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    Viewing Martian Moon Orbiting the Red Planet

    July 21, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    While photographing Mars, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured a cameo appearance of the tiny moon Phobos on its trek around the Red Planet. Discovered in 1877, the diminutive, potato-shaped moon is so small that it appears star-like in the Hubble pictures. Phobos orbits Mars in just 7 hours and 39 minutes, which is faster than Mars rotates. The moon's orbit is very slowly shrinking, meaning it will eventually shatter under Mars' gravitational pull, or crash onto the planet. Hubble took 13 separate exposures over 22 minutes. Credit: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI)

    While photographing Mars, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a cameo appearance of the tiny moon Phobos on its trek around the Red Planet. Discovered in 1877, the diminutive, potato-shaped moon is so small that it appears star-like in the Hubble pictures. Phobos orbits Mars in just 7 hours and 39 minutes, which is faster than Mars rotates. The moon’s orbit is very slowly shrinking, meaning it will eventually shatter under Mars’ gravitational pull, or crash onto the planet. Hubble took 13 separate exposures over 22 minutes. Credit: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI)

     
    The sharp eye of Hubble Space Telescope has captured the tiny moon Phobos during its orbital trek around Mars. Because the moon is so small, it appears star-like in the Hubble pictures...
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    Experts: 1 in 3 cases of Dementia Preventable

    July 20, 2017, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    One in three cases of dementia could be prevented by addressing nine lifestyle factors, according to a report from the first Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care. Credit: Keck Medicine of USC

    One in three cases of dementia could be prevented by addressing nine lifestyle factors, according to a report from the first Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care. Credit: Keck Medicine of USC

    Managing lifestyle factors such as hearing loss, smoking, hypertension and depression could prevent 1/3 of the world’s dementia cases, according to a report by the first Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care. Presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2017 and published in The Lancet, the report also highlights the beneficial effects of nonpharmacologic interventions such as social contact and exercise for people with dementia.

    “There’s been a great deal of focus on developing medicines to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease,” says com...

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    Folding Robots: No Battery, no Wire, no Problem

    July 20, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    A magnetic folding robot arm can grasp and bend thanks to its pattern of origami-inspired folds and a wireless electromagnetic field. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

    A magnetic folding robot arm can grasp and bend thanks to its pattern of origami-inspired folds and a wireless electromagnetic field. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

    Wireless magnetic fields and actuator ‘muscles’ allow folding robots to move without batteries. The traditional Japanese art of origami transforms a simple sheet of paper into complex, 3D shapes through a very specific pattern of folds, creases, and crimps. Folding robots based on that principle have emerged as an exciting new frontier of robotic design, but generally require onboard batteries or a wired connection to a power source, making them bulkier and clunkier than their paper inspiration and limiting their functionality.

    A team at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and John A...

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    Novel 3D Printing process Strengthens Parts by 275%

    July 20, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Brandon Sweeney and Blake Tiepel working in the lab. Credit: Texas A&M University

    Brandon Sweeney and Blake Tiepel working in the lab. Credit: Texas A&M University

    A doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University has developed a method to transform the landscape of 3D printing today by making 3D printed parts 275% stronger and immediately useful in real-world applications. 3D printed objects are comprised of many thin layers of materials, usually plastics, deposited on top of each other to form a desired shape. These layers are prone to fracturing, causing issues with the durability and reliability of the part when used in a real-world application, for example a custom printed medical device.

    When Sweeney started his doctorate, he was working with Green in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas Tech University...

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