The Einstein@Home project enlists thousands of home computers to analyze data from LIGO and GEO-600 detectors, searching for subtle ripples in space-time predicted by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. By involving hundreds of thousands of people, the project aims to discover gravitational waves and validate theoretical physics.
A pilot study by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory researchers gathers baseline information on subway workers’ exposure to airborne metals. The study aims to determine if the elevated metal levels pose a health concern for transit workers.
The Einstein@Home project searches data from US and European gravitational wave detectors for signals from rapidly rotating compact quark and neutron stars. The project utilizes an army of home computer users to analyze the data, requiring enormous computational power.
Dr. McDonald and his team solved the missing solar neutrinos puzzle, confirming that neutrinos change type on their journey to Earth from the sun. This discovery validates theories of energy generation in the sun and transforms our understanding of elementary particle physics.
A team of researchers uses the Keck laser system to observe distant galaxies in unprecedented detail, finding that some systems exhibit old stars despite recent mergers. This discovery challenges prevailing theories of galaxy formation and may help explain the existence of large galaxies with little young star population.
The Gemini Observatory has released three striking new images showcasing the 'Fireworks Galaxy', an interacting galaxy pair, and an extremely active stellar nursery. These images highlight the prolific galaxy NGC 6946, which is ablaze with galactic fireworks fueled by the births and deaths of multitudes of brilliant, massive stars.
Astronomers have discovered that radio jets from black holes can trigger the collapse of interstellar clouds and induce star formation. The jets' collision with dense gas leads to the creation of new stars, bringing 'new life' to these systems.
A new NASA book, 'Touch the Sun,' allows visually impaired students to explore solar science through embossed color pictures, Braille, and large-print descriptions. The book features 16 photographs of the sun and space weather, selected by Dr. Joseph Gurman and Steele Hill.
Researchers suggest using geological carbon sinks to capture and store carbon dioxide from power plant emissions, providing an additional strategy to reduce greenhouse gases. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have reached an all-time high of 380 parts per million, a 36% increase since pre-industrial times.
Astronomers used computer simulations to predict that a close encounter between our Sun and another star in the Milky Way galaxy could have given us our solar system's edge and put small, alien worlds into distant orbits. The study found potential locations where captured objects from other solar systems might be found.
The Solid Earth Sample Registry (SESAR) will provide globally unique identifiers to solve a longstanding problem in geosciences. The system will facilitate data sharing, database linking, and cooperation among researchers.
Research investigates the relationship between antioxidants and carcinogenesis, including the use of ß-carotene in cancer prevention. Studies also explore the formation of aldehydes as a central concern of oxidant stress for cancer therapy. Key findings include varying levels of individual antioxidants according to disease status.
Scientists have developed a new method to isolate the light from compact regions of black holes using polaroid filters. This allows them to focus on the area surrounding the black hole, revealing new signals such as the 'Balmer edge' feature that provides information about material properties.
The Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) is an independent platform for organizations committed to scientific and technological development. ISE aims to provide a common forum for advocating independent scientific advice in European policy-making and stimulating the involvement of European scientists in shaping science and technology...
Researchers have created a North American Drought Atlas CD-ROM, mapping year-by-year occurrences of droughts over the last 2005 years. The atlas provides essential paleoclimate data with applications to science, policy, education, and history.
Radio astronomers have demonstrated a new technique called e-VLBI, which allows them to combine data from multiple telescopes worldwide and produce high-quality images of the sky in real-time. This enables the observation of distant objects like IRC+10420, a supergiant star surrounded by dusty gas and emitting strong radio waves.
The Gemini Observatory has released a breathtaking image of Stephan's Quintet, capturing the intricate interactions between five galaxies. The image showcases sweeping arches of gas and dust, tracing the ongoing dance of gravitational forces that have warped their structures over millions of years.
Scientists have discovered a distant planet using the transit technique and spectroscopy, revealing key findings about TrES-1's atmosphere and orbit. The discovery marks the first extrasolar planet found by a dedicated survey of thousands of relatively bright stars.
Scientists have discovered a unique bi-modal distribution of particles in noctilucent clouds, which may be caused by atmospheric gravity and tidal waves. The San Andreas Fault Observatory project aims to drill into the fault zone to better understand earthquake generation and faulting processes.
The Dartmouth Flood Observatory expects a busy 2004 due to increasing flood events worldwide. The observatory's global inventory of flooding events may help assess global climate change.
