Nacre, commonly known as mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent material lining many mollusk shells. It is part of a two-layer armor system that protects the animal from predators. The brittle outer layer of the shell absorbs the initial impact, but i…
Elements heavier than iron come into being only in powerful stellar explosions, supernovae. During nuclear reactions all kinds of short-lived atomic nuclei are formed, including more stable combinations — the so-called magic numbers — pred…
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — — Inspired by the popular confidence trick known as “shell game,” researchers at UC Santa Barbara have demonstrated the ability to hide and shuffle “quantum-mechanical peas” — — microwave single photons — — un…
Baltimore, Md. (January 24, 2011) — A research effort designed to prevent the introduction of viruses to blue crabs in a research hatchery could end up helping Chesapeake Bay watermen improve their bottom line by reducing the number of soft shell …
A new study from researchers at North Carolina State University sheds light on how a technique that is commonly used for making single-metal nanoparticles can be extended to create nanoparticles consisting of two metals — and that have tunable pro…
Two scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have provided the first details about the mysterious flashes of dazzling bioluminescent light produced by a little-known sea snail.
Dimitri Deheyn and Nerida Wilson of Scripps …
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Researchers have learned the structure that results when an antibody binds to the West Nile virus, neutralizing the virus by locking up its infection mechanism. The information could help scientists develop a vaccine against t…
Berkeley, CA — A team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has detected six isotopes, never seen before, of the superheavy elements 104 through 114. Starting with the creation of a new isotope of th…
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 21, 2010 — Tin may seem like the most unassuming of elements, but experiments performed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are yielding surprising properties in extremely short-lived isotopes near tin…
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A giant star in a faraway galaxy recently ended its life with a dust-shrouded whimper instead of the more typical bang.
Ohio State University researchers suspect that this odd event — the first one of its kind ever viewed …
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—To watch a magician transform a vase of flowers into a rabbit, it’s best to have a front-row seat. Likewise, for chemical transformations in solution, the best view belongs to the molecular spectators closest to the action.
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NORFOLK, VA — Researchers have isolated a molecule, small enough to be used as a drug, that can shut down a dysfunctional immune response that causes deadly hemorrhagic shock, results in delayed death of heart attack patients, promotes rejection o…