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How to slow down light until it stops

In vacuum, light always travels at a constant speed of 299,792,458 metres per second. Nothing can travel faster than this constant c, as denoted by physicists. These two postulates are basic building blocks of modern physics and were first announced more than a hundred years ago by Albert Einstein. Yet, there are ingenious ways to slow light to the point of trapping it in a dead stop. Prepare for some weirdness.

Decade-long study shows how air pollution is killing you

A decade-long study of thousands of Americans has found direct evidence of how air pollution causes heart disease. The link between the two has been established a long time ago, but it's only now that the biological mechanisms have been explained thoroughly.

A minivan-sized sea sponge was found by NOAA -- the biggest ever

It's the largest any human has come across.

Amazing lighting strikes filmed at 7,000 frames per second

Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology had an awesome day on the field with their 7,000 frames per second high-speed cameras.

Galactic warming triggered by supermassive black holes leads to stellar infertility

The analysis suggests some supermassive black holes, which lie at the heart of virtually any galaxy, turn their host galaxies into "red geysers" which suppress star formation.

Most powerful X-ray machine blasts water droplets for science

Stanford researchers fired extremely bright flashes of light from the world's most powerful X-ray laser onto droplets of liquid. These vaporized instantly, but not before the whole process was imaged in full detail.

Biodegradable plastics don't break down in the ocean, U.N. says

According to a 179-page report released by the U.N., biodegradable plastics degrade far too slow in the oceans, voiding any apparent practical benefit. In the ocean at least, they're just as bad, if not worse in some instances, than traditional plastics.

Supermassive blackholes are giants from birth

At the heart of virtually every galaxy, including the Milky Way, is a supermassive blackhole that's anywhere from hundreds of thousands to billions of times more massive than the sun. How these cosmic bodies start off is still a subject of debate.

8 out of 10 internet users might be suffering from Cyberchondria aka 'seeing Dr. Google'

Almost all doctors we've spoken to advise against "internet diagnoses", and this infographic is telling in this respect.

Hydrogen peroxide made from seawater might one day power fuel cell cars

Using energy from the sun, researchers converted seawater into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) -- a fuel that can be used in fuel cells, instead of elemental hydrogen.

Hypersonic rocket reaches Mach 7.5 -- that's Sydney to London in 2 hours

A joint venture between US Department of Defense and Australian Defence Science and Technology Organization launched a rocket to a mind-boggling Mach 7.5. That's a speed seven and half times faster than the speed of sound or 5,710 mph (9,200 kmph).

Baby turtles save energy by working together to dig themselves out the nest

Every summer, turtle hatchlings have to quickly dig up the sand of their nests and start a perilous journey towards the sea. This delicate process is very energy consuming, but there's power in numbers.

How Quicksand Works and How to Escape its clutches

Discover the fascinating world of quicksand but also learn how to break free from it.

Why one pole is melting, while the other is still packed with ice

In the past decade, ice extent at the two poles couldn't be more different. The Arctic has seen its 13 smallest maximum ice extents in the last 13 years, and since 1979 lost 620,000 square miles of winter sea ice cover, an area more than twice the size of Texas. Meanwhile, in Antarctica, ice cover has actually increased despite warming trends

Artificial meteor shower might open the Japan 2020 Olympic Games

One Japanese startup is planning one hell of a fireworks show for the official opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Man 3-D prints his wife's tumor and saves her life

ZME Science has reported extensively on how 3-D printing is being implemented in the medical sector with some fantastic results. Yet, the real revolutionary thing about 3D printing – whether used for product prototyping, printing prostheses or spare parts on the International Space Station – is that anyone can use it. Such is the story […]

Do trees sleep, too?

All living things, from polar bears to bacteria, become more active or slow down their metabolism over a 24-hour cycle. Why should trees, which are just as alive as we are, be exempted from this rule?

Flying quarter-sized RoboBee perches to save energy

Harvard roboticists made an insect-like flying robot that perches on ceilings to save energy, like bats, birds or butterflies.

Autonomous mini-rally car learns to drift -- this is more important than you think

When self-driving cars finally take off, these should be safe. But right now, there's no guarantee they are. A small autonomus mini rally might help changed this.

Portugal's electricity demand was supplied by renewable energy for four days straight!

Portugal covered its citizens' and industry's electricity demand using power generated by wind, solar and hydro for an extraordinary 107 consecutive hours.

