Researchers identified how and where the brain processes frequency-modulated sound signals, which are crucial for understanding language and speech. The study found that these signals begin in the midbrain region of the brain, a surprising discovery that could help with hearing-related disorders.
Caltech researchers found that the man in the moon's face is not just a coincidence, but rather a result of the moon's slowed-down rotation rate. The side with the man facing Earth had about two-to-one odds of being visible due to the dissipation rate of the moon's rotational energy.
Researchers discovered the structure of type VI secretion system apparatus and proposed how it works by firing spring-loaded molecular daggers. The nano-weapon can pierce cell membranes and inject proteins, evading detection for decades with traditional electron microscopy.
Researchers Auna Moser and Paul Bellan observed a surprising phenomenon in lab experiments that provides clues to the origin of solar flares. The discovery reveals a connection between kink instability and Rayleigh-Taylor instability, which are two distinct phenomena occurring at different scales.
Researchers at Caltech have developed a gene therapy that stimulates the production of new oligodendrocytes from stem cells, enabling the brain to replace damaged myelin sheaths in demyelinating diseases like MS. The therapy uses leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to promote remyelination and reduce inflammation.
Researchers at Caltech explored the brains of insects to understand how sensory connections form new and specific memories. They identified a mechanism involving transient synchronization between pairs of connected neurons, known as spike-timing dependent plasticity, which makes connections sensitive to internal rewards.
The new data set contains the brightness histories of two hundred million stars and other objects, incorporating over 20 billion independent measurements. This extensive dataset enables numerous studies by the astronomical community.
A team of Caltech researchers has developed a method for synthesizing nitrogen-containing heterocycles, a subclass of organic compounds that could lead to new pharmaceuticals and natural products. The reaction enables chemists to create complex structures with high selectivity, solving a long-standing challenge in medicinal chemistry.
Scientists have identified the chemical signals that promote aggregation in nematodes, allowing them to come together in groups. This discovery has significant implications for understanding social behavior and communication in organisms.
The discovery of three smallest confirmed planets ever detected outside our solar system may boost the likelihood of existence of habitable planets. The planets, all rocky with a solid surface, orbit a small star called KOI-961, which is similar to red dwarfs, the most common type in the Milky Way.
Researchers at California Institute of Technology developed a computer model that explains the distribution of clouds, lakes, and rainstorms on Titan. The model attributes these phenomena to the interaction between sunlight, atmospheric circulation, and methane reservoirs on the surface.
Researchers at Caltech have conducted high-pressure experiments on iron to study its behavior under extreme conditions found in the Earth's core. They obtained unprecedented measurements of iron's vibrational properties, which will help estimate the amount of light elements in the core.
Astronomers have determined how a Type Ia supernova occurs, involving a dense white dwarf and main-sequence star. The study provides new insights into the universe's expansion and cosmic origins.
Researchers from the California Institute of Technology and international partners have achieved a new world record for data transfer at a combined rate of 186 gigabits per second, equivalent to moving two million gigabytes per day. This milestone is crucial for dealing with massive amounts of data coming from the Large Hadron Collider.
A Caltech-led team of astronomers has discovered 18 new planets orbiting massive stars, with masses similar to Jupiter's. The findings provide valuable insights into planetary formation and support the theory that planets grow from seed particles accumulating gas and dust in a disk surrounding a newborn star.
Researchers at Caltech have successfully delivered neutralizing antibodies to mice using Vectored ImmunoProphylaxis (VIP), a novel approach to HIV prevention. The treatment effectively protected the mice from HIV infection and produced high concentrations of broadly neutralizing antibodies that may translate to human protection.
Researchers discovered negative thermal expansion in ScF3 through computer simulations and neutron scattering experiments. The material shrinks as it heats up due to unique atomic vibrations.
Researchers at Caltech found that bacterial cells respond to stress by continuously flipping genes on and off, similar to a heater switching on and off. This pulsating mechanism, triggered by molecular fluctuations, could drive other cellular processes and reveal more about how life works.
Researchers at Caltech found that leeches rely on two distinct methods to detect prey: hairs detecting water disturbances and simple eyes picking up passing shadows. In adulthood, the preference shifts to using water disturbances alone.
A team of Caltech biologists has developed a new, more potent HIV antibody that targets the virus's entry site. The antibody shows increased effectiveness against multiple subtypes of HIV, paving the way for potential clinical testing and improved vaccine development.
The new Institute for Quantum Information and Matter will bring together physicists and computer scientists to study exotic quantum states and push theoretical boundaries. The center aims to make advances in basic physics and develop materials with remarkable properties.
Researchers at Caltech have directly determined the surface temperature of early Mars for the first time. They found that carbonate minerals formed at about 18 degrees Celsius, consistent with a warmer and wetter Martian past. This finding provides crucial evidence for understanding Mars' history and climate.
Researchers discovered high-functioning individuals with autism do not consider others' thoughts when making decisions. This finding provides insight into the psychology of autism-spectrum disorders and has implications for therapies and public education.
Researchers at Caltech have successfully cooled a miniature mechanical object to its lowest possible energy state using laser light, paving the way for the development of exquisitely sensitive detectors and quantum experiments. The achievement uses optical light to extract phonons from the system, creating an efficient optomechanical t...
The ePetri system revolutionizes cell culture experiments with real-time imaging capabilities, reducing human labor time and improving accuracy. It simplifies medical diagnostic tests, drug screening, and basic research, offering a compact, lightweight microscope alternative.
Researchers recorded novel responses to human faces from single neurons in humans, revealing a new insight into the neural basis of social perception. The findings suggest that the brain is highly sensitive to representing entire faces and responding strongly to anything wrong with the face.
