Jay Pasachoff's review article highlights the importance of ground-based solar eclipses for observing unique phenomena. The upcoming total solar eclipse on July 22 will allow scientists to advance our understanding of the solar atmosphere and make important observations.
Physicists at Caltech developed a nanoscale zipper cavity that exploits mechanical properties of light to enhance interactions between light and motion. The device can detect weak classical forces and has potential applications in biology, optics, and quantum realm.
Research by Caltech scientists shows that theta oscillations sweep across the hippocampus as traveling waves, not a synchronized pulse. This finding challenges long-held assumptions about spatial information representation in rat brains and has significant implications for understanding memory formation and transmission.
Scientists identify distinct subsets of pain-sensing neurons responsible for detecting heat and mechanical pain, challenging conventional wisdom that the brain disentangles these sensations. The study's findings have potential implications for understanding and treating conditions like diabetic neuropathy.
The US Department of Energy has announced a $777 million initiative to fund 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers, including one at Caltech led by Harry Atwater. The center will focus on understanding light-material interactions for optimal solar energy conversion.
Scientists at Caltech develop method to detect entanglement shared among multiple parts of an optical system, using the uncertainty principle. They demonstrate detection of entanglement in a W state with only a small number of measurements.
Researchers identified 19 volunteers with high dietary self-control and 18 without, showing differences in brain activity. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) modulates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) to incorporate health considerations into decisions.
Researchers found that HIV antibodies face obstacles in blocking infection, with a narrow window of opportunity for effective binding due to the virus's low spike density. This finding highlights potential challenges for developing an effective vaccine against HIV.
Researchers at Caltech trained computers to automatically analyze aggression and courtship in fruit flies, enabling high-throughput screens for genes controlling these behaviors. The program allows for accurate analysis of complex social behaviors in a matter of minutes, improving the efficiency of genetic research.
Researchers at Caltech have successfully created a system using DNA origami seeds that can direct the self-assembled growth of DNA tiles into precise forms. This breakthrough demonstrates unprecedented control over information-directed molecular self-assembly, paving the way for future applications in technology and materials science.
A $6 million grant from DARPA will fund the development of self-healing circuits that can detect and fix flaws in transistors. The technology aims to enable continued Moore's scaling law by making integrated circuits more robust.
Researchers at Caltech develop a targeted cancer therapy using a gallium corrole that can detect and eliminate breast cancer tumors in mice, with fewer side effects than traditional treatments. The therapy shows promise for treating aggressive HER2+ breast cancers with lower toxicity.
Researchers at Caltech developed 15 new highly stable fungal enzyme catalysts that efficiently break down cellulose into sugars at high temperatures. This breakthrough is crucial for creating cost-efficient processes to extract sugars from cellulose, a key material in producing renewable fuels like ethanol or butanol.
Researchers at Caltech have discovered a tiny genetic mutation that prevents nicotine from binding to muscle cells' acetylcholine receptors. This subtle difference explains why nicotine is virtually powerless in muscle cells despite being highly addictive in the brain.
Ophir Vermesh, a Caltech PhD chemistry student, has developed an innovative 'blood barcode chip' that promises to revolutionize diagnostic medical testing. The Integrated Blood Barcode Chip (IBBC) can analyze a large panel of blood-based protein biomarkers in just five minutes.
Researchers found that fruit flies use separate populations of neurons to detect wind and sound, allowing them to respond differently to each stimulus. This discovery provides insights into the complex sensory mechanisms of these tiny insects.
Researchers created detailed brain maps using MRI and CT scans of 241 patients with cognitive impairment. The study found that verbal comprehension and working memory indices share overlapping brain regions, suggesting they may represent the same type of intelligence.
The Sherman Fairchild Foundation has awarded $3.1 million to Caltech to support the SXS program, which simulates black hole collisions and neutron star ruptures with high accuracy using the Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC). The grant will enable the team to perfect SpEC and simulate other warped-spacetime phenomena.
Researchers at Caltech found that Caenorhabditis elegans worms respond rapidly to better conditions and develop optimistic genetic strategies. The worms' quick response is controlled by a vital cellular protein called RNA Polymerase II, which accumulates on genes involved in growth and energy metabolism.
A study led by Caltech economists found that market forces can incentivize more people to solve problems and collaborate, unlike traditional patent systems. In experiments, participants were given shares of items to pack into a knapsack, allowing them to benefit financially from solving parts of the problem.
Researchers found synchronous neuron pairs firing in harmony during slow-wave sleep, but not during REM sleep, which may explain why dreams are difficult to remember. This discovery provides a framework for further research into the relationship between memory and sleep.
Researchers combined Caltech's experimental technique with UCSD's protein-folding models to understand cytochrome c's precise folding pattern. The models successfully accounted for charge-charge interactions and hydrophobic interactions, matching experimental data.
Camerer discusses his cognitive hierarchy theory, which suggests people only take a few steps of iterated thinking when strategizing. This theory has been tested using various game-theory experiments and field-data sets, showing that people typically choose lower numbers in games like the Swedish LUPI lottery.
Scientists at Caltech have discovered self-regulating molecular 'transformers' that control the delivery of proteins to their correct locations within cells. The research could lead to novel treatments for diseases resulting from flaws in protein delivery and the development of new types of antibiotics.
Researchers discovered at least three new species of sea life, including a carnivorous sea squirt and a new species of barnacles. The team also collected over 10,000 fossilized coral samples, which will help study the impact of climate change on oceans.
