Super short X-ray pulses help scientists study materials at the atomic level. Researchers found that certain lasing effects can make these pulses even shorter.
Flux ropes (simulated, right) are structures made up of magnetic field lines wrapping around each other like a rope, that look similar to tornadoes on Earth.
NOAA, Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti and Chip Manchester
Unprecedented simulations show the formation of space tornadoes capable of causing strong geomagnetic storms around Earth, calling for earlier and more accurate warnings.
A whole lot more than just one genetic mutation determines whether and how disease develops.
lvcandy/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images
Your DNA contains millions of genetic variants that interact with each other in ways that affect whether diseases such as schizophrenia and heart disease develop, and with what severity.
How do kids figure out how to sort things by order?
Celeste Kidd
By cranking up the difficulty on the test task, researchers found that children are capable of finding systematic solutions to complex problems far earlier than psychologists had believed.
Biochar, which can be made from corn, is a versatile material.
Tom Fisk/pexels.com
An environmental engineer explains how his research team is developing a system containing bacteria, biochar and gel to break down pollutants in waterways.
Hobbits are exceptions to the rule that older ancient humans had proportionally larger wisdom teeth and smaller brains.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
New research on the size relationship between brains and wisdom teeth suggests that bigger brains aren’t necessarily the driving force in human evolution.
ATP synthase is an enzyme that has been using phosphate to generate life’s energy for millions of years.
Nanoclustering/Science Photo Library via Getty Images
A protein historian and evolutionary biochemist found that a protein sequence present across all known life didn’t form as researchers previously thought it did.
When two massive objects – like black holes or neutron stars – merge, they warp space and time.
Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library
A decade after the first discovery, scientists have used these waves to find a unique merger, a massive binary system and a crystal-clear gravitational wave signal.
Muscle cramps have felled many an athlete on game day.
Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images
Despite good hydration and nutrition, many athletes across sports still suffer from unexpected cramps. The courts and fields they’re playing on may be the missing link.
Stars form in the universe from massive clouds of gas.
European Southern Observatory
Too big to come from a dying star and too small to inhabit the center of a galaxy, these black holes are a puzzle that scientists are using LIGO to investigate.
In a binary star system, two stars orbit around each other.
ESO/L. Calçada
Imagination is a fundamental tool for everyday life. Unsurprisingly, many kids harness it during athletic play, conjuring a fun teammate, a supportive coach or a worthy opponent.
White button mushrooms are one of the types studied to inform stronger materials.
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