VLA makes first direct image of key feature of powerful radio galaxies

A dusty, doughnut-shaped feature long thought to be an essential part of the 'engines' at the cores of active galaxies is seen for the first time in one of the most powerful galaxies in the Universe.

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Origin of photons in mysterious gamma-ray bursts

Scientists have used simulations to show that the photons emitted by long gamma-ray bursts -- one of the most energetic events to take place in the universe -- originate in the photosphere -- the visible portion of the 'relativistic jet' that is emitted by exploding stars.

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Nanomaterials give plants 'super' abilities

Science-fiction writers have long envisioned human-machine hybrids that wield extraordinary powers. However, 'super plants' with integrated nanomaterials may be much closer to reality. Today, scientists report the development of plants that can make nanomaterials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and the application of MOFs as coatings on plants. The augmented plants could potentially perform useful new functions.

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Researchers tap rare pristine air to reveal pollution's impact

Human-caused pollution spurs the production of climate-changing particles known as secondary organic aerosols much more than previously thought. Researchers made the finding by analyzing air samples that were captured aboard a research aircraft as it zigzagged between pristine air over the Amazon rainforest and polluted air over the nearby city of Manaus. It was like a trip back (and forth) through time, as scientists weaved between the two vastly different settings.

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Dark matter is not made up of tiny black holes

An international team of researchers has put a theory speculated by the late Stephen Hawking to its most rigorous test to date, and their results have ruled out the possibility that primordial black holes smaller than a tenth of a millimeter make up most of dark matter.

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Muscle-like material expands and contracts in response to light

Just as controlled-release medications slowly dole out their cargo after they experience a pH change in the body, implanted 'artificial muscles' could someday flex and relax in response to light illuminating the skin. Scientists have developed a new material that expands and contracts, lifting a weight merely by shining a light on it.

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'Molecular surgery' reshapes living tissue with electricity but no incisions

Traditional surgery to reshape a nose or ear entails cutting, sometimes followed by long recovery times and scars. Now, researchers have developed a 'molecular surgery' process using tiny needles, electric current and 3D molds to quickly reshape living tissue with no incisions, scarring or recovery time. It shows promise as a noninvasive alternative to laser eye surgery.

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The Transpolar Drift is faltering: Sea ice is now melting before it can leave the nursery

The dramatic loss of ice in the Arctic is influencing sea-ice transport across the Arctic Ocean. Today only 20 percent of the sea ice that forms in the shallow Russian marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean actually reaches the Central Arctic, where it joins the Transpolar Drift; the remaining 80 percent of the young ice melts before it has a chance to leave its 'nursery.'

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Building blocks of DNA and RNA could have appeared together before life began on Earth

Scientists for the first time have found strong evidence that RNA and DNA could have arisen from the same set of precursor molecules even before life evolved on Earth about four billion years ago.

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Rise of religion pre-dates Incas at Lake Titicaca

An ancient group of people made ritual offerings to supernatural deities near the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, about 500 years earlier than the Incas, according to an international team of researchers. The team's findings suggest that organized religion emerged much earlier in the region than previously thought.

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Calculating temperature inside moon to help reveal its inner structure

Little is known about the inner structure of the Moon, but a major step forward was made by a scientist who conducted experiments that enabled her to determine the temperature at the boundary of the Moon's core and mantle.

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Climate change is a threat to dolphins' survival

An unprecedented marine heatwave had long-lasting negative impacts on both survival and birth rates on the iconic dolphin population in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Researchers have now documented that climate change may have more far-reaching consequences for the conservation of marine mammals than previously thought.

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Complex artefacts don't prove brilliance of our ancestors

Artefacts such as bows and arrows do not necessarily prove our ancestors had sophisticated reasoning and understanding of how these tools worked, new research suggests.

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