Mapping North Carolina’s Ghost Forests From 430 Miles up Provides New Answers
Rising seas and inland-surging seawater are leaving behind the debris of dying forests. Now, 35 years of satellite images capture the changes from space. Emily…
Duke University
Twisting, Flexible Crystals Key to Advanced New Solar Cells
Researchers show how shapes and movements of halide perovskites create desirable renewable energy properties. Researchers at Duke University have revealed long-hidden molecular dynamics that provide…
An Unusual Creature Is Coming Out of Winter’s Slumber – Here’s Why Scientists Are Excited
Duke Lemur Center recreates the seasonal swings of native habitat, helping to unlock the secrets of hibernation. If you binged on high-calorie snacks and then…
Tiny Crustacean Redefines Ultra-Fast Movement: Monster Claw Snaps Shut 10,000 Times Faster Than Blink of an Eye
Bitty Critter With A Giant Claw Lives Under the Dock at Duke Marine Lab The world’s most technologically advanced robots would lose in a competition…
Brain Imaging Reveals: Not All Monogamous Mammals Are “Wired for Love” in the Same Way
Lemurs Show There’s No Single Formula for Lasting Love Humans aren’t the only mammals that form long-term bonds with a single, special mate — some…
Ditching the Fiber in Fiber Optics: Capturing Free-Space Optical Light for High-Speed WiFi
Plasmonic speed enhancements previously constrained to nanoscale phenomena are replicated on macroscopic devices. Visible and infrared light can carry more data than radio waves, but…
Peering Inside Deadly Pathogen’s Burglary Kit to Find Ways to Block It
Structural insights about a deadly bacterium’s toolbox point to ways to block it. The bacterium that causes the tick-borne disease tularemia is a lean, mean…
“Silent” Mutations Identified That Give the COVID-19 Coronavirus an Evolutionary Edge
RNA folding may help explain how the coronavirus became so hard to stop after it spilled over from wildlife to humans. We know that the…
Cold Neutrons Uncover “Floppy” Atomic Dynamics That Help Turn Heat Into Electricity
‘Cold neutrons’ uncover atomic dynamics that give thermoelectric materials low-heat conductivity. Materials scientists at Duke University have uncovered an atomic mechanism that makes certain thermoelectric…
Male Baboons With Female Friends Live Longer: Strong Opposite-Sex Bonds Linked to Better Chances of Survival
Close bonds with the opposite sex can have non-romantic benefits. And not just for people, but for our primate cousins, too. Drawing on 35 years…
“Acoustic Tweezers” – Human Hands Replaced by Sound Waves in Petri Dish Experiments
Three proof-of-concept prototypes seek to make contactless ‘acoustic tweezer’ technology available to a wide array of laboratories. Mechanical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a…
Simple COVID-19 Tips for Wearing a Face Mask: It’s Not Enough to Wear a Mask, You Have to Wear It Right
Getting through the day with your mask Use these helpful tips to properly wear and store your mask throughout your day. How to wear your…
Strategic Networking: Young Dolphins Pick Their Friends Wisely
Dolphins choose childhood friends that set them up for success as adults. Strategic networking is key to career success, and not just for humans. A…
Exploring the Fundamental Mysteries of the Universe by Seeing the Invisible
Michael Troxel has always liked puzzles, especially challenging ones. Which is fortunate, since his job is solving some of the most perplexing, fundamental mysteries of…
Scientists Learn Secrets From Ultra-Black Skin That Allows Deep-Sea Fish to Lurk Unseen
Packed pigment granules help them blend in without blowing their cover. If there were a stagehand of the sea, wearing black to disappear into the…
New Algorithm Coordinates Complex Behaviors Between Hundreds of Robots in a Fraction of the Time
A new approach to designing motion plans for multiple robots grows “trees” in the search space to solve complex problems in a fraction of the…
Artificial Intelligence Turns Blurry Pixelated Photos Into Hyper-Realistic Portraits – Try It Yourself
This AI turns even the blurriest photo into realistic computer-generated faces in HD. Duke University researchers have developed an AI tool that can turn blurry,…
Breakthrough Could Lead to Cameras That Can Capture Images Using Ambient Radio Waves
Passive method for locating and characterizing radio waves could lead to cameras that can capture images using ambient radio waves. Electrical engineers at Duke University…