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Air bubbles in a glass of water float freely up to the surface, and the mechanisms behind this are easily explained by the basic laws of science. However, the same laws of science cannot explain why air bubbles in a tube a few millimeters thick don’t rise the same way. Physicists first observed this phenomenon nearly a century ago, but couldn’t come up with an explanation – in theory, the bubbles shouldn’t encounter any resistance unless the fluid is in motion; thus a stuck bubble should encounter no resistance....

The animated image below was captured by NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory-A spacecraft, SECCHI/HI-2 telescope, which has watched the comet since early November. This animated “difference image” was created by subtracting the current frame from the previous frame to highlight differences between them. Difference images are useful for seeing subtle changes in Leonard’s ion tail (the trail of ionized gases streaming from the comet’s body, or nucleus), which becomes longer and brighter toward the end of the clip....

Of all the CMS subdetectors, the Pixel Tracker is the closest to the interaction point (IP) – the point of collision between the proton beams. In the core of the detector, it reconstructs the paths of high-energy electrons, muons, and electrically charged hadrons, but also the decay of very short-lived particles such as those containing beauty or “b” quarks. Those decays are used, among other things, to study the differences between matter and antimatter....

A new study using observations from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope reveals the first clear-cut evidence the expanding debris of exploded stars produces some of the fastest-moving matter in the universe. This discovery is a major step toward understanding the origin of cosmic rays, one of Fermi’s primary mission goals. The husks of exploded stars give rise to some of the fastest particles in the cosmos. New findings by NASA’s Fermi show that two supernova remnants accelerate protons to near the speed of light....

“Our results make clear that the skeleton is not a static organ, but rather a dynamic one,” explains Paola Cerrito, a doctoral candidate in NYU’s Department of Anthropology and College of Dentistry and the lead author of the paper, which appears in the journal Scientific Reports. The paper’s other authors include Shara Bailey, a professor in NYU’s Department of Anthropology, Bin Hu, an associate research scientist at NYU’s College of Dentistry, and Timothy Bromage, a professor at NYU’s College of Dentistry....

As striking as it is, the illusion of depth now routinely offered by 3D movies is a paltry facsimile of a true three-dimensional visual experience. In the real world, as you move around an object, your perspective on it changes. But in a movie theater showing a 3D movie, everyone in the audience has the same, fixed perspective — and has to wear cumbersome glasses, to boot. Despite impressive recent advances, holographic television, which would present images that vary with varying perspectives, probably remains some distance in the future....

A group of astronomers has robustly timed the end of the epoch of reionization of the neutral hydrogen gas to approximately 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang. Reionization began when the first generation of stars formed after the cosmic “dark ages,” a long period when the Universe was filled with neutral gas alone without any sources of light. The new finding settles a debate that lasted for two decades and follows from the radiation signatures of 67 quasars with imprints of the hydrogen gas the light passed through before it reached Earth....

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have new experimental evidence and a predictive theory that solves a long-standing materials science mystery: why certain crystalline materials shrink when heated. Their work, just published today (November 1, 2019) in Science Advances, could have widespread application for matching material properties to specific applications in medicine, electronics, and other fields, and may even provide fresh insight into unconventional superconductors (materials that carry electric current with no energy loss)....

An international team of astronomers, led by academics from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), has found the largest known structure in the universe. The large quasar group (LQG) is so large that it would take a vehicle traveling at the speed of light some 4 billion years to cross it. The team published their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Quasars are the nuclei of galaxies from the early days of the universe that undergo brief periods of extremely high brightness that make them visible across huge distances....

Hubblecast 69: What has Hubble learned from star clusters? The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has observed many star clusters. As well as being scientifically interesting, these clusters produce stunning images, appearing like sparkling baubles in the sky. This episode of the Hubblecast looks at how Hubble has studied and imaged these beautiful objects, also introducing a striking new image of Messier 15, one of the oldest globular clusters in our skies....

It’s a biological imperative how organisms respond to threats, and humans are no exception. Humans respond to threats, perceived or real, in an instinctual way, but the exact neuroscience behind these reactions is still somewhat of a mystery. DARPA, the Pentagon’s advanced research division, has just awarded a $300,000 grant to Alaa Ahmed, an integrative physiologist, in order to change and improve those reactions. This could lead to the development of new weapons, weapons that could trigger this response in enemies in the theater of battle....

Existing Drugs Kill SARS-CoV-2 in Cells Since the beginning of the pandemic, researchers worldwide have been looking for ways to treat COVID-19. And while the COVID-19 vaccines represent the best measure to prevent the disease, therapies for those who do get infected remain in short supply. A new groundbreaking study from the University of Michigan reveals several drug contenders already in use for other purposes—including one dietary supplement—that have been shown to block or reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells....

The scientists published their findings in the journal Trends of Cognitive Sciences. Approximately 3% of the US population reports to have had a near-death experience, and they have been widely reported since ancient Greece. One study reported that many of people experiencing near-death experiences weren’t actually in danger of dying, though most thought they were. This feeling is also common in patients with Cotard or walking corpse syndrome. They hold the delusional belief that they are deceased, and this occurs generally following trauma, such as the advanced stages of typhoid or multiple sclerosis....

Almost 75% of 184 Paris Agreement pledges were judged insufficient to slow climate change; Only 28 European Union nations and 7 others will reduce emissions by at least 40% by 2030. Almost 75 percent of 184 Paris Agreement pledges were judged insufficient to slow climate changeOnly 28 European Union nations & 7 others will reduce emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030China & India, top emitters, will reduce emissions intensity, but their emissions will increaseU....

A University of Georgia researcher is working to correct this misconception and public health threat. More than 30 million people in the United States wrongly believe they are allergic to penicillin – resulting in millions of dollars in added health care costs, adverse side effects from the use of more powerful antibiotics, and risk in the rise of dangerous antibiotic-resistant infections. This misconception and public health threat could be corrected, said Christopher M....

A hot fire test of an Artemis rocket engine … And educating and inspiring the Artemis generation … A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! Analysis of Data Confirms Successful Artemis I Moon Mission After extensively reviewing data since last year’s successful uncrewed Artemis I flight test around the Moon and back, NASA has confirmed initial observations that the agency’s Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and ground systems are ready to fly astronauts on missions to the Moon....

The plan moving forward for Artemis I … And Webb’s new look at a pair of galaxies … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! Launching a new crew to the space station, the plan moving forward for Artemis I, and Webb’s new look at a pair of galaxies … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!...

Since first appearing in late 2019, the novel virus, SARS-CoV-2, has had a range of impacts on those it infects. Some people become severely ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and require hospitalization, whereas others have mild symptoms or are even asymptomatic. There are several factors that influence a person’s susceptibility to having a severe reaction, such as their age and the existence of other medical conditions....

The transgender korimako tested female by its DNA but acts like a male. It has a mix of each sex’s plumage. It could be due to a hormonal imbalance or it could be the reaction to an incomplete molt, states Ben Bell, molt expert at Victoria University. This is the first species that Zealandia staff has discovered showcasing an unusual gender mix. A. melanura are about the size of a sparrow, with dark olive-green plumage and red eyes....

A star thought to have passed the age at which it can form planets may, in fact, be creating new worlds. The disk of material surrounding the surprising star called TW Hydrae may be massive enough to make even more planets than we have in our own solar system. The findings were made using the European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Telescope, a mission in which NASA is a participant. At roughly 10 million years old and 176 light years away, TW Hydrae is relatively close to Earth by astronomical standards....