X-Rays surrounding ‘Magnificent 7’ may be Traces of Sought-after Particle

An artistic rendering of the XMM-Newton (X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission) space telescope. A study of archival data from the XMM-Newton and the Chandra X-ray space telescopes found evidence of high levels of X-ray emission from the nearby Magnificent Seven neutron stars, which may arise from the hypothetical particles known as axions. (Credits: D. Ducros, ESA/XMM-Newton, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)

Researchers say they may have found proof of theorized axions, and possibly dark matter, around group of neutron stars. A new study, led by a theoretical physicist at the U.S...

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Toadlet Peptide transforms into a deadly weapon against Bacteria

An electron microscopy photo shows two bacterial cells surrounded by several white fibrils of the amphibian peptide.
The peptide uperin 3.5 is secreted by the Australian toadlet’s skin. When exposed to bacterial membranes, it rapidly changes its structure and transforms into a deadly antimicrobial weapon. The pictures were taken using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) in the Electron Microscopy Centers in the Technion Department of Materials Science and Engineering and in the Department of Chemical Engineering. The cross-α atomic structure was determined by data collected at the ESRF synchrotron. Credit: Nir Salinas/Technion

Researchers have discovered remarkable molecular properties of an antimicrobial peptide from the skin of the Australian toadlet. The discovery could inspire the development of novel synthetic drugs to combat bacterial infections.

The researchers solved the 3D molecul...

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New State of Matter in One-Dimensional Quantum Gas

Experimental physicists have made a unique, one-dimensional quantum gas system that remains unusually stable as it’s pumped up to higher energy states. The researchers compare it to water being transported up an Archimedes’ screw. (Image credit: Getty Images)

By adding some magnetic flair to an exotic quantum experiment, physicists produced an ultra-stable one-dimensional quantum gas with never-before-seen ‘scar’ states – a feature that could someday be useful for securing quantum information.

As the story goes, the Greek mathematician and tinkerer Archimedes came across an invention while traveling through ancient Egypt that would later bear his name. It was a machine consisting of a screw housed inside a hollow tube that trapped and drew water upon rotation...

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Could we Harness Energy from Black Holes?

round grey and white concentric circles on black background

A new study indicates energy can be extracted from black holes through reconnection of magnetic field lines. A remarkable prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity — the theory that connects space, time, and gravity — is that rotating black holes have enormous amounts of energy available to be tapped.

For the last 50 years, scientists have tried to come up with methods to unleash this power. Nobel physicist Roger Penrose theorized that a particle disintegration could draw energy from a black hole; Stephen Hawking proposed that black holes could release energy through quantum mechanical emission; while Roger Blandford and Roman Znajek suggested electromagnetic torque as a main agent of energy extraction.

Now, in a study published in the journal Physical Review D, phys...

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