearly 30%

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has exceeded expectations after engineers made incredibly tiny adjustments to sharpen its view of the universe. By moving a mirror just one-sixteenth the width of a human hair, the team helped bring its powerful instruments into near-perfe

sciencedaily.com · 8h ago
This bird flies thousands of miles, but its wings have a catch

Scientists have uncovered an unexpected trade-off in the wings of the European nightjar, a bird that migrates thousands of kilometers but sacrifices high-speed flight efficiency to hunt insects with remarkable agility. Even more surprisingly, it generates thrust on the upward win

sciencedaily.com · 8h ago

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