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Evidence of broadside collision with dwarf galaxy discovered in Milky Way

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Nearly 3 billion years ago, a dwarf galaxy plunged into the center of the Milky Way and was ripped apart by the gravitational forces of the collision.

Astrophysicists announced today that the merger produced a series of telltale shell-like formations of stars in the vicinity of the Virgo constellation, the first such “shell structures” to be found in the Milky Way.

The finding offers further evidence of the ancient event, and new possible explanations for other phenomena in the galaxy. [Read more…] about Evidence of broadside collision with dwarf galaxy discovered in Milky Way

Chili-shaped device could reveal just how hot that pepper is

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Some people love spicy food – the hotter, the better. Others go out of their way to avoid the palate-singeing burn of capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick.

Now, researchers have developed a portable device (whimsically shaped like a chili pepper) that can reveal how much capsaicin a pepper contains, before biting into it. They report their results in ACS Applied Nano Materials.

Chili peppers are a popular food ingredient around the world. In addition to imparting a spicy flavor, the capsaicin in chili peppers has several health benefits, including anti-oxidative, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. [Read more…] about Chili-shaped device could reveal just how hot that pepper is

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  • Fast, accurate and non-destructive: the new method to analyze food quality
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    Fast, accurate and non-destructive: the new method to analyze food qualityConsumers always look for good quality products, above all in fresh food like vegetables. But how do we measure the quality of fresh spinach before it gets on the market nowadays? The most commonly used methods to analyze vegetable quality are slow, costly and destructive. They require choosing several samples…
    Tags: food, technology, news
  • 5G wireless may lead to inaccurate weather forecasts
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    5G wireless may lead to inaccurate weather forecastsUpcoming 5G wireless networks that will provide faster cell phone service may lead to inaccurate weather forecasts, according to a Rutgers study on a controversial issue that has created anxiety among meteorologists. "Our study – the first of its kind that quantifies the effect of 5G on weather prediction error – suggests…
    Tags: electrical, technology, news
  • Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infection
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    Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infectionOne feature of the Covid-19 virus that makes it so difficult to contain is that it can be easily spread to others by a person who has yet to show any signs of infection. The carrier of the virus might feel perfectly well and go about their daily business--taking the…
    Tags: sensor, samples, device, developed, news

Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discover

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What if an MRI scan could determine whether a weight loss program was likely to be effective? Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have discovered a neural subnetwork of connected regions between the brain and gastric basal electric frequency that correlates with future weight loss based on connectivity patterns.

BGU’s multidisciplinary team’s findings, published in the journal NeuroImage, support a prevalent neural theory that people with an increased neural response to seeing and smelling food consistently overeat and gain weight. [Read more…] about Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discover

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  • Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not
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    Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe notIt's generally accepted health advice that adults of all ages should sit less, move more, and engage in regular exercise to feel better and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, when it comes to the brain and cognition, a new study of older adults from Colorado State University suggests…
    Tags: health, participants, researchers, brain, news

AI and photonics join forces to make it easier to find ‘new Earths’

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Australian scientists have developed a new type of sensor to measure and correct the distortion of starlight caused by viewing through the Earth’s atmosphere, which should make it easier to study the possibility of life on distant planets.

Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, University of Sydney optical scientists have developed a sensor that can neutralise a star’s “twinkle” caused by heat variations in the Earth’s atmosphere. This will make the discovery and study of planets in distant solar systems easier from optical telescopes on Earth.

“The main way we identify planets orbiting distant stars is by measuring regular dips in starlight caused by planets blocking out bits of their sun,” said lead author Dr Barnaby Norris, who holds a joint position as a Research Fellow in the University of Sydney Astrophotonic Instrumentation Laboratory and in the University of Sydney node of Australian Astronomical Optics in the School of Physics. [Read more…] about AI and photonics join forces to make it easier to find ‘new Earths’

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  • Carbon-rich exoplanets may be made of diamonds
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    Carbon-rich exoplanets may be made of diamondsAs missions like NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, TESS and Kepler continue to provide insights into the properties of exoplanets (planets around other stars), scientists are increasingly able to piece together what these planets look like, what they are made of, and if they could be habitable or even inhabited. In…
    Tags: planets, exoplanets, earth, stars, study, telescope, university, solar, team, scientists

The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games

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Games and the very act of playing have been around since before the cradle of human civilization. However, games have constantly evolved over time, with various rulesets and modes of play falling in and out of favor throughout history.

In turn, this implies that people at different times enjoyed different aspects of each game, which may constitute a vivid reflection of the cultural tendencies of each era.

