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…
Science on The Soothsayer / page 32
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…
In a groundbreaking discovery, two independent studies have revealed that the brown dwarf Gliese 229 B is not a single object, but rather a pair of brown dwarfs. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of star formation and the existence of binary systems in the universe. The discovery was made possible by the…
Mathematicians have been studying groups, a fundamental concept in mathematics, for centuries. Groups are sets of objects with an operation that satisfies four rules: closure, associativity, identity, and inverse. This concept has far-reaching implications in various fields, from geometry and algebra to physics and cryptography. The study of groups has led to the discovery of…
Scientists at the European laboratory CERN have made a breakthrough in transporting a cloud of subatomic particles aboard a truck, using protons as a stand-in for their antimatter counterparts, antiprotons. This achievement brings them one step closer to hauling antimatter by motor vehicle, which could lead to a better understanding of the physics mystery surrounding…