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    The asteroid that may be three worlds

    August 11, 2026, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Asteroid (44) Nysa imaged with the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope. The tiny moon S/2026 (44) 1, arrowed, was pulled from the asteroid's glare using techniques borrowed from exoplanet hunting (Credit : SHARK-VIS/LBT Observatory)
    Asteroid (44) Nysa imaged with the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope. The tiny moon S/2026 (44) 1, arrowed, was pulled from the asteroid’s glare using techniques borrowed from exoplanet hunting (Credit : SHARK-VIS/LBT Observatory)

    What shape is an asteroid? For (44) Nysa, the honest answer until now has been that nobody knew. It is one of the brightest and largest E-type asteroids in the main belt, a class with a surface rich in enstatite, and its oddness has made it a favorite target for well over a hundred years. Successive observations hinted that it was elongated, perhaps even two lumps stuck together, but the picture stayed frustratingly blurred.

    An international team led by Kate Minker at Lowell Observatory has now brought two of the world’s heaviest instru...

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    D-serine accelerates gastric tumor growth by suppressing killer T cells

    August 9, 2026, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    D-serine Promotes Tumor Growth in Gastric Cancer
    D-serine is a metabolic byproduct that aids immune evasion by gastric cancer tumors. It increases immunosuppressive macrophage activity and reduces the numbers and function of cytotoxic T cells. This aids tumor growth and provides resistance against immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Credit: Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI)

    One of the crucial steps in cancer proliferation is evading killer immune cells. Cancer cells use a variety of signaling molecules to evade the immune system. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy interferes with some of these evasion tactics, improving the immune system’s ability to suppress tumors. However, the success of ICI therapy depends on the specific signals being secreted by the tumor.

    Recent research has identified D-amino acids (...

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    ‘Chameleon’ chip adapts to changing data speeds, cutting prediction errors by up to 40-fold

    August 9, 2026, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Concept and operating principle of the programmable dynamic memtransistor (PDM) for processing time-series signals across multiple timescales. Real-world time-series data contain both rapidly and slowly changing information, requiring different temporal response characteristics for effective analysis. Conventional semiconductor devices have a fixed, single temporal response, which limits the range of timescales they can process. In contrast, the PDM employs a dual-functional gate structure that enables its temporal response characteristics to be programmed at multiple levels, from fast to slow, and retained in a non-volatile manner...
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    Rare ultra-magnetic star may be key to solving 90-year old quantum cold case

    August 9, 2026, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    A Swinburne astronomer may have just confirmed one of the quirkiest aspects of quantum mechanics: that seemingly empty space can alter the behaviour of light. Image supplied via NASA.

    Astronomers may have just confirmed one of the quirkiest aspects of quantum mechanics: that seemingly empty space can alter the behavior of light. This phenomenon, called “vacuum birefringence,” was first predicted nearly 90 years ago by Werner Heisenberg, one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics. He suggested that even a perfect vacuum should be teeming with “virtual particles” that rapidly pop in and out of existence.

    The astronomers, including Dr Marcus Lower from Swinburne University of Technology, used the properties of a magnetar—a rare type of neutron star with the strongest magnetic fie...

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