World’s first dual-tower solar thermal plant boosts efficiency by 24%

Two 650-foot-tall towers have risen in China's Gansu Province. Combined with an array of 30,000 mirrors arranged in concentric circles, the new facility is expected to generate over 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year.

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Our brains take naps while we’re awake – and wake when we’re asleep

For the first time, scientists have found that a tiny region of our brain shuts down to take micro-naps while we're awake. These same areas 'flicker' awake while we're asleep. This could offer pivotal insights into diseases linked to sleep dysregulation.

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‘Superlubricious’ coating radically drops friction between metal parts

Using biowaste from cassava plants, scientists have created a coating that virtually eliminates friction in metal parts. The breakthrough has the potential to deliver better fuel economy and deliver enormous savings in myriad industries.

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New microwave process could let astronauts make bricks out of moon dust

Scientists have developed what could be a much quicker and easier technique for astronauts to make building-construction bricks out of lunar soil. The secret lies in heating that moon dust, then sticking it in an aerospace-grade microwave oven.

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Freeze-dried mammoth reveals most complete ancient genome in 3D

Scientists have assembled the most complete woolly mammoth genome in 3D, thanks to an incredible “freeze-dried” specimen. With its DNA preserved in a glass-like state, chromosomes were found for the first time, and even gene expression patterns.

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Starliner astronauts are now ‘not stranded’ on ISS until at least August

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft's one-week visit to the International Space Station (ISS) has been extended at least into August as NASA rules out a rescue mission to return the two "not stranded" astronauts to Earth.

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Interplanetary shock wave angles are key to infrastructure threat

Giant shock waves emanating from the Sun can give us some breathtaking auroras here on Earth. They can also cause energy surges that can damage our infrastructure, says a new study that looks at how their angles of impact shape their consequences.

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Sports fields could cool cities via rainwater stored beneath turf

Artificial-turf sports fields may be more durable than those covered in grass, but they also get very hot during warm weather. Scientists have devised a method of cooling them – and the cities they're in – using rainwater stored beneath the turf.

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Geothermal fracking plant scores world-record energy contract in Utah

Just a year ago, Fervo Energy successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of its horizontally oriented geothermal system. Now the company has landed a massive contract for providing its clean, virtually endless power to the California grid.

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Hippos get airborne at top speed, and we’ve somehow only just found out

For the first time, scientists have discovered that hippos get significant airtime when they're at full-trot, able to lift their huge barrel-shaped girth off the ground for around 15% of their stride. It's totally unique for mammals their size.

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