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— Cassini finds an underground ocean on Titan — [20 Mar] NASA's Cassini spacecraft has discovered evidence that points to the existence of an underground ocean...

— First organic molecule on extrasolar planet discovered with Hubble — [19 Mar] The tell-tale signature of the molecule methane in the atmosphere of the...

Latest headlines
First device to measure ultrashort laser pulse at focus — 9 May 10:47
New trial drug points to better management of coronary heart disease — 9 May 10:42
What's bugging locusts? — 9 May 10:39
Tomato stands firm in face of fungus; molecular study provides the key — 9 May 10:37
Taking the sex out of sexual health screening — 9 May 10:34
Justice in the brain: Equity and efficiency are encoded differently — 9 May 10:23
A novel insight into cardiac arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death — 9 May 10:20
Study identifies molecular response of cartilage to injury — 9 May 10:17
Research finds link between birth order and asthma symptoms — 9 May 10:15
Research affirms effectiveness of medication for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis — 9 May 10:12
Stroke survivors walk better after human-assisted rehabilitation — 9 May 10:09
Researchers demonstrate method for integrating nanowire devices directly onto silicon — 9 May 09:43
Surprising discovery: Multicellular response is 'all for one' — 9 May 09:40
New research shows how genes control blood proteins important to health — 9 May 09:37
Major shift in HIV prevention priorities needed — 9 May 09:34
Made-to-order isotopes hold promise on science's frontier — 9 May 09:31
Dying bats in the northeastern U.S. remain a mystery — 9 May 09:27
Scientists identify photosynthetic dimmer switch — 9 May 09:09
Teenagers are intentionally taking drink and drugs for better sex — 9 May 09:05
Obese patients face increased risks for infection following revision hip surgery — 9 May 09:02
Modern ceramics help advance technology — 9 May 08:59
Bread mould may hold secret to eliminating disease-causing genes — 9 May 08:56
Scientists discover new link to schizophrenia — 9 May 08:52
Spider named in honour of rock star legend Neil Young — 9 May 08:32
Warming up for magnetic resonance imaging — 9 May 08:29
Previously unseen switch regulates breast cancer response to oestrogen — 9 May 08:25
American College of Physicians says Medicare cuts will hurt physicians in small practices — 9 May 08:23
Cane use may reduce risk of knee osteoarthritis progression — 9 May 08:20
New cost-effective means to reconstruct virus populations — 9 May 08:17
New evidence supports coastal migration theory — 8 May 18:00
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Asteroid impact triggered a global hail of carbon beads
Last updated: Friday, 9 May 2008 10:47 GMT
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First device to measure ultrashort laser pulse at focus

First device to measure ultrashort laser pulse at focus

— 9 May | Technology

Lasers that emit ultrashort pulses of light are used for numerous applications including micromachining, microscopy, laser eye surgery, spectroscopy and controlling chemical reactions. But the quality of the results is limited by distortions caused by lenses and other optical components that are part of the experimental instrumentation. To better understand the distortions, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology developed the first device to directly measure complex ultrashort light pulses in space and time at and near the focus... — full story


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The study sought to shed light on the neurological underpinnings of moral decision-making, said Ming Hsu, a fellow at the U. of I.'s Beckman Institute and co-principal investigator, (c) L. Brian Stauffer, U. of I. News BureauJustice in the brain: Equity and efficiency are encoded differently

— 9 May | Health

Which is better, giving more food to a few hungry people or letting some food go to waste so that everyone gets a share' A study appearing this week in Science finds that most people... — full story

Federico Capasso and Mariano Zimmler of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, (c) Eliza Grinnell, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied SciencesResearchers demonstrate method for integrating nanowire devices directly onto silicon

— 9 May | Technology

Applied scientists at Harvard University in collaboration with researchers from the German universities of Jena, Goettingen, and Bremen, have developed a new technique for fabricating... — full story

Graham Fleming (centre) shown here with Tae Ahn (left) and Yuan-Chung Cheng, post-doctoral researchers in his group, were among the co-authors of a paper in the journal Science that provided the first detailed picture ever obtained of the molecular mechanism behind the regulation of light harvesting energy during photosynthesis, (c) Roy Kaltschmidt, Berkeley Lab Public AffairsScientists identify photosynthetic dimmer switch

— 9 May | Biology

In a study of the molecular mechanisms by which plants protect themselves from oxidation damage should they absorb too much sunlight during photosynthesis, a team of researchers has... — full story

This trapdoor spider, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, was named in honor of Neil Young, (c) ECU News ServicesSpider named in honour of rock star legend Neil Young

— 9 May | Biology

An East Carolina University biologist has brought his admiration of Neil Young to a whole new class. Or species, to be exact. Jason Bond, an ECU professor of biology, has named a newly... — full story

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Skull of Nichollsia borealis on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, (c) Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller, AlbertaAncient sea reptile named for Calgary scientist after being unearthed at Syncrude mine

— 20 Mar | Geology and palaeontology

One of the oldest and most complete plesiosaur fossils recovered in North America, and the oldest yet... — full story


Compendium — Biology | Astronomy and space

Pluto
Pluto — Pluto is the second-largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-largest body observed directly orbiting the Sun. From the time of its discovery in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh...
Jupiter
Jupiter — Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest and most massive of the giant planets within the Solar System. Its mass amounts to 318 terrestrial masses, and its diameter...

Astronomy and space

Hyperion

— Hyperion is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. It is named after Hyperion, a Titan in Greek mythology. It has a low density indicating that it is composed largely of water ice with a small... — full article

Tadpole Galaxy [UGC 10214]

— Against a stunning backdrop of thousands of galaxies, this odd-looking galaxy with the long streamer of stars appears to be racing through space, like a runaway pinwheel firework. This picture of the galaxy UGC 10214 was taken by the Advanced Camera for... — full article

Biology

Fruhstorfer, Hans (1866-1922)

— Hans Fruhstorfer was born in Passau, Germany on 7 March 1866. He was a man of genial disposition and of untiring energy and his boundless entomological enthusiasm was devoted almost entirely to the butterflies. He had (during the beginning of the last... — full article

Elwes, Henry John (1846-1922)

— Henry John Elwes was one of the greatest traveller-naturalists who have done so much to increase our knowledge of natural history in all branches. A man of means, and possessing great energy and self-confidence, he began when quite young a succession... — full article

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