Author - Mauro Lucas

High-Temperature Memory Unit Enables Computers to Operate in Extreme Conditions

The experimental hot memory unitBrenda Ahearn/University of Michigan, College of Engineering, Communications and MarketingComputers typically malfunction when exposed to extreme heat, but engineers at the University of Michigan are working to change this by developing new memory that can function at the temperature of molten lead.Computers are now everywhere, with cars alone housing up...

China Completes Record-Breaking Underwater Shield Tunnel

Workers of the China 14th Bureau Group celebrate the completion of the world's largest-diameter underwater shield tunnelChina 14th Bureau GroupJinan, the capital of Shandong Province in East China and home to 9.4 million people, has made global headlines. Crews there have successfully completed the construction of the world's largest-diameter underwater shield tunnel.The China Railway...

Breakthrough Cancer Drug Achieves Landmark FDA Approval

Credit: PixabayPromising cancer drug dostarlimab is advancing toward broader availability after receiving Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA. This designation aims to expedite its development and market approval, potentially cutting years off its timeline if further testing is successful.Dostarlimab (Jemperli), a PD-1-blocking antibody, showed groundbreaking results in clinical trials, eliminating rectal cancer tumors without...

Virginia’s Fusion Power Plant: Advancing Toward Unlimited Energy

A rendering of what the SPARC tokamak would look like inside the ARC power plant Commonwealth Fusion SystemsNo, this isn’t the return of Marvel’s Iron Man. Instead, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has unveiled plans to construct the world’s first grid-scale fusion power plant near Richmond, Virginia.After scouting over 100 locations worldwide, CFS selected a 100-acre...

New Research Reveals the Moon Is Older Than Previously Believed

Credit: PixabayRecent research from scientists in the U.S., France, and Germany suggests the Moon formed as early as 4.53 billion years ago—hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought. This new timeline could explain lunar mysteries like the scarcity of massive impact basins and the Moon's lower metal content compared to Earth, while...

Ancient Frozen Lake Preserves a Time Capsule From Millions of Years Ago

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (merged image) of the photosynthetic surface of a microbial mat. (Smedile et al., Communications Earth & Environment, 2024)Beneath Antarctica's Lake Enigma, a hidden freshwater ecosystem has been sealed under 30 feet (9 meters) of ice for up to 14 million years. Led by Italian scientists, researchers used radar and advanced, contamination-free...

First Severe Human Case of Bird Flu Reported in the U.S.

Transmission electron micrograph of bird flu virus particles (orange) in kidney cells (green). (NIAID/Flickr/CC BY 2.0)An elderly patient in Louisiana is critically ill with severe avian influenza, marking the first serious human case in the United States. This development, announced by U.S. authorities on Wednesday, has intensified concerns about a potential bird flu pandemic.The Louisiana...

Twins Were Common Among Our Primate Ancestors. What Led to the Change?

Credit: PixabayThroughout human history, twins have been rare and often considered extraordinary. Many cultures associate them with vitality or duality, symbolizing life and death or good and evil. Some mythologies even credit twins with founding nations or being deities.However, new research reveals that twins were once the evolutionary norm for our primate ancestors, challenging...

Expert Highlights How History Sheds Light on Personality Changes After Organ Transplants

Credit: PixabayFrom vegetarians suddenly craving meat to shifts in sexual preferences, some organ transplant recipients report personality changes that seem to mirror traits of their organ donors.A 2024 study challenges "conventional views of memory and identity," suggesting that organs might carry memories and emotions. These findings spark significant ethical and philosophical debates about transplantation....

The Magnetic North Pole Has Shifted to a New Location

There's a new World Magnetic Model. (NOAA/NCEI/BGS)It’s time to update navigation systems for ships, airplanes, and perhaps even Santa’s sleigh: North Pole has officially shifted its position, continuing its movement away from Canada toward Siberia.Experts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey (BGS) collaborated, as they do every...