“A Boy and his Atom”, the world’s “smallest” movie
A movie with atoms as actors has been named by the Guinness World Records organization, as the “world’s smallest movie.” Called “A Boy and his Atom”, the stop-action film was produced by IBM to introduce students to the world of mathematics and science, while highlighting IBM’s own history of research.
The Scientific Case for Urgent Action to Limit Climate Change
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Richard Somerville, a world-renowned climate scientist and author of “The Forgiving Air: Understanding Environmental Change,” discusses the scientific case for urgent action to limit climate change.
5 things you should never do with a particle accelerator
Suzie Sheehy is a researcher and science communicator who specialises in particle physics and accelerator physics. She was one of many big names who gave talks at the IOP’s Physics in Perspective event at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in 2013.
NASA targets nanotechnology for space exploration
Meyya Meyyappan is the director of the Center for Nanotechnology at NASA Ames Research Center. In this video interview with Physics World, Meyyappan explains why NASA is placing so much faith in nanotechnology for the future of its space-exploration programme.
Among the themes discussed, Meyyappan describes the imperative for space devices to be as light as possible, and the need for speculative science to adapt to the project-driven focus of NASA missions.
Israeli scientists see new options for infertility
Israeli scientists predict it will one day be possible to produce human eggs from the cells lining the amniotic membrane, presenting new options for infertile women. The scientists have found immature cells in the amniotic sac, which they hope to turn into mature human egg cells in the laboratory.
Human ear fabrication shows potential for growth
Researchers in Boston are in the final stages of testing a new technique to fabricate a fully functional human ear with a patient’s own cells. Using scans, computer modelling and 3D printing, the scientists say their research heralds a new era of regenerative medicine.
Early HIV treatment points to ‘functional cure’
French scientists say they have found evidence of an effective HIV cure among adults, if they are treated quickly after infection.The study looked at 14 patients, whose bodies have been able to control the virus, even after they stopped taking medication.
It follows the so-called functional cure of a baby girl in the US.Speaking to Al Jazeera from London, Sarah Radcliffe, from the UK’s National AIDS Trust, said the findings are another step in the road to a full cure for HIV and AIDS.
Satellite data reveals extent of Andean glacier melt
New research shows that warming temperatures are melting Andean glaciers at unprecedented rates, raising fears of water shortages by the middle of the century. Using the latest satellite data, scientists say glaciers along the Cordillera Real range are losing about one metre of ice thickness per year because of climate change.
New Planet-weighing Technique Found
Although there have been about 800 extra-solar planets discovered so far in our galaxy, the precise masses of the majority of them are still unknown, as the most-common planet-finding technique provides only a general idea of an object’s mass. Previously, the only way to determine a planet’s exact mass was if it transits—has an orbit that periodically eclipses that of its host star. Former Carnegie scientist Mercedes López-Morales has, for the first time, determined the mass of a non-transiting planet.
Hello World! A documentary series on open creative programming languages
Today, Thursday 28th of February, the first documentary was made available for viewing online and it’s dedicated to open source programming language and environment Processing. The documentary explores the role that ideas such as process, experimentation and algorithm play in this creative field featuring artists, designers and code enthusiasts.
