Science

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X-ray Satellites Monitor the Clashing Winds of a Colossal Binary

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Artist's rendering of a colliding wind binary.

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How to Hunt a Space Rock

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JPL's Battle Mountain meteorite hunters. Pictured from left to right: Peter Willis, Amanda Stockton, Josh Schoolcraft, Fernanda Mora, Morgan Cable, J.P. Kirby.

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Researchers Create ‘Nanoflowers’ for Energy Storage, Solar Cells

Researchers from North Carolina State University have created flower-like structures out of germanium sulfide (GeS) - a semiconductor material - that have extremely thin petals with an enormous surface area. The GeS flower holds promise for next-generation energy storage devices and solar cells.

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The GeS “nanoflowers” have petals only 20-30 nanometers thick, and provide a large surface area in a small amount of space.

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Scientists discover that shape matters in DNA nanoparticle therapy: Particles could become a safer, more effective delivery vehicle for gene therapy

Researchers from Johns Hopkins and Northwestern universities have discovered how to control the shape of nanoparticles that move DNA through the body and have shown that the shapes of these carriers may make a big difference in how well they work in treating cancer and other diseases.

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This illustration depicts DNA molecules (light green), packaged into nanoparticles by using a polymer with two different segments. One segment (teal) carries a positive charge that binds it to the DNA, and the other (brown) forms a protective coating on the particle surface. By adjusting the solvent surrounding these molecules, the Johns Hopkins and Northwestern researchers were able to control the shape of the nanoparticles. The team’s animal tests showed that a nanoparticle’s shape could dramatically affect how effectively it delivers gene therapy to the cells. The cartoon images in the foreground, obtained though computational modeling, matched closely with the gray background images, which were collected through transmission electron microscopy.

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NASA'S Operation Icebridge Resumes Flights Over Antarctica

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SA's DC-8 over the Pacific during transit to Chile

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Drawing a line, with carbon nanotubes --New low-cost, durable carbon nanotube sensors can be etched with mechanical pencils

Carbon nanotubes offer a powerful new way to detect harmful gases in the environment. However, the methods typically used to build carbon nanotube sensors are hazardous and not suited for large-scale production.

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MIT chemists designed a new type of pencil lead consisting of carbon nanotubes, allowing them to draw carbon nanotube sensors onto sheets of paper.

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NGC 6543: A Planetary Nebula Gallery

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Surprising Spiral Structure Spotted by ALMA

New observations reveal the secrets of a dying star

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Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered a totally unexpected spiral structure in the material around the old star R Sculptoris. This is the first time that such a structure, along with an outer spherical shell, has been found around a red giant star. It is also the first time that astronomers could get full three-dimensional information about such a spiral. The strange shape was probably created by a hidden companion star orbiting the red giant.

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Nanotechnology Used to Purify Urban Wastewater without Formation of Sludge

Iranian experts presented a new reactor in the Water and Environment Zone of Iran Nano 2012 which operates based on the performance of photocatalytic nanoparticles and can efficiently purify urban wastewater.

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Among the advantages of the reactor, mention can be made of the fact that no sludge is produced during the purification process.

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Graphene membranes may lead to enhanced natural gas production, less CO2 pollution, says CU study

Engineering faculty and students at the University of Colorado Boulder have produced the first experimental results showing that atomically thin graphene membranes with tiny pores can effectively and efficiently separate gas molecules through size-selective sieving.

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This illustration depicts a single molecular-sized pore in a graphene membrane. The membrane is separating carbon dioxide from nitrogen. A carbon dioxide molecule is passing through the pore while nitrogen molecules are too large to pass through.