When the tokamak is turned on, something magical happens in the confines of its reinforced belly. Plasma born from heavy hydrogen blooms in a bright pink color, spinning and twisting around the doughnut-shaped chamber. Then, tiny grains of lithium fall into the maelstrom, glowing like scarlet fairy dust before bursting into rays of vivid green-yellow … Read more
Peng, C., Trojanowski, J. Q. & Lee, V. M.-Y. Protein transmission in neurodegenerative disease. Nat. Rev. Neurol. 16, 199–212 (2020).Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Collinge, J. & Clarke, A. R. A general model of prion strains and their pathogenicity. Science 318, 930–936 (2007).Article ADS CAS PubMed Google Scholar Benestad, S. L. & Telling, … Read more
Ahlberg, P. E. Elginerpeton pancheni and the earliest tetrapod clade. Nature 373, 420–425 (1995).Article ADS CAS Google Scholar Ahlberg, P. E. Postcranial stem tetrapod remains from the Devonian of Scat Craig, Morayshire, Scotland. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 122, 99–141 (1998).Article Google Scholar Coates, M. I., Ruta, M. & Friedman, M. Ever since Owen: changing perspectives … Read more
I get out of bed. I walk through the dimly lit hallway, thinking of what’s in my fridge and what I should have for breakfast. With no real effort, I’ve navigated my environment, accessed my memory, and assessed the energetic state of my body, all in the space of a few seconds. How is the … Read more
A celebrated space telescope is rapidly drifting away from its once-stable orbit and falling to Earth shortly before the 22nd anniversary of its launch. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory will soon have to cease its scientific observations after an attempt at a daring rescue mission to boost its orbit failed over the summer. The telescope, … Read more
Naturalists have long wondered how brightly colored butterflies manage to evade the attention of birds that feed on other insects. New research from British ecologists suggests it’s not simply a matter of good luck, but rather a visual illusion created by the flapping of its wings. The study by researchers from the universities of Exeter … Read more
An American spy satellite unexpectedly shattered, creating a cloud of debris in low-Earth orbit. The US Space Force satellite tracking system confirmed that the satellite, officially designated USA-32, broke up on September 13 at 5:13 pm ET. It was labeled a fragmentation event, meaning the satellite suddenly exploded into smaller pieces, but the cause of … Read more
Systematic palaeontologyDinosauria Owen, 1842 sensu28Theropoda Marsh, 1881 sensu28Dromaeosauridae Matthew and Brown, 1922 sensu7Microraptorinae Senter et al., 20045Microraptorini (Senter et al., 2004)5Norellraptor barsboldi gen. et sp. nov.Holotype130108-MHGU-F4281 (Figs. 1–3; Supplementary Table 1). The complete skeleton of a microraptorine dinosaur with part of the plumage imprints (Supplementary Fig. 1).Locality and horizonLamadong Town, Jianchang County, western Liaoning, China. Jiufotang Formation, Lower … Read more
Cathy Tie, the founder and CEO of Origin Genomics, replenishes nutrients sustaining cells the New York City startup is using to test its technology for repairing defective genes. Mackenzie Calle for NPR hide caption toggle caption Mackenzie Calle for NPR For stories on the science of healthy living, subscribe to NPR’s Health newsletter. Cathy Tie … Read more
Is there life elsewhere or is Earth unique in the universe? This is one of humanity’s great unanswered questions. One way to address this mystery is to investigate how life began here on Earth. Our research explores the conditions under which a mixture of molecules somehow transformed from chemistry to biology. In a new study … Read more