Computer science breakthrough in random number generation

Random numbers are essential for cryptography and computer security. The problem is that algorithms don't really generate totally random numbers.

Two new exotic-looking triceratops relatives found in Utah and Montana

Paleontologists have discovered two new triceratops relatives that simply looked amazing. One had two forward-curving spikes running from the back of its shield, in addition to the classic triceratops horns, while the other sported beautiful coloring akin to butterfly camouflage, but also a tragic life story.

Why giraffes have long necks: first genome sequencing offers some clues

Researchers have sequenced the genomes of the tallest mammal on Earth, as well as it's unlikely closest cousin, the okapi. By comparing the genomes of the two species, we now have a firmer grasp of the evolutionary timeline in which the split from a common ancestor took place.

Can science help LSD make a comeback?

Few drugs have had a more undeserving bad rep as LSD, but acid is finally making a comeback, it seems.

A.I. masters control of delicate Nobel-winning physics experiment in under an hour

Lazy physicists from Australia programmed an artificial intelligence system to maneuver a delicate experiment with little to no oversight. The A.I. had to control an array of lasers that are used to cool atoms near absolute zero temperature, where the slightest hiccup could destroy the fragile state of matter of the atoms. But the machine performed marvelously.

Spider silk-inspired wire extends like a solid, but compresses like a liquid

. Perhaps the most impressive feature of spider silk is that it's taut even when it's been stretched to several times its original size. Inspired by the orb spider's silk, researchers at University of Oxford and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris made their own artificial spider silk thread that extends like a solid, but compresses like a liquid.

IBM ups storage for next-gen memories hundreds of times faster than your SSD

A team from IBM Research dramatically increased the storage capacity of an alternative memory structure called phase-change memory (PCM) to 3 bits of data per cell. Many specialists think that PCM is the future, in a way similar to how flash is replacing hard drives.

This machine 3-D prints metal objects in mid-air

Harvard researchers have demonstrated an all new 3-D printing technique that creates metals objects with complex shapes right in mid-air. This is fundamentally different from the approach of traditional 3-D printers which ooze polymer material layer by layer.

Ancient Rome's water supply tracked by lead isotopes

By analyzing telltale chemical signs which marked the environment, like led isotopes, a team of researchers tracked the water quality following the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

Bone-crushing dog roamed eastern North America 12 million years ago

Paleontologists have identified an ancient hyena-like canine that occupied eastern North America approximately 12 million years ago. The coyote-sized dog had a massive jaw which scientists say it used to crush bones.

Google's AI is now writing post-modern poetry. I've read worse

Despite these tentative first steps definitely look like a work in progress, don't look so stunned when you'll learn about the first best-selling novel written by a robot (I've seen worse things published). It all starts now.

This transparent wood is stronger than glass

Using a chemical technique, researchers removed the complex organic polymers that give wood its characteristic appearance and, in the process, made the wood transparent. The see-through wood was then imbued with epoxy which made the material stronger than glass.

Man receives first penis transplant in the United States

A man recovering from penile cancer is the first American citizen to receive a penis transplant. The operation, a first in the United States, was performed by doctors at the at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. According to the doctors involved, more transplants will occur in the coming years. This is still, however, an experimental procedure at the forefront of medicine.

Newly discovered beetle births live babies

In almost all mammals, the babies develop inside the mother before they are born, a process we all know as gestation. Outside mammals, though, live baby birth is quite rare, especially among insects. That's why everybody got excited by the discovery of a new long-horn beetle species which uses ovoviviparity -- a reproductory mode in which females hatch eggs inside the body.

Is the ultimate password 'chill' music?

We've gone a long way since simple keys and locks. Things like digital encryption or biometric validation methods based on fingerprints, corneas and so on have helped secure data and access to sensible information.These methods were developed, however, because we had to keep up with the threats. There's nothing truly unhackable, some say, but you can darn well make it really hard for the wrong people to get in. These researchers really thought outside the box, though.

Tesla's first self-driving accident just happened. It's time to start a serious discussion

It was bound to happen. This week, Jared Overton, a Tesla Motors Model S owner, reported his car spontaneously started itself and drove into a trailer parked right in front of it. No one was hurt, but the car itself broke the windshield. Tesla Motors claims their software wasn't to blame. Instead, internal logs suggest Overton used the 'summon' feature by mistake from his phone. Overton disagrees. It seems like a lawsuit might follow, but the accident begs a more important discussion: are Tesla's autonomous features really safe?