Researchers from Caltech and UCLA found that the human amygdala responds preferentially to images of animals, with no emotional content influencing this response. This hemispheric asymmetry suggests an early evolutionary specialization for processing unexpected stimuli in the right hemisphere.
Researchers at Caltech have obtained high-resolution images of a cell with a nucleus undergoing cell division, revealing a surprising twist in the process. The observations suggest that chromosomes may link together to form a bundle that can be segregated by a smaller number of microtubules.
Researchers at Caltech used powerful imaging technique to study Acetonema longum, a bacterium with two membranes that responds to extreme situations by forming protective spores. The study found that the outer membrane may have originated from an inner membrane during sporulation, providing insights into its evolution and function.
Astronomers at Caltech have discovered that the dwarf planet 2007 OR10, or Snow White, is an icy world with about half its surface covered in water ice. The findings suggest that the red-tinged dwarf planet may be covered in a thin layer of methane, remnants of an atmosphere slowly being lost into space.
Researchers at Caltech propose that cell-to-cell transmission of HIV is responsible for the formation of viral reservoirs. This mechanism allows HIV to persist in infected cells despite antiretroviral therapy.
Researchers at Caltech used a novel method to calculate the dynamics of water molecules and found that entropy plays a crucial role in explaining why water spontaneously flows into carbon nanotubes. The team discovered three different reasons why water would flow freely into tubes, depending on diameter.
The study shows that the fault involved in the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake was simple on the surface but complicated at depth. Researchers used a combination of GPS data, remote sensing techniques, and seismological data to produce an extremely well-resolved model of the earthquake.
Researchers designed a new type of optical waveguide that isolates light signals on a silicon chip, solving a long-standing problem in engineering photonic chips. This breakthrough enables the creation of integrated nanoscale photonic devices and components for future integrated information systems.
Researchers at Caltech have developed a new, more potent form of the HIV-fighting protein cyanovirin-N by linking two proteins together. The engineered protein, called CVN2L0, is 18 times more effective at preventing infection than the naturally occurring single protein and neutralizes all 33 subtypes of HIV tested against it.
Researchers found that shifting attention towards healthy food options can influence decision-making, leading to healthier choices. External cues, such as instructions to consider healthiness or tastiness, can also help individuals exhibit more self-control.
Researchers at Caltech have created a tunable acoustic diode that allows acoustic information to travel only in one direction, controllable by frequency. This technology brings soundproofing closer to reality, with potential applications in biomedical ultrasound devices and energy-harvesting systems.
A novel imaging technique combines high resolution, high penetration depth, and high imaging speed to capture detailed information from live biological samples without damaging them. The technique uses two-photon excitation in sheet-illumination mode, enabling fast imaging speed and reducing light-induced damage.
Astronomers have discovered a massive reservoir of water vapor 30 billion light-years away in a quasar, which is 100,000 times more massive than the sun. The water vapor is distributed around a black hole and provides insights into its environment.
Researchers at Caltech created an artificial neural network out of DNA, exhibiting brain-like behavior by recalling memories based on incomplete patterns. The DNA-based neural network consists of four artificial neurons made from 112 distinct DNA strands and demonstrated correct responses in a mind-reading game.
Researchers at California Institute of Technology have discovered that optimizing wind turbine placement on a given plot of land can increase power output by an order of magnitude. By positioning turbines in close proximity and using vertical-axis wind turbines, the team found that energy loss due to aerodynamic interference between ne...
Researchers from Caltech have developed a new approach to measure dinosaur body temperatures, providing new insights into their physiology. They found that sauropod dinosaurs had body temperatures similar to those of most modern mammals, ranging from 35.7°C to 38.2°C.
Elliot Meyerowitz, a plant genetics expert at Caltech, has received a $5 million grant from the HHMI and GBMF to study computational morphodynamics in plants. This funding represents an unprecedented influx of cash for basic plant research, which is critical for food production, human health, and environmental protection.
A team of astronomers led by Caltech has discovered a new type of supernovae that was previously unknown. The four newly found supernovae have similar spectral signatures, indicating they are all part of the same class. This discovery provides insight into star formation, distant galaxies, and the early universe.
Researchers have discovered that compaction bands in sandstone are more permeable than previously believed, which could significantly improve the development of hydraulic fracturing and CO2 sequestration technologies. This finding was made possible by advanced imaging techniques and multiscale computational models.
Researchers at Caltech have built the most complex biochemical circuit from scratch, made with DNA-based devices that can process information and make decisions. The circuit, consisting of 74 different DNA molecules, can compute square roots and round down answers, demonstrating logical control over biochemical processes.
A research team at Caltech has outlined exactly how specific sets of cells in sea-urchin embryos differentiate to become the endoderm, the early domain of the embryo that eventually forms the gut. They found that certain regulatory genes are expressed in the cells of each domain and that this process is dynamic, with gene expression ch...
A Caltech-led team has debunked a long-held theory about the end of the Marinoan ice age, also known as the "Snowball Earth" ice age. The team found that rocks used as key geologic evidence were formed deep within Earth millions of years after the ice age ended
Researchers have developed a new microchip that can quickly and inexpensively assess immune function by examining biomarkers from single cells. The technology has the potential to be used routinely to monitor immune system performance and evaluate the effectiveness of certain classes of therapeutics, such as vaccines and immunotherapies.
The study reveals the spatial compactness of the event, with a 250-kilometer-long fault experiencing significant slip, and high- and low-frequency seismic waves coming from different areas of the fault. This information will help scientists improve infrastructure and prevent loss of life through better application of seismological data.