Unfortunately, the attractiveness of games is tied to human psychology, and finding objective evidence in topics related to the realm of the human mind is a difficult task. Could there possibly be a way to quantify universal characteristics of games so as to put them under rigorous mathematical analysis? [Read more…] about The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games

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  • The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions
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    The first human settlers on islands caused extinctionsThough some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out. The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded…
    Tags: people, human, news, life
  • Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it
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    Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix itAre you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago? If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process…
    Tags: people, news, life

Declines in shellfish species on rocky seashores match climate-driven changes

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The waters of the Gulf of Maine are warming faster than oceans almost anywhere on Earth. And as the level of carbon dioxide rises in the atmosphere, it’s absorbed by the oceans, causing pH levels to fall. Ocean acidification makes it difficult for shellfish to thicken their shells – their primary defense against predators.

In a new study in the journal Communications Biology, researchers Peter Petraitis, a retired professor of biology in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences, and Steve Dudgeon, a biology professor at California State University, Northridge, who completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Petraitis at Penn in the 1990s, show that the changing climate is taking a toll on Maine’s sea life.

A dataset collected over two decades, including numbers of five species of mussels, barnacles, and snails, shows that all have been experiencing declines – some slow, some more rapid – in part owing to climate change. [Read more…] about Declines in shellfish species on rocky seashores match climate-driven changes

Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not

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It’s generally accepted health advice that adults of all ages should sit less, move more, and engage in regular exercise to feel better and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

However, when it comes to the brain and cognition, a new study of older adults from Colorado State University suggests that some sedentariness isn’t all bad, so long as basic physical activity benchmarks are being met.

The research, from Assistant Professor Aga Burzynska in the CSU Department of Human Development and Family Studies, examined the association between sensor-measured physical activity and cognitive performance in a sample of 228 healthy older adults, aged 60 to 80. [Read more…] about Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not

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  • Program to improve outcomes for surgery for older patients shows promise
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    Program to improve outcomes for surgery for older patients shows promisePeople age 65 years and older account for 40 percent of inpatient operations and one-third of outpatient procedures, and these older patients are more vulnerable to longer hospital stays and other complications after surgery than younger patients. A beta test of a program for older adults who undergo major surgery…
    Tags: older, adults, study, news, health
  • High intensity training best for older people
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    High intensity training best for older people"First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect," says Dorthe Stensvold. Stensvold is a professor in the…
    Tags: study, participants, people, exercise, health
  • Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discover
    30
    Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discoverWhat if an MRI scan could determine whether a weight loss program was likely to be effective? Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have discovered a neural subnetwork of connected regions between the brain and gastric basal electric frequency that correlates with future weight loss based on connectivity patterns.…
    Tags: brain, researchers, participants, news, health

Australian research shows NASA’s James Webb telescopes will reveal hidden galaxies

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Two new studies from the University of Melbourne will help the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built to uncover galaxies never before seen by humanity.

The papers are published in The Astrophysical Journal and the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and show that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled for launch late next year, will reveal hidden galaxies.

Powerful lights called ‘quasars’ are the brightest objects in the universe. Powered by supermassive black holes up to a trillion times the mass of our Sun, they outshine entire galaxies of billions of stars. [Read more…] about Australian research shows NASA’s James Webb telescopes will reveal hidden galaxies

Ultrasound technique offers more precise, quantified assessments of lung health

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Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina have developed a technique that uses ultrasound to provide non-invasive assessments of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. The technique has been shown to both quantify lung scarring and detect lung fluid in rats. A study on pulmonary edema in humans is under way.

The new ultrasound technique is significant because it would allow healthcare providers to determine how effective medical interventions are at reducing lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis) or fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema).

“Assessing the extent of fibrosis in the lung currently requires computerized tomography (CT) scans, and sophisticated pulmonary function tests,” says Marie Muller, co-senior author of the study and an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State. “Both aspects of the assessment present challenges. [Read more…] about Ultrasound technique offers more precise, quantified assessments of lung health

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  • Making health care more personal
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    Making health care more personalThe health care system today largely focuses on helping people after they have problems. When they do receive treatment, it’s based on what has worked best on average across a huge, diverse group of patients. Now the company Health at Scale is making health care more proactive and personalized –…
    Tags: health, patients

New deep learning models: Fewer neurons, more intelligence

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Artificial intelligence has arrived in our everyday lives – from search engines to self-driving cars. This has to do with the enormous computing power that has become available in recent years. 

But new results from AI research now show that simpler, smaller neural networks can be used to solve certain tasks even better, more efficiently, and more reliably than ever before.

An international research team from TU Wien (Vienna), IST Austria and MIT (USA) has developed a new artificial intelligence system based on the brains of tiny animals, such as threadworms. [Read more…] about New deep learning models: Fewer neurons, more intelligence

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  • Applying artificial intelligence to science education
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    Applying artificial intelligence to science educationA new review published in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching highlights the potential of machine learning – a subset of artificial intelligence – in science education. Although the authors initiated their review before the Covid-19 outbreak, the pandemic highlights the need to examine cutting-edge digital technologies as we re-think…
    Tags: learning, intelligence, artificial, news