Science

Few systems have Tc values above 30 K since mercury's superconductivity was found over a century ago. ShanghaiTech University and Renmin University of China have observed superconductivity up to 32 K in MoB2 under pressure—the greatest Tc in transition-metal borides to date. Their February 14, 2023 National Science Review article discusses high-Tc superconductors in transition metal borides. Molybdenum diboride (MoB2) is unique in the MB2 family since it possesses both an AlB2-type and a CaSi2-type phase. Synchrotron X-Ray diffraction (XRD) shows that above 65 GPa, β-MoB2 transforms to α-MoB2, which has the same crystal structure as MgB2. A question arises naturally: is it possible to achieve superconductivity in MoB2 under high pressure. So, we carried out the in-situ hi...

"What is the theory of everything?" was a common query in my undergraduate physics program 20 years ago. It labeled theoretical physicists' efforts to explain the universe's fundamental particles and forces. Is it good? Does it assist scientists make breakthrough discoveries? Science requires smart questions. "Wishful thinking"? "What is the theory of everything?" reminds us that excellent science doesn't need good questions. I'll clarify. Let's play. I have a deck of cards with animal names and photos. I pick a card, and you ask questions to determine which animal I picked. You need animal knowledge to ask a good inquiry. You may ask "Does it live in the sea?" when you first play. No, and the game continues. Pick a card next. You examine the cards to choose and find only terr...

21st century is Quantum Age. General-purpose quantum computers will take years to develop. Domestic and foreign hybrid emulations that use quantum phenomena on classical hardware are available. As we properly develop quantum technology (QT) while retaining freedom in the free world, we must adhere to liberal democratic norms. Regimes with less concern for fundamental human rights may employ the technology. The free world must promote democratic ideals in any competition for technological superiority and collaborate on big issues like climate change, equality of opportunity, and A.I. takeover. The rise of hybrid quantum-artificial intelligence and how to stop it As quantum–A.I. hybrids become more common, business and government leaders must connect with research and innovation...

Arctic ocean explorers found an underwater volcano spewing dirt and methane from a bigger crater that likely developed during a catastrophic eruption at the end of the last ice age. The strange structure was discovered 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Norway's Bear Island, Bjørnøya, in the Barents Sea. The team called the volcano the Borealis Mud Volcano. "Exploring the seabed and discovering new methane [seeps] is like finding hidden treasures," said Stefan Buenz(opens in new tab), a professor at The Arctic University of Norway (University of Tromsø) and co-leader of the AKMA expedition that made the discovery. "Every time we go down to the seabed, we get the feeling that we have just begun to understand the great and incredible diversity of such [seep] systems," Buenz said i...

Neuroscientific research has illuminated the neurological differences between monolingualism and bilingualism. Monolingual and multilingual brains differ greatly in neuroplasticity. MRI technology now lets scientists see monolingual and multilingual brains' neuroplasticity differences. Grey matter—cell bodies and dendrites of neurons—can be seen in MRIs. Iowa State University neuroscientist John Grundy says the brain forms new connections and pathways. Bilingual brains have richer grey matter and more neuronal cell bodies and dendrites. Effects of bilingualism on the brain Bilingual brains have greater white matter integrity. White matter nerve fibers connect brain areas for successful communication. Regular language use maintains these relationships. Multilingualism m...

Young scientists worldwide compete to create the most inventive space projects. The inaugural International Space Science and Scientific Payload Competition in Foshan, southern China, concludes Friday. Huang Fei says. Over 100 university teams from 30 nations competed. Thirty reached the final stage and presented their space experiment and instrument design proposals. They propose nanosatellites, space debris capture, and more. Ursula Andrea Martinez, Madrid Polytechnic University student We use boundary temperatures to regulate fluids in microgravity. Our experiment's fundamental concept is that." BIT student YVETTE LIU "We did a quantitative PCR payload for disease, microbial, and floated water monitoring in orbit to help monitor the space station's environment." W...

A NASA-led team's new comprehension of a distant planet was aided by a scientist's "alien weather forecast" for it. Dr. Michael Roman of the University of Leicester made the observations regarding the 2009-discovered planet GJ 1214b's atmospheric conditions. His endeavor is part of a NASA-led international research program. He hoped to conduct additional work on the planet in the near future. Dr. Roman from the University of Leicester School of Physics and Astronomy said, "Ten years ago, astronomers attempted to determine the atmospheric composition of GJ 1214b using the Hubble Space Telescope, but when they analyzed the data, they discovered that the planet was shrouded in a thick layer of cloud or haze. This dense, enveloping haze prevented them from seeing the atmosp...

A little slat of land joined North and South America many million years ago, causing global repercussions. The Isthmus of Panama changed world climate and started a massive migratory experiment for plants and animals. How many million years did the Americas connect? According to a 2016 Science Advances paper (opens in new tab), the "standard model" dates it to roughly 3 million years ago, although more recent research indicate 6 million to 15 million years, with "an initial land bridge" as early as 23 million years ago. "It's still controversial," structural geologist Camilo Montes(opens in new tab) of the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, told Live Science. Panama's Isthmus appears. Tectonics created the Panamanian land bridge. Tectonic plates cover Earth's out...

On Saturday, the Alumni Stadium at Western University will be taken over by all things scientific as the university hosts its sixth Science Rendezvous. The free event is organized by university students and faculty and features over 40 interactive activities, stage performances, demonstrations, and pyrotechnics. Carly Charron, chair of the communications committee for Science Rendezvous and a PhD candidate in biology at Western, described it as "basically just a big festival where we have a bunch of different activities based in different areas of STEAM, so science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics." It's a day for children to come out and discover new things, investigate and learn, and participate in all these activities. Space Goo, Discovering DNA, Tornadoes an...

It is believed that the stratosphere, a layer of atmosphere above the Earth, is tranquil and peaceful. However, when scientists launched a solar-powered balloon between 10 and 50 kilometers above the earth's surface, they detected enigmatic sounds of unknown origin. The sounds, according to the Washington Post, are "infrasound" - inaudible to the human ear, just as infrared light is invisible to the human vision. When recorded with specialized equipment and sped up several thousand times, scientists were quoted as saying that it sounded like muted murmurs. Scientists distinguished these odd noises from normal zone sounds like ocean waves crashing. Siddharth Krishnamoorthy, a research technologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, stated to the Post, "W...