Science on The Soothsayer / page 11

A groundbreaking study has shed new light on the social and political standing of Celtic women in Iron Age England. DNA analysis of skeletal remains has revealed a pattern of matrilocality, where married women stayed in their home communities while their partners came from outside the area. This female-centered marriage pattern is associated with greater…

A team of researchers at Newcastle University in the UK has developed a novel MRI technique that can quantify lung function, providing a more accurate and sensitive assessment of respiratory diseases. The technique uses inhaled perfluoropropane to visualize lung ventilation and has shown promising results in detecting early changes in lung function, even in patients…

A new podcast series, “United by Fire,” explores the complex relationship between humans and wildfires in the United States. The series delves into the impact of climate change on fire seasons, the suppression of beneficial fires, and the risks associated with living in fire-prone areas. As wildfires continue to ravage the country, society must adapt…

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of biomedical engineering. They have designed a hydrogel-based, image-guided, bioresorbable acoustic microrobot (BAM) that can deliver targeted doses of cancer-fighting drugs to destroy malignant tumors while sparing healthy bodily tissues. The microrobots use a…

Researchers at New York University have made a groundbreaking discovery in the physics of Hula-Hooping. By experimenting with gyrating robots, they found that the shape of the robot’s body is crucial in keeping a Hula-Hoop aloft. The key factors are a “hip” slope that provides upward force and a “waist” curvature that keeps the hoop…

Physicists at Caltech and New York University have made a groundbreaking discovery that could prove string theory to be the sole viable “theory of everything.” By unifying all fundamental forces of nature, including gravity, string theory could provide the long-sought quantum description of gravity that has eluded scientists for decades. The researchers used a novel…

Physicists at ETH Zurich and the University of Grenoble have developed a new theoretical framework that helps understand how quantum processes are limited by classical space-time. The researchers have created no-go theorems that limit quantum processes such as quantum indefinite causal order (ICO) in space-time causality. These theorems demonstrate that ICO processes can be embedded…

Researchers at the Athinoula A Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging have successfully developed a human brain-scale magnetic particle imaging (MPI) system, a significant breakthrough in medical imaging technology. The new system, which uses superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to visualize the brain, has demonstrated a spatial resolution of about 7 mm and a temporal resolution…

Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery by directly observing the interior of an exoplanet, K2 22b, using the James Webb Space Telescope. The planet, located 800 light-years away, is spilling its guts into space, providing a unique opportunity to study its chemical composition. Initial observations suggest that the planet’s mantle may be composed of nitric…