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Private US, Japanese lunar landers launch on single rocket

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One rocket, two missions: lunar landers built by US and Japanese companies launched their "rideshare" to the moon on Wednesday, showcasing the private sector's growing role in space exploration.

Not all Hot Jupiters orbit solo, observations suggest

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Hot Jupiters are giant planets initially known to orbit alone close to their star. During their migration towards their star, these planets were thought to accrete or eject any other planets present. However, this paradigm has been…

07

Over 97 million US residents exposed to unregulated contaminants in their drinking water, analysis reveals

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Nearly a third of people in the U.S. have been exposed to unregulated contaminants in their drinking water that could impact their health, according to a new analysis by scientists at Silent Spring Institute. What's more, Hispanic and…

Tuesday, Jan 14

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Fast control methods enable record-setting fidelity in superconducting qubit

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Quantum computing promises to solve complex problems exponentially faster than a classical computer, by using the principles of quantum mechanics to encode and manipulate information in quantum bits (qubits).

23

Neutron star measurements place limits on color superconductivity in dense quark matter

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At extremely high densities, quarks are expected to form pairs, as electrons do in a superconductor. This high-density quark behavior is called color superconductivity. The strength of pairing inside a color superconductor is difficult to…

Computational chemistry method can wring more information out of electronic structure calculations

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Back in the old days—the really old days—the task of designing materials was laborious. Investigators, over the course of 1,000-plus years, tried to make gold by combining things like lead, mercury, and sulfur, mixed in what they hoped…

Quasiparticle research unlocks new insights into tellurene, paving the way for next-gen electronics

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To describe how matter works at infinitesimal scales, researchers designate collective behaviors with single concepts, like calling a group of birds flying in sync a "flock" or "murmuration." Known as quasiparticles, the phenomena these…

US, Japanese lunar landers set to launch on single rocket

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One rocket, two missions: Lunar landers built by US and Japanese companies are poised to "rideshare" to the moon, showcasing the private sector's growing role in space exploration.

Beach guardians: How hidden microbes protect coastal waters in a changing climate

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A hidden world teeming with life lies below beach sands. New Stanford-led research sheds light on how microbial communities in coastal groundwater respond to infiltrating seawater.

Webb reveals intricate layers of interstellar dust and gas

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Once upon a time, the core of a massive star collapsed, creating a shockwave that blasted outward, ripping the star apart as it went. When the shockwave reached the star's surface, it punched through, generating a brief, intense pulse of X…

Simulated universe previews panoramas from NASA's Roman Telescope

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Astronomers have released a set of more than a million simulated images showcasing the cosmos as NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see it. This preview will help scientists explore Roman's myriad science goals.

22

Overlooked tree crops are crucial for sustainable development, researchers say

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Tree crops—for example, apple, cherry, olives, nuts, coffee, and cacao—cover more than 183 million hectares worldwide, yet remain largely overlooked in agricultural policies, despite their critical role in achieving the United Nation's…

Ancient artifacts unearthed in Iraq shed light on hidden history of Mesopotamia

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New discoveries by a UCF researcher and her team at the ancient Mesopotamian site of Kurd Qaburstan, including clay tablets with ancient cuneiform writing, a game board and large structural remains, may provide a wealth of knowledge about…

21

Mission to moon carries tiny red Swedish home to space

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A Swedish artist is about to have the dream of a lifetime fulfilled: A little red model house he created will be launched into space this week and, if all goes according to plan, put on the surface of the moon.

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Seabirds make clever use of winds to plan foraging trips over hundreds of kilometers

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Seabirds are the most threatened group of birds in the world. A new study led by researchers at Bangor University reveals the sophisticated decision-making seabirds known as Manx shearwaters must make to find fish at sea.

19

Do aliens exist? We studied what scientists really think

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News stories about the likely existence of extraterrestrial life, and our chances of detecting it, tend to be positive. We are often told that we might discover it any time now. Finding life beyond Earth is "only a matter of time", we were…

Digital mindfulness program shows promise in enhancing employee happiness and engagement

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Mental health and emotional well-being hit an all-time low during the COVID-19 pandemic, but psychological problems continue to afflict many people in the U.S. Work stress may be a primary contributor—it being strongly associated with…

Exocyst study reveals new roles for protein complex in membrane fusion

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A new study highlighting the importance of a large protein complex called the exocyst in cell growth, division and communication reveals new functions and mechanisms that are essential to how molecules move across a membrane through…

Real-time fluorescent sensor could allow for precise monitoring of wine quality

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A research team led by Professor Jiang Changlong from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed an innovative real-time multi-scenario fluorescence detection technology for monitoring…

First-ever detection of a mid-infrared flare in Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's supermassive massive black hole

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Using the MIRI instrument onboard the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of scientists made the first-ever detection of a mid-IR flare from Sagittarius A*, the supermassive massive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way.…

Newfound galaxy class may indicate early black hole growth

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In December 2022, less than six months after commencing science operations, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope revealed something never seen before: numerous red objects that appear small in the sky, which scientists soon called "little red…

Diversified cropping systems boost nitrogen supply but not soil carbon, ongoing field trial discovers

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Longer, more diverse rotations of crops fertilized with livestock manure have many environmental benefits, but carbon sequestration isn't one of them, according to a new study led by Iowa State University researchers.

SAMURI's intricate 3D structure offers insights into RNA modification

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RNA molecules are an integral part of the human body: In cells, they ensure the transfer of genetic information and regulate the activity of genes. Some even act as catalysts, allowing chemical reactions to take place that would otherwise…

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Sophisticated computer models open door to far more targeted antibiotics

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With antibiotic resistance a growing problem, University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have developed cutting-edge computer models that could give the disease-fighting drugs a laser-like precision to target only specific…

All-flat phononic band structure controls sound and vibrations by trapping energy

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A team of UConn College of Engineering (CoE) researchers have achieved a major milestone in the field of phononics with the first experimental demonstration of an all-flat phononic band structure (AFB). Phononics concerns the study of…

New mechanism for maintaining genome stability discovered

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Genetically speaking, it's a bacterium's worst-case scenario: During transcription, newly minted RNA sticks to its DNA template, forming a 3-stranded structure known as an R-loop. While these structures have some important roles to play in…

Smart farming: AI predicts potato growth potential

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A cutting-edge AI tool can now predict how well seed potatoes will grow into healthy potato plants. Developed by biologists from Utrecht University in collaboration with the Delft University of Technology and plant breeders, the tool uses…

SCP-Nano: New technology visualizes nanocarriers in cells and tissues

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How can we ensure that life-saving drugs or genetic therapies reach their intended target cells without causing harmful side effects? Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) and Technical University Munich …

Study reveals new mechanism of mRNA poly(A) tail regulation in early embryos

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During the oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET), the length of the mRNA poly(A) tail is closely linked to its translational efficiency. Regulation of the poly(A) tail is essential for selective protein translation in early embryos. However,…

Scientists reveal mechanism of key player in lysosome transport regulation

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A research team led by Prof. Feng Wei at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has made significant strides in understanding the BORC complex, a key player in lysosome transport and localization.