physorg.com:Spotlight stories

Want to hear dinosaurs 'sing'? These instruments bring prehistory back to life The roar of a T. rex, made iconic by Jurassic Park, has become the soundtrack of prehistory.
Saturday Citations: A mechanism for liver failure; LIGO black hole kick observed; primordial black hole explosions This week, researchers reported on a new biopsy tool that can detect HPV-associated head and neck cancer up to 10 years before symptoms appear. Researchers developed a process to transform two-dimensional paintings into full-color, three-dimensional holograms, providing a new way to experience art in a gallery setting. And Chinese scientists designed a physical cassette capable of storing massive amounts of data encoded as DNA on a polyester-nylon tape substrate.
Cheese cave fungi reveal how genetic mutations drive rapid evolutionary change Many scientific discoveries are serendipitous—the result of chance. Seeing evolution in action in a cheese cave turned out to be exactly that for Benjamin Wolfe, associate professor of biology, and his colleagues.
Mini microscope enables real-time 3D brain imaging in freely moving mice Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have created a miniaturized microscope for real-time, high-resolution, noninvasive imaging of brain activity in mice. The device is a significant step toward revolutionizing how neuroscientists study the brain.
Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change An ancient DNA analysis of the remains of several mastodons, including those which roamed along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, has revealed the Ice Age giants migrated vast distances in response to shifting climates and were far more genetically diverse than previously known.
Measuring the quantum W state: Seeing a trio of entangled photons in one go The concept of quantum entanglement is emblematic of the gap between classical and quantum physics. Referring to a situation in which it is impossible to describe the physics of each photon separately, this key characteristic of quantum mechanics defies the classical expectation that each particle should have a reality of its own, which gravely concerned Einstein.
By working together, cells can extend their senses beyond their direct environment The story of the princess and the pea evokes an image of a highly sensitive young royal woman so refined, she can sense a pea under a stack of mattresses. When it comes to human biology, it also takes an abnormal individual to sense far beyond its surroundings, in this case, a cancer cell. Now, researchers also know that normal cells can pull a similar trick by working together.
New quantum sensors can withstand extreme pressure The world of quantum physics is already mysterious, but what happens when that strange realm of subatomic particles is put under immense pressure? Observing quantum effects under pressure has proven difficult for a simple reason: Designing sensors that can withstand extreme forces is challenging.
Fluorescent 'zoom lens' exposes hidden protein changes for earlier disease detection A novel strategy developed at Rice University allows scientists to zoom in on tiny segments of proteins inside living cells, revealing localized environmental changes that could indicate the earliest stages of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer. The study, published in Nature Chemical Biology on Sept. 10, also shows promise for drug screening that targets protein aggregation diseases.
Nanoscale images of protein complex reveal secret to blood clotting chain reaction If you've ever accidentally sliced yourself on broken glass or a piece of paper, you may have noticed that the bleeding can be hard to stop. Scientists have long wondered how the cascade of events that leads to blood clotting is triggered, especially since the process has life and death consequences. Too little clotting and you bleed out, while too much can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Atomic-level engineering enables new alloys that won't break in extreme cold Navigating the extreme cold of deep space or handling super-chilled liquid fuels here on Earth requires materials that won't break. Most metals become brittle and fracture at such low temperatures. However, new research is pioneering an approach to build metal structures atom by atom to create tough and durable alloys that can withstand such harsh environments.
Ditches as waterways: Managing 'ditch-scapes' to strengthen communities and the environment Ditches are all around: along roads, through neighborhoods, across fields and marshes. These human-made waterways are so common that they can be easy to miss. A new literature review published in Communications Earth & Environment calls on the public to pay more attention to this often neglected resource, one that could advance sustainability goals and benefit local communities with modern ditch management strategies.
New metrics indicate habitat fragmentation has increased in over half the world's forests over the last 20 years Deforestation is a well-known issue affecting biodiversity and carbon storage, but the fragmentation of forests is also a driving factor in the reduction of the world's biodiversity and carbon-storing abilities.
Synthetic magnetic fields steer light on a chip for faster communications Electrons in a magnetic field can display striking behaviors, from the formation of discrete energy levels to the quantum Hall effect. These discoveries have shaped our understanding of quantum materials and topological phases of matter. Light, however, is made of neutral particles and does not naturally respond to magnetic fields in the same way. This has limited the ability of researchers to reproduce such effects in optical systems, particularly at the high frequencies used in modern communications.
Who shows up in times of need? High school extracurriculars offer clues Are nerds the caring ones? High school stereotypes suggest that athletes score more popularity points than marching band members, debaters or leaders in the student council, but research from Rutgers finds that so-called "geeky" activities may do more to cultivate compassion in the long run.