Researchers at Caltech have discovered intricate gene regulatory networks in various organisms, including fruit flies, nematodes, sea urchins, lampreys, and mice. These networks play a crucial role in directing developmental processes, with subtle balances of regulatory signals being essential for proper cell differentiation.
Researchers from Caltech have developed new titanium-based structural metallic-glass composites that are lighter, less expensive, yet still maintain their toughness and ductility. The breakthroughs could significantly improve the performance of aerospace structures.
A team of Caltech researchers proposes a mathematical model explaining an anomaly in the universe's radiation and matter distribution. The model predicts more cold than hot spots in the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation, which could offer insights into what happened during inflation and potentially even what came before the Big Bang.
Researchers at Caltech used novel imaging techniques to visualize the movement of thousands of cells during gastrulation, a critical stage in embryonic development. They found that mesodermal cells move in a directed manner, while ectodermal cells converge and ride the downward wave.
Researchers at Caltech identified layered rock outcrops on Mars indicating regular climate change due to planetary tilt variations. The layers suggest that Mars experienced cyclical climate changes similar to those on Earth, which were driven by variations in the planet's obliquity.
A Caltech-led team found that the subduction zone in Sumatra has not released enough strain from recent earthquakes, increasing the likelihood of another large event. The researchers analyzed seismological records and data gathered by GPS stations to determine that only a quarter of the accumulated stress was released.
Researchers at Caltech have created images of the heart's muscular layer showing a connection between muscle configuration and contraction. The findings provide evidence that the helical shape is crucial to the heart's effective beating, settling a 50-year debate.
The Integrated Blood-Barcode Chip (IBBC) is a revolutionary diagnostic tool that measures protein concentrations from just a pinprick of blood. The device offers a significant improvement over traditional laboratory tests, reducing costs and time by orders of magnitude.
Researchers at Caltech have developed a new technique called four-dimensional electron microscopy, which allows for the real-time visualization of atomic changes in materials. The technique uses ultrafast single-electron imaging to capture snapshots of molecules in motion, revealing the dynamics of structure and shape at the atomic scale.
Researchers use advanced microscopy techniques to image the structure of peptidoglycan, a key component of bacterial cell walls. The study reveals that glycan strands wrap around the cell like a belt, allowing scientists to better understand how bacteria grow and respond to antibiotics.
A Caltech-led study found that voters' brain responses to politicians' appearances, particularly negative aspects, play a significant role in determining election outcomes. The research suggests that negative evaluations based on appearance may influence which candidate will lose an election, more so than positive evaluations.
Researchers found giant magnetic crystals, unlike anything previously seen, in fossil layers deposited during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, an ancient global-warming event. The unique 'Magnetic Death Star' fossils provide insights into radical environmental transformation and may hold clues for understanding future climate change.
Researchers create customizable biological computer using synthetic RNA that can detect tumor cells and respond to biochemical signals. The device has potential medical applications, including targeted gene therapies and cancer treatment.
Researchers genetically modified a brain receptor to make it more sensitive to nicotine, allowing them to study the effects of dopamine production on hyperactivity in mice. This could lead to new knowledge about dopamine neurons' functions and potential treatments for conditions such as ADHD.
Researchers at Caltech used electron tomography to study the transport of antibodies from mother's milk to newborns' bloodstream. The findings revealed that antibodies are shuttled through large vesicles and form 'tangled messes' before being delivered into the bloodstream.
Astronomers used gravitational lensing and adaptive optics to observe a young star-forming galaxy, finding clear signs of orderly rotation and evidence for a spiral disk with a central nucleus. The study demonstrates the power of future telescopes like the Thirty Meter Telescope.
Researchers found that cells tune gene expression using discrete bursts of activation, proportional to the frequency of nuclear localization pulses. This 'bang bang' regulation controls gene expression, with genes affected in proportion to the number or frequency of these jumps.
Researchers created molecular tubes composed of wound-up DNA strands with controlled circumferences, enabling diverse nanotechnology applications. The breakthrough utilizes single-stranded DNA tiles to form tubes with varying diameters, promising to design complex self-assembling molecular systems.
Researchers use high-speed imaging to study fruit fly evasive maneuvers, finding that the fly's tiny brain calculates threat location and places legs in optimal position within 100 milliseconds. The team also identifies an optimal method for swatting flies by aiming forward of their starting position.
Researchers at Caltech and the University of Washington aim to design complex molecular systems using computer science principles, enabling systematic design and implementation in the laboratory. The project may lead to revolutionary changes in fields such as nanotechnology and biochemical circuitry.
Researchers at Caltech developed a novel way to produce large quantities of drugs, including antiplaque toothpaste additives and antibiotics, using genetically modified yeast. The yeast produces reticuline, a precursor for benzylisoquinoline alkaloid molecules with various pharmacological activities.
Researchers identify a type of synesthesia in which individuals hear sounds when they see things move or flash, suggesting an enhanced form of visual processing. The four synesthetes outperformed nonsynesthetes on a test involving rhythmic patterns of flashes and beats.
A $20 million award from the NSF will help Caltech scientists, led by Harry Gray, advance their research on developing nanoscale materials for solar-fuel power plants. The project aims to create efficient catalysts for the oxidation of water to oxygen.
Researchers at Caltech have found a signaling molecule in nematode worms that serves as both a population-control mechanism and a sexual attractant. The discovery could lead to new strategies to control parasitic nematodes, which affect the health of over a billion people.
A team of Caltech astronomers reveals that spiral galaxies have more bars than previously thought, with most forming in smaller, low-mass galaxies. The study suggests that bars play a crucial role in galaxy evolution, fueling new star formation and feeding massive black holes.