Scientists Built The World’s Tiniest Antenna, And It’s Made Out of DNA

Scientists have built the tiniest antenna ever made – just five nanometers in length. Unlike its much larger counterparts we’re all familiar with, this minuscule thing isn’t made to transmit radio waves, but to glean the secrets of ever-changing proteins.   The nanoantenna is made from DNA, the molecules carrying genetic instructions that are around … Read more

We Thought This Cell Death Phenomenon Was Irreversible, But We Were Wrong

Pyroptosis, a type of programmed cell death related to infection and an inflammation response, can actually be stopped and managed, according to new research – whereas it was previously thought that the process was irreversible once it gets going.   Killing off cells with pyroptosis is something the body uses to stay healthy, though such … Read more

Archaeology: Ancient Andean leaders may have mixed hallucinogen with their beer

A concoction of vilca seeds and fermented alcohol may have provided a mild hallucinogenic experience, enabling Wari leaders in South America to bond with their people Humans 12 January 2022 By Michael Marshall Anadenanthera colubrina, a tree species common to nearly all regions of South American Matt Lavin/Flickr Get high, make friends. Members of the … Read more

COVID-19 Vaccines Saved Over 240,000 American Lives in Just 6 Months, Study Finds

COVID-19 vaccines saved nearly 241,000 lives in the United States and prevented more than 1 million virus-related hospitalizations in the first six months of the country’s inoculation program, according to a new research model.    A research letter, published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Network Open, found coronavirus vaccinations also prevented more than 14 … Read more

Hunting galaxies far far away: Here’s how anyone can explore the universe

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Written by Sara Webb, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology. By far my favorite thing about my job as an astronomer is those rare moments when I get to see beautiful distant … Read more

‘The Book of Boba Fett’ episode 2 kicks the live-action show up a gear and then some

Warning: Spoilers ahead for “The Book of Boba Fett” chapter 2 We were all pretty excited upon our first watch of the first installment of “The Book of Boba Fett” on Disney Plus, and while it was only 38 minutes long, deep down we were secretly hoping for maybe just a teeny-tiny bit more action. … Read more

Richard Leakey’s Legacy in Science, Conservation and Politics

Richard Leakey, paleoanthropologist, conservationist and Kenyan political leader, died January 2 at his home near Nairobi. His expeditions discovered hundreds of hominin fossils, leading Fred Spoor, a paleoanthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London to tell me his findings were “a most extensive and diverse fossil record of early human evolution.” Other scientists, conservationists, … Read more