Professors Dick Peltier and Sir Nicholas Shackleton receive the $200,000 Vetlesen Prize for their groundbreaking contributions to understanding Earth's climate system. Their research revolutionizes scientific inquiry in climate change, with Peltier's ice sheet reconstructions becoming a standard in climate science.
Scientists at Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory have made new discoveries about the formation of underwater mountains along the Mid-Ocean Ridge. They found that the height and width of these mountains are highly correlated to the direction the ridge and connecting plates move across the planet's surface.
Researchers discovered a consistent link between marine productivity off western North America and millennial-scale climate change in the North Atlantic. The study found that changes in subsurface nutrients concentrations were driven by wind patterns at low latitude, overturning previous theories on bottom-water oxygen levels.
Scientists at NCAR's High Altitude Observatory developed a new model that accounts for the evolution of sunspots caused by plasma circulation. The forecast predicts solar storms and cycle 24 starting around 2007-2008, with potential implications for understanding stars similar to the Sun.
Astronomers using the European AVO Virtual Observatory have discovered a whole population of obscured, powerful supermassive black holes in the GOODS survey fields. The team found thirty objects, which they believe were underestimated by a factor of two to five.
The new centre aims to help firms adopt sustainable practices through research on advanced technologies, miniaturisation, and waste minimisation. It will also explore shared and collaborative logistics, warehousing, and transport systems to achieve sustainable economics for the manufacturing industry.
The Arecibo telescope has been made more sensitive with the addition of the ALFA instrument, allowing for faster sky surveys and improved detection of pulsars and other rare celestial phenomena. The new device will also enable astronomers to map the neutral hydrogen gas in our galaxy and others.
Astronomers have successfully detected their first two near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) using a refurbished telescope at the Australian National University's Siding Spring Observatory. The discoveries, made on March 29, include an 100-meter and 300-meter asteroid that pose no direct threat to Earth.
Researchers using European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope discovered a unique type Ia supernova that exploded within a flat, dense disk of dust and gas. The findings suggest that this and other precursors resemble protoplanetary nebulae, which may indicate wide differences among their progenitors.
Astronomers at Yale University have discovered the most distant object in our solar system, Sedna, which is approximately 10 billion miles away from the sun. Sedna's orbit ranges from seven to 100 billion miles from the sun and its characteristics are consistent with it residing in the Oort cloud.
Researchers have taken advantage of a newly mounted laser guide star system at UC's Lick Observatory to obtain sharp, twinkle-free images of the faint dusty disks of distant massive stars. The images show that these stars form in the same way as solar-type stars inside a swirling spherical cloud.
Researchers from Cardiff University suggest that a large comet impact could throw material containing micro-organisms out of the planet's atmosphere, infecting hundreds of millions of nascent planetary systems. This viable bacterial outflow would survive heat and radiation, ultimately spreading Earth-life across the galaxy.
The Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) will map seismic processes across North America, enabling improved earthquake prediction and understanding. By deploying hundreds of sensors, researchers will measure subtle deformation and help geologists understand the shifting strains in the ground.
The newly launched San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) will provide researchers with tools for continuous monitoring from inside an active earthquake zone. This project is part of the larger EarthScope initiative, which aims to investigate geological forces shaping the North American continent.
A newly discovered bacterium, Polaromonas naphthalenivorans strain CJ2, has been found to break down naphthalene and other toxins in coal tar contamination. The discovery was made using a new technique called stable isotopic probing (SIP), which allowed researchers to identify the microbe's DNA signature.
Columbia researchers have developed a classification system for turning SAR data into detailed maps of landscape elements like water, vegetation, and rocks. This technology has shown superiority over optical remote sensing in identifying disaster zones, particularly during nighttime or with smoke and dust present.
A new study has found that a weekly regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin is well-tolerated and effective in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The treatment resulted in a response rate of 32% and median survival time of 49 weeks, with fewer side effects compared to standard regimens.
The $18 million SALT Observatory is nearing completion and will feature the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. The observatory's primary scientific instrument, a spectrograph, will break light down into its constituent wavelengths to study stars and galaxies outside of the Milky Way.
Researchers found that recombinant interferons were effective against SARS-CoV replication, with interferon beta showing prophylactic protection and antiviral potential. Interferon alpha was less effective but could be a potential drug of choice in combination with other antiviral drugs.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University successfully redesigned software for the FUSE satellite's gyroscopes, enabling precise control and reducing reliance on faulty components. The new system has shown improved performance, even surpassing traditional methods in certain situations.
