Science

Rather than sucking space ships into a space-station, a tractor beam created by University of Adelaide researcher Ashby Hilton and his colleagues pulls atoms into a microscopic hole at the center of a special optical fiber. Atomic chamber in which tractor beams were created. Image credit: Institute for Photonics and …

A beautiful new species of swallowtail butterfly has been discovered on the Pacific Island of Vanua Levu, Fiji. The Natewa swallowtail (Papilio natewa). Image credit: Greg Kerr. Named the Natewa swallowtail (Papilio natewa), the newfound species measures 3 inches (8 cm) across, with two elongated edges projecting from the hind …

Bacteria thrive in showerheads and throughout household water distribution systems. While most of these bacteria are innocuous, some are potential pathogens, including members of the genus Mycobacterium that can cause nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections. In a new study published in the journal mBio, a researcher team led by University …

NASA declares Dawn, a mission to the two largest bodies in the Solar System’s main asteroid belt, Vesta and Ceres, over after the spacecraft depletes its hydrazine fuel and stops communicating with the agency’s Deep Space Network. This artist’s concept shows NASA’s Dawn spacecraft arriving at Ceres. Image credit: NASA …

Perhaps among the world’s finest known fossils is Archaeopteryx. With its magnificently preserved plumes, it has long been considered the very first bird in the fossil record, and is often called “ the icon of evolution”. Just a handful of specimens have ever been found, its elusivity including to its …

More than 8 decades after they were anticipated to exist, physicists have discovered evidence of discrete systems of matter that could assist us better comprehend the electrical equivalent of ferromagnetism. What does that indicate? While some products are permanent magnets that produce their own electromagnetic field, other products, such as …

Scientists at the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park are doing some excellent work. They’re looking after the park on Hawaii’s Big Island, and flaunting the little critters they find on their Facebook page along the method. However back in August, while the park’s marine biologists were conducting reef tracking, they found …

Humanity is building powerful rockets like the SpaceX BFR and NASA Space Launch System that can take a payload far away from Earth. However, making the return trip means you have to lug a lot more fuel with you. Efforts to send humans to Mars in the coming decades would …

The recently extinct Malagasy elephant birds included the largest birds ever discovered. Seven species are recognized across two genera, including the larger Aepyornis and the smaller, gracile Mullerornis. The neuroanatomy of these enigmatic birds is understudied but can shed light on their lifestyle. In a study published in the journal …

The emerald jewel wasp (Ampulex compressa) is renowned for its ability to zombify the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) with a sting to the brain. When the venom takes effect, the cockroach becomes passive and can be led by its antenna into a hole, where the wasp deposits an egg and …