Study shows nanoplastics can build up in plants and stunt their growth

That tiny plastic fragment exists in soil is perhaps not so surprising, but researchers have now conducted one of the first studies on what this means for plant life, finding that it can reduce the total biomass of the finished product.

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Dark matter: What is it, how do we know it’s there and will we find it?

There’s invisible, undetectable stuff all around us, and we call it dark matter. There’s plenty of evidence that this stuff is very real, but what exactly is dark matter? How do we know it’s there? And how are scientists looking for it?

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Dark matter: What is it, how do we know it’s there and will we find it?

There’s invisible, undetectable stuff all around us, and we call it dark matter. There’s plenty of evidence that this stuff is very real, but what exactly is dark matter? How do we know it’s there? And how are scientists looking for it?

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Continue ReadingDark matter: What is it, how do we know it’s there and will we find it?

Graphene-based textile cools in the heat and warms in the cold

Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a new type of smart textile that could enable thermally adaptive clothing, using graphene to alter its thermal radiation properties via electrical tuning.

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Graphene-based textile cools in the heat and warms in the cold

Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a new type of smart textile that could enable thermally adaptive clothing, using graphene to alter its thermal radiation properties via electrical tuning.

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Continue ReadingGraphene-based textile cools in the heat and warms in the cold

Color-changing film could give robots chameleon-like skin

A new type of ultra-thin film with an incredible ability to change color as it is twisted or bent could one day make its way onto robots to give them chameleon-like skin, or into cash as a means of verifying its authenticity.

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Color-changing film could give robots chameleon-like skin

A new type of ultra-thin film with an incredible ability to change color as it is twisted or bent could one day make its way onto robots to give them chameleon-like skin, or into cash as a means of verifying its authenticity.

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Continue ReadingColor-changing film could give robots chameleon-like skin

More early data revealed from landmark CRISPR gene editing human trial

Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics presented new data from one of the first trials testing gene-editing therapy in human subjects. Fifteen months on from first patient treatment, the therapy is showing remarkable efficacy treating two rare blood diseases.

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More early data revealed from landmark CRISPR gene editing human trial

Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics presented new data from one of the first trials testing gene-editing therapy in human subjects. Fifteen months on from first patient treatment, the therapy is showing remarkable efficacy treating two rare blood diseases.

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Continue ReadingMore early data revealed from landmark CRISPR gene editing human trial

Nano-motor of just 16 atoms runs at the boundary of quantum physics

Researchers at Empa and EPFL have created one of the smallest motors ever made. It’s composed of just 16 atoms, and at that tiny size it seems to function right on the boundary between classical physics and the spooky quantum realm.

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