Physicists at TU Wien in Austria have proposed a new explanation for the long-standing neutron lifetime problem. The team suggests that the discrepancy in measurements could be caused by free neutrons being in a mix of different states, with some in the ground state and others in higher-energy excited states. This would alter the neutrons’…
Science on The Soothsayer / page 24
Mathematician Hector Pasten has made a groundbreaking discovery in number theory, solving a problem that has puzzled mathematicians for over a century. By using a time-tested productivity hack, Pasten was able to embed information about prime factors in an elliptic curve, leading to a surprising strength in his result. This breakthrough has the potential to…
Scientists have successfully cooled and accelerated a beam of muons, a breakthrough that could lead to new types of particle physics experiments. Muons, heavy cousins of electrons, could be accelerated and slammed together at future particle colliders to unlock physics secrets. This achievement is a crucial step towards making muon colliders a reality. Forecast for…
Researchers from the Netherlands, the UK, and the US have made a groundbreaking discovery that could bring us closer to understanding dark matter. They found that hypothetical particles called axions could form dense clouds around neutron stars, emitting signals that radio telescopes can detect. This breakthrough raises hopes that axions could be the long-sought solution…
A recent article highlights the issue of missing data in scientific research, which can lead to biased results and undermine the validity of studies. Statisticians have developed techniques to deal with missing data, but the problem persists. The article explores the history of missing data and the efforts of statistician Donald Rubin to develop a…
Scientists have discovered that Uranus’ unusual magnetic field and radiation belts, observed by Voyager 2 in 1986, may be due to a rare solar wind event that compressed the planet’s magnetosphere. This finding could explain several long-standing puzzles about Uranus and its moons, and may inform planning for future missions to the planet. Forecast for…
Researchers at Curtin University have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of nanotechnology. They found that molecules known as ligands attach more densely to flatter, platelet-shaped semiconductor nanocrystals than to spherical ones. This counterintuitive result could lead to significant improvements in LED and solar cell technology, as well as applications in biomedicine. Forecast for…
Mathematicians have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of geometry, solving a decades-old problem by identifying new shapes with constant width. The breakthrough was inspired by a 1986 space shuttle disaster, where physicist Richard Feynman discovered that the failure of O-ring seals was due to cold temperatures. The new shapes, including the Reuleaux triangle…
A study in fruit flies has found that ibuprofen, a common over-the-counter pain reliever, may be a treatment for a rare genetic disease called MAN1B1-congenital disorder of glycosylation. The disease causes developmental delays, obesity, aggression, and distinctive facial features in children who inherit two faulty copies of the MAN1B1 gene. Preliminary results from a small…
A recent study has found that the global footprint of the wildland-urban interface (WUI) has grown by about 35 percent between 2000 and 2020, reaching an area roughly the size of Mexico. This expansion raises the likelihood of human exposure to wildfires, posing greater threats to life and property. The WUI is particularly vulnerable to…