Ruins of Ancient Star Cluster Discovered at the Fringes of Our Galaxy
Gemini Observatory helps reveal that a stream of old stars at Milky Way’s edge is a shredded star cluster. A primordial stellar stream discovered in…
National Science Foundation News
Luminescent Sensor Identifies Valuable Rare Earth Element Terbium in Unexpected Locations
Researchers funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation have developed a luminescent sensor that can detect and measure the presence of a rare earth element…
Surprising Insights Into Star Formation From Unprecedented Survey of the “Nurseries” Where Stars Are Born
Study of nearby galaxies gives new insights into star formation. Astronomers have taken a big step forward in understanding the dark and violent places where…
Unusual Comet – 1000 Times More Massive Than Typical – Discovered in Outer Solar System by Dark Energy Survey
Estimated to be 100–200 kilometers across, the unusual wandering body will make its closest approach to the Sun in 2031. A giant comet from the…
Metabolic Genetic Mutations Help Bacteria Resist Drug Treatment
Study suggests forcing bacteria to burn more energy could make them more susceptible to antibiotics. Bacteria have many ways to evade the antibiotics that we…
Researchers Develop Speedier Network Analysis to Boost Recommendation Algorithms and Internet Search
Graphs — data structures that show the relationship among objects — are highly versatile. It’s easy to imagine a graph depicting a social media network’s…
Solving a 100-Year-Old Paradox: Why Cancer Cells Waste So Much Energy
MIT study sheds light on the longstanding question of why cancer cells get their energy from fermentation. In the 1920s, German chemist Otto Warburg discovered…
Desalination Breakthrough Maximizes Flow for Cheaper Water Filtration
Nature has figured out how to make great membranes. Biological membranes let the right stuff into cells while keeping the wrong stuff out. And, as…
The Arctic’s Peculiar Ocean Turbulence Puzzled Scientists for Decades – Now MIT Has an Explanation
New study suggests waters will become more turbulent as Arctic loses summertime ice. Eddies are often seen as the weather of the ocean. Like large-scale…
Reading Computer Code Is Not the Same As Reading Language to the Brain
Neuroscientists find that interpreting code activates a general-purpose brain network, but not language-processing centers. In some ways, learning to program a computer is similar to…
MIT’s ABRACADABRA Instrument: Pulling the Secrets of Dark Matter Out of a Hat
MIT grad student Chiara Salemi and Professor Lindley Winslow use the ABRACADABRA instrument to reveal insights into dark matter. On the first floor of MIT’s…
MIT Physicists Created a Perfect Fluid and Captured the Sound – Listen Here
The results should help scientists study the viscosity in neutron stars, the plasma of the early universe, and other strongly interacting fluids. For some, the…
See the Dramatic Footage of the Collapse of Arecibo Observatory’s Massive 305-Meter Telescope
The instrument platform of the 305-meter telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell at approximately 7:55 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time on December 1, resulting…
Arecibo Observatory: Massive, World-Class Radio Astronomy Telescope to Be Demolished – Here’s Why
The large Cornell-designed telescopic “ear” at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, which listened for the enlightening crackle of the cosmos for nearly six decades, now hears silence….
It’s the End for Iconic 1,000-Foot-Wide Telescope at Arecibo Observatory After Second Cable Break
The National Science Foundation expects it will be several weeks before disassembly of the telescope can begin. Following a review of engineering assessments, the U.S….
Arecibo Observatory’s Massive 305-Meter Telescope Faces Demolition Due to Safety Concerns
Following a review of engineering assessments that found damage to the Arecibo Observatory cannot be stabilized without risk to construction workers and staff at the…
MIT Researchers Work to Prepare Manufacturers for Future Crises
A new NSF-funded project is developing a model to help manufacturers pivot and produce personal protective equipment. At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the…
Ogre-Faced Spiders: These Spiders Can Hear – Even Though They Have No Ears
Ogre-faced spiders, named for their massive eyes, hide during the day and hunt by night, dangling from Florida palm fronds and casting silk nets on…