Bacterial cells are individualists, too

Even though they're genetically identical and live in the same environment, not all bacteria are the same. When times are tough more bacteria become individualists gobbling resources in the detriment of the colony, but in doing so the individualists actually enhance the colony's survival rate.

Oldest space dust shows how Earth's ancient atmosphere was like 2.7 billion years ago

A team from Monash University, Australia, and Imperial College, U.K., found the oldest micrometeorites ever and by studying them could determine what the planet's atmosphere looked like 2.7 billion years ago when these objects impacted the surface.

THC blood tests can't predict impaired driving and should be scrapped, AAA says

The AAA Foundation for traffic safety ordered a handful of studies that assess the effects marijuana legalization had on driving safety. The studies arrived at a number of worrisome conclusions. Fatal crashes involving drivers who used marijuana doubled since the state lifted the ban. Also, researchers found the marijuana blood limit allowed for driving, known as per se limits, is arbitrary and not based on actual science.

Germany generated so much renewable energy it had to pay to get rid of it

On May 8, Germany generated a record high amount of renewable energy. Solar, wind, hydro and biomass plants together generated 55 GW of power or 87% of the demand thanks to unusually good winds and sunny conditions.

Half of your friends don't actually feel the same way, probably

How many friends do you think you have? A hundred, twenty... two? Chances have it, you actually have only half as many 'real' friends as you think. At least, those who look to you as a friend too, say researchers at MIT's Media Lab.

Carrot genome explains why these are orange

Carrots are the richest source of vitamin A in the American diet, which is why you hear "they're good for your eyes". But did you know carrots were initially yellow and purple? Even further back, before humans domesticated carrots, the wild variety was white. Scientists know this by sequencing the DNA of the carrot, and a recent study deciphered its full genetic code. We now know what genes trigger the production of carrots' most important nutrients, but also what teaking is required to improve the crops.

What separates the wolves from the sheep in the stock market?

"Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy only when others are fearful," said Warren Buffet, arguably the most astute contemporary investor in the world. Research by Caltech and Virginia Tech backs this sound advice, after delving deep into the investor mind and framework by analyzing stock market behavior at the neurolevel.

The squishy bot revolution: how soft robotics is changing the field

Soft robotics involves machines designed to resemble biological systems like squids, caterpillars, starfish, human hands and more. Though far less practical at this point, soft robots could prove invaluable soon enough. ZME Science looked at a couple of some of the most amazing designs made by scientists so far.

How trade routes forever changed the dromedary camel's genetic makeup

Known as the “ship of the desert”, the dromedary camel is one of the largest domestic ungulates and one of the most recent additions to livestock. For 3,000 years, the dromedary camel has been the burden animal of choice for transporting goods across the deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and all of this back and forth has left a permanent mark on their genetic makeup.

How many people are younger or older than me?

To check where you stand among the age demographics in the U.S., Nathan Yau of Flowing Data made this interactive chart that's incredibly easy to use.

The Pentagon is investing heavily to protect its 'space real estate'

Both civilian and military applications have become heavily reliant on digital communications, which in turn are dependent on space hardware like satellites. If only two decades ago, only the biggest companies or wealthy governments could afford to launch permanent or semi-permanent satellites. Today, satellites are smaller, better and cheaper than they ever were, which is why there are more than 1,100 active satellites orbiting the planet. However, they're as vulnerable as ever, too.

'Second skin' hides signs of aging, while also improving skin health

Developed by researchers at MIT for over a decade, the 'second skin' is a transparent, silicone-based polymer that can be layered over the human skin. Flexible and strong, the novel material can return to its original size after being stretched to over 250%, which is actually better than human skin which can only stretch to 180%.

British energy expert: 'oil companies have 10 years to change strategy or die'

One energy expert from the U.K. made headlines with his bold comments. He says oil companies have only 10 years to adapt and make a shift away from fossil fuels -- their primary business, after all -- otherwise these will collapse. The market will not be forgiving.

Novices learn faster after being zapped with expert brain wave patterns

In the movie, The Matrix, Neo masters over a dozen martial arts in a fraction of a second as the necessary skills are uploaded straight into his consciousness. Given our current understanding of how the brain works, this is quite preposterous in real life but you'll be surprised to hear some scientists have tested a similar 'skill upload' system with remarkable results.

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