Research Breakthrough means Warp Speed ‘Unruh Effect’ can finally be Tested in Lab Settings

Discovery advances understanding of theory of relativity and quantum. A major hurdle for work at the forefront of fundamental physics is the inability to test cutting-edge theories in a laboratory setting. But a recent discovery opens the door for scientists to see ideas in action that were previously only understood in theory or represented in science fiction.

One such theory is on the Unruh effect. When astronauts in a spacecraft undergo super strong acceleration and see the light of stars stream by, then the Unruh effect is an additional warm glow on top of the streaming light. First predicted by Canadian physicist Bill Unruh, this effect is closely related to the glow from black holes predicted by Stephen Hawking...

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Multi-tasking Wearable Continuously Monitors Glucose, Alcohol, and Lactate

The device can be worn on the upper arm while the wearer goes about their day. Photos by Laboratory for Nanobioelectronics / UC San Diego

Imagine being able to measure your blood sugar levels, know if you’ve had too much to drink, and track your muscle fatigue during a workout, all in one small device worn on your skin. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a prototype of such a wearable that can continuously monitor several health stats — glucose, alcohol, and lactate levels — simultaneously in real-time.

The device is about the size of a stack of six quarters. It is applied to the skin through a Velcro-like patch of microneedles, that are each about one-fifth the width of a human hair...

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Energy Researchers Invent Chameleon Metal that Acts Like Many Others

University of Minnesota researchers have invented a “catalytic condenser” that opens the door for new catalytic technologies using non-precious metal catalysts for important applications such as storing renewable energy, making renewable fuels, and manufacturing sustainable materials. Credit: Dauenhauer Group, University of Minnesota

Research could improve efficiency for storing renewable energy, making carbon-free fuels, and manufacturing sustainable materials. A team of energy researchers led by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has invented a groundbreaking device that electronically converts one metal into behaving like another to use as a catalyst for speeding chemical reactions...

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Hubble reveals Surviving Companion Star in Aftermath of Supernova

This infographic shows the evolution astronomers propose for supernova (SN) 2013ge. Panels 1-3 show what has already occurred, and panels 4-6 show what may take place in the future. 1) A binary pair of massive stars orbit one another. 2) One star ages into its red giant stage, getting a puffy outer envelope of hydrogen that its companion star siphons off with gravity. Astronomers propose this is why Hubble found no trace of hydrogen in the supernova debris. 3) The stripped-envelope star goes supernova (SN 2013ge), jostling but not destroying its companion star. After the supernova, the dense core of the former massive star remains either as neutron star or black hole...
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