The Power of Nothing
Could studying the placebo effect change the way we think about medicine?
The Power of Nothing
Could studying the placebo effect change the way we think about medicine?
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Astronomers Measure Nearby Universe’s ‘Cosmic Fog’
Researchers from the Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet have carried out the first measurement of the intensity of the diffuse extragalactic background light in the nearby Universe, a fog of photons that has filled the Universe ever since its formation. Using some of the brightest gamma-ray sources in the southern hemisphere, the study was carried out using measurements…
A Diamond Bigger Than Earth?
Orbiting a star that is visible to the naked eye, astronomers have discovered a planet twice the size of our own made largely out of diamond. The rocky planet, called ’55 Cancri e’, orbits a sun-like star in the constellation of Cancer and is moving so fast that a year there lasts a mere 18…
Global Trade Plays Key Role in Species Threats
Nearly a third of animal species under threat in developing nations can be linked to global trade of manufactured goods and commodities such as sugar, coffee and cocoa, researchers concluded in a study led by the University of Sydney. Policies aimed at curbing threats to species should take into account not only local producers who…
Modern Birds Are Really Baby Dinosaurs
Modern birds retain the physical characteristics of baby dinosaurs, according to a new Nature study that found birds are even more closely related to dinos than previously thought. Depending on the non-avian dinosaur and bird compared, that might be hard to believe. A toothy, angry reconstruction of Tyrannosaurus rex, for example, on first glance looks…
Mysterious Radiation Burst Recorded in Tree Rings
Just over 1,200 years ago, the planet was hit by an extremely intense burst of high-energy radiation of unknown cause, scientists studying tree-ring data have found. The radiation burst, which seems to have hit between AD 774 and AD 775, was detected by looking at the amounts of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 in tree rings…
Room-Temperature Maser Could Make Talking to Space Much Simpler
Scientists at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have managed to produce a solid-state maser — a device similar to a laser which uses microwaves instead of light — capable of operating at room temperature, potentially opening the way for a revolution in deep space communication. Masers are currently used to boost radio signals from…