Doughnut-shaped electromagnetic fields demystify dark matter
July 5, 2013
A pair of physicists say their simple theory may explain dark matter – the mysterious, invisible form of matter that makes up 85% of the universe.Professor Robert Scherrer and post-doctoral...
Mars – warm, wet and rusty long before Earth
July 4, 2013
New evidence from the NASA Mars rover suggests that the red planet was wet, warm and had oxygen billions of years before Earth's atmosphere became oxygen rich.Differences between Martian meteorites...
UK leads the way in ‘legal high’ analysis
July 4, 2013
A team at the University of Lincoln, UK, is leading the way in new research aimed at detecting the vast amount of substances available on the legal highs market.The method...
Putting the physics into spin
July 4, 2013
As the Ashes series gets underway next week, physicists from Australia have been exploring the physics behind the spin of a cricket ball. Siblings Garry and Ian Robinson, Honorary Visiting...
Coral reef skeleton can survive even in acidic oceans
July 3, 2013
For the first time, scientists have described the biological process of how corals create their skeletons to form massive and ecologically vital coral reefs in the world’s oceans.The team at...
Einstein’s theory aids planet-hunters
June 24, 2013
A team of astrophysicists have discovered an exoplanet using a new method that relies on Einstein’s special theory of relativity.The exoplanet known as Kepler-76b is like a hotter, larger Jupiter....
Fibre-optic pen aids understanding of dyslexia
June 21, 2013
A fibre-optic pen developed at the University of Washington will help scientists to see inside the brains of children with learning disabilities while they read and write.The tool has been...
New layer of human cornea discovered
June 21, 2013
Research at University of Nottingham has uncovered a previously undetected layer in the cornea, the clear window at the front of the human eye.Detailed in Ophthalmology, the breakthrough could help...
Printing artificial bone
June 21, 2013
Researchers at MIT have developed a method to design synthetic bone-like materials and quickly turn the design into reality using computer optimisation and 3D printing.The research, detailed in Advanced Functional...
Why strawberries taste like strawberries
June 21, 2013
Researchers have discovered what gives ripe strawberries their characteristic aroma. According to the team at Technische Universität München (TUM) in Munich, 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF) plays a fundamental role in producing the...
Universe evolved ability to make black holes
June 19, 2013
The maths underpinning Darwin’s theory of natural selection might explain how the universe may be designed to make black holes.Researchers from Oxford University propose that if new universes are born...
Neutrons reveal potential dangers of pharma’s golden bullet
June 17, 2013
Gold nanoparticles are projected to be the ‘magic bullet’ of drug delivery, but scientists working at the Institut Laue-Laugevin have revealed the potential dangers of the tiny particles at high...