The new AO76 system, developed by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, produces sharper images under worse seeing conditions than the previous AO24 system. This allows existing solar telescopes to produce higher resolution images and greatly improve their scientific output.
Researchers at Frankfurt University Medical School have assessed the antiviral potential of five drugs against the SARS coronavirus. Glycyrrhizin, an antiviral agent proven to treat HIV-1 and hepatitis C, is the most active compound in inhibiting replication, with increased nitric oxide synthesis contributing to its effectiveness.
A study by Chandra P. Belani and colleagues found that elderly patients with advanced NSCLC can tolerate combination therapy safely and effectively, with median survival rates comparable to those of younger patients. The treatment regimens used in the study were weekly paclitaxel in combination with full doses of carboplatin.
Researchers propose pathogenic bacteria and viruses could originate from outer space, citing the unusual nature of major epidemics like SARS. The novel virus in SARS has been identified as a possible explanation for its unexpected appearance and global spread.
The North Pole Environmental Observatory project aims to investigate the interplay of ocean currents and other factors related to climate change. The research team has established a temporary camp on sea ice near the North Pole for the third consecutive year to retrieve mooring instruments, insert buoys, and sample Arctic Ocean waters.
Researchers discovered pulsar bursts coming from beachball-sized structures in the Crab Nebula, a cloud of debris from a supernova. The structure's small size is inconsistent with all but one proposed theory for generating radio emission.
The National Virtual Observatory (NVO) has confirmed the discovery of a new brown dwarf, one of only 200 known to science. This breakthrough came from a computerized search of millions of astronomical objects in two separate databases, showcasing the potential of NVO to uncover new findings quickly.
Astronomers have identified a new type of star in a compact binary system, exhibiting properties similar to brown dwarf stars. The discovery sheds light on the formation and evolution of extra-solar planets, which are often found close to their host stars.
Cornell researchers have found that a longer infusion time of boronophenylalanine is needed to effectively target cancer cells in brain tumors. The new finding has the potential to improve the success of boron neutron capture therapy, which has shown moderate success in treating tumors but struggles with aggressive cell clusters.
Adaptive optics systems are expanding ground-based astronomy capabilities, enabling unprecedented views of the universe. The technology has already produced eightfold improvements in image quality at observatories like the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.
Astronomers detect ND3, the first molecule with three deuterium atoms, in a molecular cloud at distances of 500 to1000 light-years from Earth. The discovery suggests that gas-phase reactions are responsible for producing molecules in interstellar space.
Researchers successfully recovered a mooring from the seafloor near the North Pole, retrieving 3,500 pounds of instruments and equipment. The mooring was in place for a full year, eight times longer than the previous record, providing valuable data on the Arctic Ocean's climate and water conditions.
The Johns Hopkins University team won second prize in the Microsoft .Net Best Awards for XML WebServices with their prototype virtual observatory program, SkyQuery. The service allows users to run queries across multiple databases simultaneously, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and 2 Micron All-Sky Survey.
Researchers at Cornell University are growing methanogens and other microbes in a laboratory using conditions similar to acidic wetlands. The goal is to understand how these microorganisms function and potentially apply this knowledge to bioengineering, such as bioremediation of contaminated sites or controlled methane production.
The DEIMOS instrument will multiply the power of current Keck spectroscopy by a factor of seven, enabling observations of distant galaxies and shedding light on the formation and evolution of galaxies. With its massive detector and advanced optics, DEIMOS will create the most comprehensive map of the distant universe ever attempted.
The Gemini Observatory has dedicated its second telescope, Gemini South, marking a decade of work by hundreds of people to build two advanced 8-meter instruments. Astronomers in the US and around the world now have access to unprecedented sky coverage.
Researchers using the European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory have found that VY Canis Majoris' smoky shroud consists of tiny particles made up of iron whiskers and amorphous silicates. The study provides new insights into the star's massive outflow, which is driven by intense pressure from its light output.
A team of astronomers has directly observed a Dark Matter object, confirming the theory that it consists of small, faint stars in galaxies like our Milky Way. The detection was made using the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
Researchers from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have detected a dark matter object in the Milky Way using microlensing light data and spectroscopy. The team measured the mass, distance, and velocity of the MACHO, a small star with a mass between 5% and 10% of the sun's mass at a distance of 600 light-years.
Researchers have detected a massive compact halo object, or MACHO, using gravitational microlensing event data from the Hubble Space Telescope and European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. The object is estimated to be 5-10% the mass of the sun and is thought to comprise up to 50% of the Milky Way's dark matter content.