SEAS researchers suggest that early Mars may have been warmed intermittently by a powerful greenhouse effect, possibly explaining water on the planet’s surface billions of years ago. Credit: NASA

Findings may help in search for life in the universe. The presence of water on ancient Mars is a paradox. There’s plenty of geographical evidence that rivers periodically flowed across the planet’s surface. Yet in the time period when these waters are supposed to have run – 3 to 4 billion years ago – Mars should have been too cold to support liquid water. Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) suggest that early Mars may have been warmed intermittently by a powerful greenhouse effect...

New research could lead to ways of enhancing cognitive function to counteract the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people. Credit: © Maxim Pavlov / Fotolia

How does heightened attention improve our mental capacity? This is the question tackled by new research published in the journal Cell Reports, which reveals a chemical signal released across the brain in response to attention demanding or arousing situations. The discoveries indicate how current drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, designed to boost this chemical signal, counter symptoms of dementia. The results could also lead to new ways of enhancing cognitive function to counteract Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people.

The team...

Zebrafish embryos expressing a fluorescent gene after ultraviolet light irradiation.

A researcher has successfully developed a method to accurately manipulate gene expression by light illumination and demonstrated its usability by creating double-headed zebrafish. It has been difficult to freely manipulate the timing and duration of gene expression using existing gene manipulation technologies, which depend on organism’s gene regulating mechanism. In recent years, methods using light to regulate gene expression have been developed, but deemed insufficient to manipulate embryonic 3development. This is due to a time lag of several hours that occurs from light irradiation to the start/cessation of protein production...

Concept artwork of the holographic image that was created with the ANU invention. Credit: Lei Wang, ANU

Physicists from The Australian National University (ANU) have invented a tiny device that creates the highest quality holographic images ever achieved, opening the door to imaging technologies seen in science fiction movies such as Star Wars. Lead researcher Lei Wang said the team created complex holographic images in infrared with the invention that could be developed with industry.

“As a child, I learned about the concept of holographic imaging from the Star Wars movies. It’s really cool to be working on an invention that uses the principles of holography depicted in those movies,” said Mr Wang, a PhD student at the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering...