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    Proposed Astrophysics Mission to Conduct the 1st Infrared Spectral Survey of the Entire Sky

    August 30, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    SPHEREx could provide some important hints into the origin of the universe, improving our knowledge about its birth and evolution

    SPHEREx could provide some important hints into the origin of the universe, improving our knowledge about its birth and evolution

    NASA has recently chosen 6 proposed astrophysics mission for concept studies. Among them is the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, or SPHEREx, which aims to unlock the mysteries of the universe by performing the first all-sky spectral survey. If selected for construction and launch, the survey provided by the SPHEREx spacecraft could provide crucial insights into the origin and evolution of galaxies, and could help scientists explore whether planets around other stars might harbor life.

    “SPHEREx will produce the first infrared spectral survey of the entire sky...

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    Galaxy Clusters offer Clues to Dark Matter and Dark Energy

    August 30, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    A massive, young galaxy cluster seen in X-rays (blue), visible light (green), and infrared light (red). Image by X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Missouri/M.Brodwin et al.; optical: NASA/STScI; infrared: JPL/CalTech

    A massive, young galaxy cluster seen in X-rays (blue), visible light (green), and infrared light (red). Image by X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Missouri/M.Brodwin et al.; optical: NASA/STScI; infrared: JPL/CalTech

    It’s a cosmic irony: the biggest things in the universe can also be the hardest to find. Elizabeth Blanton, a Boston University associate professor of astronomy, started hunting for distant galaxy clusters more than 20 years ago. A single galaxy cluster can be as massive as a quadrillion suns, yet faraway clusters are so faint that they are practically invisible to all but the biggest Earth-bound telescopes. Distant clusters hold pieces of the story of how the web-like structure of the universe first emerged and could help illuminate the true nature of dark energy and dark matter.

    Now, ...

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    New App uses Smartphone Selfies to Screen for Pancreatic Cancer

    August 29, 2017, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    1. BiliScreen is a new smartphone app that is designed to screen for pancreatic cancer by having users snap a selfie. It’s shown here with a 3-D printed box that helps control lighting conditions to detect signs of jaundice in a person’s eye.Dennis Wise/University of Washington 2. BiliScreen provides estimates of bilirubin levels in a person’s blood. Elevated levels can be an early warning sign for pancreatic cancer, hepatitis and other diseases.Dennis Wise/University of Washington 3.The UW team tested two different accessories for BiliScreen: a 3-D printed box to control lighting conditions and glasses that help the app calibrate colors. The goal is to remove the need for additional accessories, potentially by mining data from facial pictures.Dennis Wise/University of Washington

    1. BiliScreen is a new smartphone app that is designed to screen for pancreatic cancer by having users snap a selfie. It’s shown here with a 3-D printed box that helps control lighting conditions to detect signs of jaundice in a person’s eye.Dennis Wise/University of Washington
    2. BiliScreen provides estimates of bilirubin levels in a person’s blood. Elevated levels can be an early warning sign for pancreatic cancer, hepatitis and other diseases.Dennis Wise/University of Washington
    3.The UW team tested two different accessories for BiliScreen: a 3-D printed box to control lighting conditions and glasses that help the app calibrate colors. The goal is to remove the need for additional accessories, potentially by mining data from facial pictures.Dennis Wise/University of Washington

    Pancr...

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    A Low-Cost method for Solar-Thermal Conversion that’s Simpler and Greener

    August 29, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    1. The selective solar absorber (SSA) developed by the researchers appears black, and thus absorptive, under sunlight (as shown on the photograph on the left). However, for thermal radiation, it behaves like a non-emissive metal mirror (reflecting the dark blue sky, as shown on the thermograph on the right), and prevents the absorbed solar energy from being radiated away and lost. —Figure courtesy of Jyotirmoy Mandal and Yuan Yang/Columbia Engineering 2. The researchers make their SSAs using a dip-and-dry technique which is considerably simpler than common manufacturing methods for SSAs. —Photo courtesy of Jyotirmoy Mandal and Yuan Yang/Columbia Engineering

    1. The selective solar absorber (SSA) developed by the researchers appears black, and thus absorptive, under sunlight (as shown on the photograph on the left). However, for thermal radiation, it behaves like a non-emissive metal mirror (reflecting the dark blue sky, as shown on the thermograph on the right), and prevents the absorbed solar energy from being radiated away and lost.
    —Figure courtesy of Jyotirmoy Mandal and Yuan Yang/Columbia Engineering
    2. The researchers make their SSAs using a dip-and-dry technique which is considerably simpler than common manufacturing methods for SSAs.
    —Photo courtesy of Jyotirmoy Mandal and Yuan Yang/Columbia Engineering

    Dip-and-dry’ approach for selective solar absorbers exhibit high-performance and durability...

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