This week, we learned about glasslike steel that can withstand 125,000 atmospheres, a black hole the size of 17 billion suns hiding in an empty corner of the universe and a CT scan that revealed chameleons used projectile tongues 99 million years ago.
This Breakthrough Could Pump Oil From Pond Scum
Dr. Timothy Devarenne studies the biofuel properties of a common green microalga called Botryococcus braunii in his lab at Texas A&M University.
Researchers at Texas A&M University studying a green microalga found an enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons in plants. The discovery could make it easier for scientists to extract oil from plants. “The interesting thing about this alga is that it produces large amounts of liquid hydrocarbons, which can be used to make fuels such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel,” Tim Devarenne, the lead scientist, said in a news release. “These liquid hydrocarbons made by the alga are currently found in petroleum deposits, so we are already using them as a source to generate fuel.”
Record-Breaking Amorphous Steel Can Withstand 125,000 Atmospheres
This is a transmission electron microscopy image of different levels of crystallinity in the amorphous alloy. Credit: Jacobs School of Engineering/UC San Diego
A team of scientists at the University of California, San Diego, designed and tested a new type of steel that would put Iron Man to shame. Unlike ordinary steel, the material doesn’t contain crystals, and its amorphous structure resembles glass. Yet it has “a record-breaking ability to withstand an impact without deforming permanently,” the team reported. “The new steel alloy could be used in a wide range of applications, from drill bits, to body armor for soldiers, to meteor-resistant casings for satellites. The material is an amorphous steel alloy, a promising subclass of steel alloys made of arrangements of atoms that deviate from steel’s classical crystal-like structure.”
Pig Heart Keeps Beating Inside A Baboon For Record 945 Days
Close-up of two Gelada Baboons. Image credit: Getty Images
Researchers from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reported a record-breaking heart transplant from a pig to a primate. The heart from a genetically modified pig, with assistance from immunosuppression drugs, was able to survive inside the baboon for more than two and a half years. The research “could lead to expanded use of xenotransplantation — organ transplants between different species — possibly providing relief for the severe organ shortage among human patients awaiting transplantation,” the NIH said in a news release.
CT Scanner Reveals That 99-Million-Year-Old Chameleons Used Projectile Tongues
Lizards preserved in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Image credit: The authors.
A group of scientists in the U.S. and Europe have used X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scanners to study the bodies of 99-million-year-old lizards, fungi and other organisms preserved in amber in unprecedented detail. The fossils include the oldest ancestor of modern chameleons, with features that indicate it used a projectile tongue, and geckos with perfectly preserved toe pads. “The detailed preservation of soft tissues provides unique insights into the anatomy and ecology of Mesozoic lizards,” the scientists wrote. “The geckos confirm that not only were adhesive toe pads present by the mid-Cretaceous, but they were already diverse in structure.” The amber samples came from the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.
Supermassive Black Hole Found Hiding In An Empty Corner Of The Universe
Top image and above: A black hole at center of galaxy – 3D digital illustration. Images credit: Getty Images
An international group of astronomers discovered a supermassive black hole the size of 17 billion suns hiding in the empty core of an isolated elliptical galaxy. Since black holes of this size were not previously found outside of regions rich with stars, the finding suggests they could be much more common than previously thought.
Under accepted theory, an imploding star of multiple solar masses will collapse into a point of nearly zero volume and infinite density. But we can never observe it directly. It will be hidden from view by an event horizon, predicted by Albert Einstein’s general relativity, a boundary surrounding the black hole where time freezes and beyond which there’s no point of return.
Over the last 80 years, few topics ignited more bitter squabbling among eminent physicists than black holes. Einstein didn’t believe in them. The groundbreaking mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan did, but never recovered his balance after he publicly clashed with Sir Arthur Eddington of the Royal Society, who didn’t. Robert Oppenheimer proved their existence, only to have his claims publicly doubted by John Wheeler, who paradoxically coined the term black hole. Stephen Hawking is a believer, he even showed how they eventually evaporate. Now we just have to find out how many of these monsters are lurking out there.