MARINE MEDICINE A bryozoan called Bugula neritina, shown here, is a natural source of bryostatin 1, which has been studied as a potential drug for many years.
Lovell and Libby Langstroth © California Academy of Sciences
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Magazine
In the Oct. 28 SN: Real-life vampires, the ultimate flu shot, no rings for Pluto, tsunami debris stowaways, jellyfish flouts sleep stereotypes, honey carries pesticides, teen concussion stats, a shape-shifting robot and more.
Matter & Energy
Topic Image Rail
STEALTHY SKINS Human-made shape-shifting material could help robots disguise themselves much like how this giant Australian cuttlefish (Sepia apama) is mimicking its environment.
Roger Hanlon
GRID’S GOT RHYTHM The world’s most precise timepiece consists of strontium atoms in a grid, ticking off oscillations of laser light trillions of times per second.
The Ye group and Steve Burrows/JILA
Matter & Energy
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Physics
Reviews & PreviewsNew physics books don’t censor the math behind reality
Special Relativity and Classical Theory and The Physical World offer deep dives into physical reality’s mathematical foundations.News
Proton size still perplexes despite a new measurement
Study of hydrogen atoms supports the case for a smaller proton. -
Chemistry
News
A potential drug found in a sea creature can now be made efficiently in the lab
Cooking bryostatin 1 up in a lab lets researchers explore its potential as a drug.News
Chemistry Nobel Prize goes to 3-D snapshots of life’s atomic details
An imaging technique that gives up-close 3-D views of proteins is honored in this year's chemistry Nobel Prize. -
Materials
Science Visualized
Tiny ‘supraballs’ put a new spin on creating long-lasting color
Nano-sized balls of melanin and silica generate durable colors.50 Years Ago
50 years ago, steel got stronger and stretchier
Today, scientists are still trying to improve steel. -
Quantum Physics
ContextQuantum mysteries dissolve if possibilities are realities
Quantum mysteries can be avoided if reality encompasses possibilities as well as actualities, a new paper proposes.News
Quantum video chat links scientists on two different continents
A Sept. 29 ultrasecure quantum video chat demonstrates the potential for quantum communications across the globe. -
Condensed Matter
News
Turning up the heat on electrons reveals an elusive physics phenomenon
Heating a strip of platinum creates a “spin current” in the material’s electrons due to the spin Nernst effect.News
How to peel permanent marker off glass
Water’s surface tension can peel a thin hydrophobic film such as permanent ink off glass surfaces.
