Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University have developed a way to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent greenhouse gas, into carbon nanofibers, materials with a wide range of unique properties and many potential long-term uses. Their strategy uses tandem electrochemical and thermochemical reactions run at relatively low … Read more

Can they help us find life elsewhere?

Image of a fresh impact crater with a diameter of approximately 30 meters (100 feet) with corresponding ejecta rays obtained by NASA’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Nov. 19, 2013. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona When we look at the moon, either through a pair of binoculars, a … Read more

A common marker of neurological diseases may play role in healthy brains

Researchers have discovered that a protein called phosphorylated α-synuclein, which is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, is also involved in the normal processes of how neurons communicate with each other in a healthy brain. The research, published in Neuron, was funded in part by the National Institute … Read more

Healthy cities aren’t a question of boring or exciting buildings but about creating better public space

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The US developers of a 300-ft glowing orb, set to be built in the middle of Stratford, east London, and accommodate upwards of 21,500 concert goers, have withdrawn their planning application. Las Vegas, in the US, already boasts one such venue, known as Sphere. Citing its “extreme” disappointment at London residents … Read more

Rwanda plan puts modern slavery victims at further risk of exploitation, campaigners warn

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Rishi Sunak’s “hostile” immigration policies put asylum seekers at risk of being further exploited by criminal gangs in the underground economy, campaigners have warned as new figures show a spike in cases of … Read more

Observing macroscopic quantum effects in the dark

Be fast, avoid light, and roll through a curvy ramp: This is the recipe for a pioneering experiment proposed by theoretical physicists in a recent paper published in Physical Review Letters. An object evolving in a potential created through electrostatic or magnetic forces is expected to rapidly and reliably generate a macroscopic quantum superposition state. … Read more

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake shakes parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan but no damage is reported

People stand outside their offices building after an earthquake was felt in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattled much of Pakistan and part of neighboring Afghanistan on Thursday, sending panicked residents fleeing from homes and offices and especially frightening people in remote villages across the country, Pakistani officials and the … Read more