A research group has manipulated light through its interaction with a metal surface so that it exhibits entirely new properties.
ScienceDaily
Robot see, robot do: System learns after watching how-to videos
Researchers have developed a new robotic framework powered by artificial intelligence — called RHyME (Retrieval for Hybrid Imitation under Mismatched Execution) — that allows robots to learn tasks by watching a single how-to video.
Astronomers discover a planet that’s rapidly disintegrating, producing a comet-like tail
A planet 140 light-years from Earth is rapidly coming apart due to its close proximity to its star. The roasting planet is effectively evaporating away: It sheds an enormous amount of surface minerals as it whizzes around its star.
The eukaryotic cell emerged as an evolutionary algorithmic phase transition
An international collaboration has published groundbreaking research, shedding light on the most significant increase in complexity in the history of life’s evolution on Earth: the origin of the eukaryotic cell.
Novel treatment approach for language disorder shows promise
Neuroscientists have developed a new treatment approach for a language disorder that combines traditional speech therapy with noninvasive electrical stimulation of the brain. Brain stimulation helped induce neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to continue to reorganize and learn.
High-fat, high-sugar diets impact cognitive function
New research links fatty, sugary diets to impaired brain function. The findings build on a growing body of evidence showing the negative impact of high-fat, high-sugar (HFHS) diets on cognitive ability, adding to their well-known physical effects.
Omnivorous? Vegan? Makes no difference to muscle building after weight training, study finds
A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein — plant or animal-based — make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day? And third, does a moderate but sufficient daily protein intake influence any of these variables? The answer to all three questions is ‘no,’ the researchers found.
Turning down starlight to spot new exoplanets
Researchers have developed a new coronagraph that could make it possible to see distant exoplanets obscured by light from their parent stars.
Throwing a ‘spanner in the works’ of our cells’ machinery could help fight cancer, fatty liver disease… and hair loss
Fifty years since its discovery, scientists have finally worked out how a molecular machine found in mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses’ of our cells, allows us to make the fuel we need from sugars, a process vital to all life on Earth. Scientists have worked out the structure of this machine and shown how it operates like the lock on a canal to transport pyruvate — a molecule generated in the body from the breakdown of sugars — into our mitochondria.
Seismology: How wide are faults?
Researchers posed a seemingly simple question: how wide are faults?