Spin in a black hole produces an effect called “frame dragging,” an effect where space-time is curved around the spinning black hole by the rotation of the black hole. This profoundly affects particles that are close, transferring energy to particles that move in the direction of the rotation of the black hole. A breakthrough by…
The National Institutes of Health will no longer allow American scientists to direct its funding to research partners overseas, casting doubt on the future of studies on subjects including malaria and childhood cancer. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the new director of the N.I.H., announced the policy on Thursday, the same day Dr. Matthew J. Memoli, the…
In a revolutionary breakthrough in the treatment of snakebites, researchers have used the potential of antibodies in the blood of a man who self-inflicted more than 200 snake bites to create an antivenom with amazing potential. The breakthrough is one step closer towards the creation of a universal snake antivenom that can save thousands of…
For years, the space near Earth was assumed to be fairly well known, particularly in terms of detecting near-Earth objects (NEOs) like asteroids and debris. That perception is being turned on its head by new discoveries. According to a recent paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, there could be an undiscovered population of “minimoons“—small…
As the U.S. government slashes support to research institutions and threatens universities like Harvard and Columbia with the freezing of federal funds, European leaders hope to benefit from what they are calling an American “error” and a “gigantic miscalculation.” “Nobody could imagine a few years ago that one of the great democracies of the world…
Andrew Wozniak, a chemical oceanographer at the University of Delaware, struggled to process what his eyes were taking in. Dr. Wozniak was parked on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean beneath nearly 1.6 miles of water in Alvin, a research submersible. As far as he could see lay a mostly barren expanse of jet-black rock….
In a remarkable scientific breakthrough, researchers at Rockefeller University have inserted a human-specific gene into mice, revealing fascinating changes in their communication. By introducing the NOVA1 gene, a critical player in human brain development, scientists observed that the mice began producing different kinds of squeaks. These changes were not minor; the modified mice exhibited higher-pitched…
Federal health officials have reversed the decision to fire a few dozen scientists at the Food and Drug Administration’s food-safety labs, and say they are conducting a review to determine if other critical posts were cut. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the rehirings and said that several employees would…
Representative Image (TOI) SYDNEY: Whether or not we’re alone in the universe is one of the biggest questions in science. A recent study, led by astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan at the University of Cambridge, suggests the answer might be no. Based on observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the study points to alien life on…
Prof Aloke Kumar & Prof Saptrishi Basu BENGALURU: Two Indian scientists, in collaboration with French scientists, have conducted microgravity experiments that could advance the ability to fabricate materials in space, studying droplet behaviour during the 68th CNES (french space agency) parabolic flight campaign.The findings could potentially contribute to future applications including fabricating organs, space bricks,…