Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Monkeys eat fats and carbs to keep warm

Researchers found that golden snub-nosed monkeys increase their energy intake from fats and carbs in winter to counteract elevated thermoregulatory costs. This adjustment enables the monkeys to balance their macronutrient content and meet specific nutritional needs, suggesting a key adaptation for survival in cold environments.

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalFunctional Ecology·DateJun 7, 2018

Understanding Mercury's magnetic tail

Researchers found that plasmoid reconnection in Mercury's magnetotail could accelerate energetic electrons, solving a puzzle left by previous space missions. The study also revealed that turbulence enhances reconnection, leading to improved predictions for future missions like Bepi-Colombo.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalPhysics of Plasmas·DateApr 17, 2018

What else can molecular perovskite do?

Researchers have designed molecular perovskite-based energetic materials with improved explosive performances, including high detonation heat, velocity, and pressure. The new materials also exhibit increased thermal stability and low impact sensitivity, making them suitable for military devices and civil industry.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience China Materials·DateMar 27, 2018

Pumas living near human development expend more energy

A study found that pumas in developed areas are more active at night, expending 10-11% more energy daily. This increased activity affects their ability to hunt and feed their young, highlighting the importance of conservation strategies in human-dominated landscapes.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateOct 11, 2017

Advancing algae for better biofuels

The Colorado State University team aims to increase algal cultivation productivity, optimize biomass composition, and extract different types of algal lipids to reduce upgrading costs. The goal is to double the yield of biofuel precursors from algae to around 3,700 gallons per acre per year.

Underwater vehicle design inspired by schools of fish

Researcher Keith Moored aims to understand the forces, energetics and flow physics of collective locomotion in schools of fish to develop optimized underwater vehicles. He will use a low-speed wind tunnel facility and particle image velocimetry system to characterize flow fields and forces acting on pitching wing models.

A first for direct-drive fusion

Researchers successfully created conditions for a fusion yield five times higher than current record using the OMEGA laser. The direct-drive approach, used by LLE scientists, is promising for achieving fusion as an energy source.

SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 6, 2016

Impossible superconductors gone live

A team of Russian scientists has measured the temperature dependences of two energetic gaps in iron-based superconductors, a breakthrough that could help solve questions about their appearance. The discovery confirms the existence of two-gap superconductivity, which was previously doubted, and highlights the complexity of this phenomenon.

SourceLomonosov Moscow State University·JournalJournal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism·DateApr 5, 2016

You'd have to be smart to walk this lazy... and people are

A study published in Current Biology found that people subconsciously change their walking patterns to expend the least amount of energy possible. By wearing robotic exoskeletons and altering resistance levels, researchers showed that participants adapt their step frequency to converge on a new energetic optimum within minutes.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateSep 10, 2015

Major depression leaves a metabolic mark

Researchers discovered a metabolic signature associated with major depression, including changes in mitochondrial DNA and telomere length. The findings suggest that depression may be linked to the body's response to environmental stressors.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateApr 23, 2015

Camargue flamingos starved in freezing conditions in 1985 and 2012 mass mortalities

A 1985 mass mortality and a 2012 severe cold snap led to the deaths of nearly one-third of Camargue flamingo population. The study suggests that freezing temperatures increased the birds' energy demands, tipping them into starvation. The researchers found that the 2012 event had a lower death toll due to milder temperatures.

SourceThe Company of Biologists·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateOct 15, 2014

A hotspot for powerful cosmic rays

Researchers at the Telescope Array observatory detected a disproportionate number of high-energy cosmic rays emanating from a specific area in the northern sky. The discovery provides a promising lead in identifying the sources of these enigmatic particles, which are believed to originate from beyond our galaxy.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJul 8, 2014