Quantum friction explains strange way water flows through nanotubes

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Water flows mysteriously well through narrow carbon nanotubes, but now there is an explanation: it may all be due to quantum friction Physics 2 February 2022 By Chen Ly Narrow carbon nanotubes behave in an unusual way Shutterstock / ustas7777777 Water flows more easily through narrower carbon nanotubes than larger ones and we have struggled … Read more

The 1st poster for ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ evokes the (final) frontier for new to Paramount Plus spinoff

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Trekkies of all persuasions will rejoice with word of the newly announced premiere date for the new “Star Trek: Discovery” spinoff series “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” coming to the streaming service Paramount Plus. During this week’s TCA Press Tour, the streaming platform presented an atmospheric new key art poster and a May 5 debut … Read more

CAR-T gene therapy kept leukaemia in remission for 11 years in two people

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Two people who were among the first to get CAR-T cells as blood cancer treatment still have descendants of the cells in their bodies that are working well more than a decade later Health 2 February 2022 By Clare Wilson Illustration of a CAR-T cell KEITH CHAMBERS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY A high-tech gene therapy for treating … Read more

Earth’s Water Was in The Solar System Before Earth Itself, Meteorite Reveals

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We don’t know how life emerged on Earth, but one thing is certain: life as we know it on our planet wouldn’t exist without the water that wraps around the surface, runs in rivulets, and falls from the sky.   Our planet is the only one known to have life, and the only one on … Read more

Megaconstellations like SpaceX’s Starlink may interfere with search for life by world’s largest radio telescope

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The search for traces of life on distant planets will be more difficult for the world’s largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometer Array Observatory (SKAO), because of interference from SpaceX’s Starlink and other megaconstellation satellites.  Also affected will be the hunt for exoplanets and the study of the most distant galaxies, Federico di Vruno, radio … Read more

A driverless car that went rogue could be a taste of the robo uprising

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The recent case of a driverless car that tried to escape its handlers might make us laugh, but it also warns us about what could happen when AI is given a “body”, writes Annalee Newitz Technology | Columnist 2 February 2022 By Annalee Newitz MicroOne/Shutterstock DRIVING in San Francisco is like watching a robot uprising … Read more

Interoception: This ‘sixth sense’ could be key to better mental health

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How our brains interpret signals from within the body has a surprisingly big influence on the mind, an insight that is leading to new ways to tackle conditions like depression, anxiety and eating disorders Health 2 February 2022 By Caroline Williams Brett Ryder LYING in the dark, my senses are straining for inputs and finding … Read more

In the wild, robot vacuum cleaners have no natural predators

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Josie Ford Va va vacuum Like many people who have difficulty distinguishing science fact from fiction, Feedback is anticipating with trepidation the rise of the sentient machines. We see the story recently reported by the BBC, “Robot vacuum cleaner escapes from Cambridge Travelodge”, as a kind of low-budget prequel. “The automated cleaner failed to stop … Read more

Climate fiction has come of age – and these fabulous books show why

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As the climate crisis grows, “cli-fi” books are driving action by showing dark, all-too-possible futures, says climate researcher Bill McGuire. Here are some of his favourites Environment 2 February 2022 By Bill Mcguire Cli-fi provides visions of the future that aren’t yet too late to change Jorn Georg Tomter/Getty Images SCIENTIFIC papers, however well-written, rarely carry … Read more