Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
- Physics
Understanding light and other forms of energy on the move
Radiation needn’t be scary, especially if it allows us to see our family or use our cell phones. Here’s a guide to light and other types of emitted energy.
- Brain
Explainer: How our eyes make sense of light
It takes a lot for images before the eyes to be 'seen.' It starts by special cells sensing the light, then signals relaying those data to the brain.
- Physics
A contrast between shadows and light can now generate electricity
A new device exploits the contrast between bright spots and shade to produce a current that can power small electronics.
- Animals
Going bright may help corals recover from bleaching
When some corals bleach, they turn neon colors. Flashy hues may be part of a response that helps these corals recover and reunite with their algae.
- Animals
This tube worm’s glowing slime may help sustain its own shine
Snot oozed by a marine tube worm can glow for up to 3 full days. The secret of how this works might lead to long-lasting lights that glow on and on.
- Math
Why sports are becoming all about numbers — lots and lots of numbers
Sports once focused on muscles, skill and tactics. Now math is becoming almost as important. It helps assess players — and improve their tools.
- Physics
Explainer: Rainbows, fogbows and their eerie cousins
Light shining through a water droplet can make more than just a rainbow. A range of other colorful arcs also can develop.
- Animals
Lots of frogs and salamanders have a secret glow
A widespread ability to glow in brilliant colors could make amphibians easier to track down in the wild.
- Environment
Legos could last a disturbingly long time in the ocean
By looking at toys washed up on beaches, scientists have estimated how long it takes hard plastics to break down in the oceans. And it’s a long time.
- Health & Medicine
New ultrasound treatment kills off cancer cells
Low-frequency ultrasound destroys cancer cells while leaving most healthy cells intact.
- Physics
Soap bubbles’ ‘pop’ reveals the physics of the bursts
A bubble’s pop is a quiet, high-pitched noise. This can reveal the forces that occur during the bubble’s demise.
- Brain
Zapping the brain may make it work right again
Sending electrical zaps to electrodes implanted deep in the brain can help people with Parkinson’s disease, depression and even obsessive-compulsive disorder.
