Scientific Discoveries

Scientific discoveries this week: 11/25/13

Scientists at MIT have created the new standard in waterproof. Their new super-hydrophobic coating is 40% more water resistant than previously thought possible. This revolutionary new micro ridge design has been inspired by waterproof objects in nature. The micro ridges added to the surface of objects reduces the surface area of water in contact with the surface and allows it to roll off quickly. Objects coated with this repel water so quickly that even in supercooled conditions water rolls off before freezing. This breakthrough will lead to more waterproof fabrics and airplanes that ice up less easily.

Scientific discoveries this week: 11/18/13

Massive leaps in the world of quantum computation have been made, beating an unofficial world record. Researchers at Simon Fraser University maintained a quantum memory state at room temperature for 39 minutes, approximately 100 times longer than the last attempt made.
In a standard computational system, bits of information are sent through 1s and 0s. A quantum memory processes “qubits” of information which are able to exist as a one and zero at the same time. This allows for multiple calculations to be made simultaneously, exponentially increasing the power of information technology. Although 39 minutes seems like a short time, it is considered a huge step in the direction of a more permanent quantum computation system.

Scientific discoveries this week: 11/11/13

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine recently released their discovery of a cutting edge DNA sequencing technique known as “HaploSeq,” which allows for DNA to be differentiated between maternal and paternal contributions. “The technique will enable clinicians to better assess a person’s individual risk for disease. It is potentially transformative for personalized medicine,” Bing Ren, scientist at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and lead researcher on the new sequencing technique. “In principal you could compare your genetic sequence to your neighbor’s and ask if you have any recent ancestors in common. With our technique we can study each individual and how they relate to other individuals. As we accumulate data from many individuals we can more precisely determine their relationships.”

Scientific discoveries this week: 11/4/13

Within the next 50 years a Milky Way Supernova will be visible from Earth, according to astronomers at Ohio State University. Astronomers are nearly 100 percent certain that infrared telescopes will be able to detect and record a supernova in our home galaxy. However, odds are low, less than 20 percent, that such phenomenon would be visible to the naked eye.
Christopher Kochanek, professor of astronomy at Ohio State explained the significance of this revelation. “We see all these stars go supernova in other galaxies, and we don’t fully understand how it happens. We think we know, we say we know, but that’s not actually 100 percent true.” Because scientists will be able to detect this potential supernova in the Milky Way within a moment’s notice, they will thus be able to witness the very beginning of a star’s end, something that has never been done before.

Scientific discoveries this week: 10/28/13

Stanford Woods Institute – Rebecca and Doug Bird have found that Aboriginal hunters in Australia use hunting methods that increase the populations of the animals that they hunt. The Aboriginal hunters use fire to clear patches of land. This practice creates areas of regrowth that enhance habitats. Scientists used the populations of monitor lizards to study the habitats and found that the lizards were more abundant in the Aboriginal hunting areas.
University of Montana, Missoula, Montana – James W. Sears of the University of Montana proposed that the Colorado River could have once flowed into the Labrador Sea. The river would have flowed toward the southwest corner of the Colorado Plateau and turned north into the vicinity of Lake Mead. The river would have then flowed across the Rockies to the Great Plains and joined the pre-ice age Bell River. The Bell River then discharged into the Labrador Sea.

Scientific discoveries this week: 10/7/13

Princeton University and Michigan University
A new method developed by researchers called “in silico nano-dissection” uses computers to separate and identify genes from specific cell types. The team used this new method to identify genes expressed in cells called podocytes that often malfunction in kidney disease. They showed that certain patterns of activity of these genes correlated with the severity of the kidney disease. They also demonstrated that their computer-based approach was more accurate than existing methods at identifying cell lineage specific genes.Using the method on kidney biopsy samples the researchers identified 136 genes and showed that two of these genes are able to cause kidney disease. The computational method can be used for cells other than those found in the kidney suggesting that the method could be useful for identifying genes for a range of diseases.

Scientific discoveries this week: 9/30/13

Vienna, Austria
A new class of thermoelectric material may allow for more efficient conversion of industrial waste heat into electrical energy. Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology created a new clathrate—a type of lattice that traps atoms and molecules in “cages”—that holds cerium atoms in a structure made of barium, silicon, and gold. When one side of the material is heated, electrons in the cerium atoms move toward the cooler side, creating a voltage between the two sides. The team behind this discovery will attempt to duplicate this effect using more economically viable elements to improve the material’s marketability.

Scientific discoveries this week: 9/23/13

East Anglia, United Kingdom
Talk of global warming and climate change often raises concerns as to how much longer the earth will remain habitable for humans. Recent discoveries by astrobiologists at the University of East Anglia can help ease some of these concerns–at least for the next billion years. The research team, led by Andrew Rushby, discovered that the earth is expected to be habitable for at least another 1.75 billion years. “After this point,” Rushby said, “Earth will be in the ‘hot zone’ of the sun, with temperatures so high, the seas will evaporate. We would see a catastrophic and terminal extinction event for all life. “Although the earth may be in the habitable zone for at least another 1.75 billion years, humans may not survive that long. “Humans would be in trouble with even a small increase in temperature, and near the end only microbes in niche environments would be able to endure the heat,” Rushby said.

Scientific discoveries this week: 9/12/13

Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
A study of the Sutter’s Mill meteorite suggests that there was a larger variety of extraterrestrial organic molecules available to the Earth in it’s early years than previously thought. By hydrothermally treating meteorite fragments, scientists at Arizona State University were able to simulate early Earth conditions; which caused the release of complex oxygen-rich compounds, including polyethers of “definite prebiotic interest.” These findings give greater insight into the organic compounds produced outside of Earth, as well as to how they may have influenced early molecular evolution on the planet.

Scientific discoveries this week: 9/9/13

Brain-to-Brain Interface – University of Washington
Sharing thoughts through the connecting of two brain may not be too far off. Recently, University of Washington researchers Rajesh Rao and Andrea Stocco successfully performed what is believed to be the first noninvasive human-to-human brain interface in history. Rao sent a brain signal to Stocco, who was sitting at the opposite side of the University of Washington campus, which caused Stocco to involuntarily hit the spacebar of a computer stationed in front of him. Both were hooked up to a form of magnetic stimulation, and the experiment used electrical brain recordings. Rao and Stocco plan to continue research. Stocco believes this technology could be used to help people who do not speak the same language communicate or even allow a person with disabilities to communicate his or her needs.