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Are We Alone? – Beginnings: Life on Our World and Others

NASA’s Astrobiology Program is focusing on understanding the origins and requirements of life in the cosmos to answer the age-old question “Are we alone?” Research begins with understanding how life began on Earth, starting from the birth of our Sun. NASA’s Astrobiology Program is conducting comprehensive research to understand the origins of life on Earth, and by extension, in the cosmos. This includes studying the formation and position of Earth in the habitable zone, the chemical evolution of life, and using sophisticated telescopes to explore exoplanets for potential biosignatures. These efforts will enhance our ability to answer the question “Are…

Optoelectronics Nanotechnology Innovation: MIT Grows Precise Arrays of nanoLEDs

A new MIT platform enables researchers to “grow” halide perovskite nanocrystals with precise control over the location and size of each individual crystal, integrating them into nanoscale light-emitting diodes. Pictured is a rendering of a nanocrystal array emitting light. Credit: Courtesy of Sampson Wilcox, RLE A new technique produces perovskite nanocrystals right where they’re needed, so the exceedingly delicate materials can be integrated into nanoscale devices. Researchers at MIT have developed a groundbreaking method for precisely growing halide perovskite nanocrystals, eliminating the need for damaging fabrication techniques. The technique aids in the development of nanoLEDs and other functional nanoscale devices,…

Scientists Identify New Cause of Heart Failure Condition in Children – And Successfully Reverse Its Effects

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine identified a new gene mutation causing heart failure in children, called infantile dilated cardiomyopathy, and successfully reversed its effects using a drug on heart muscle cells derived from the patient’s stem cells. The findings hint towards the development of treatments to manage this condition, currently treated through a heart transplant, by focusing on the discovered genetic mutations that lead to heart failure. In an effort to determine the cause behind a rare condition that causes heart failure in children, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified new gene…

Gravitational Waves Detected Using “Cosmic Clocks” and Unseen Spatial Distortions

Lead Image: In this artist’s interpretation, a pair of supermassive black holes (top left) emits gravitational waves that ripple through the fabric of space-time. Those gravitational waves compress and stretch the paths of radio waves emitted by pulsars (white). By carefully measuring the radio waves, a team of scientists recently made the first detection of the universe’s gravitational wave background. Credit: Aurore Simonnet for the NANOGrav Collaboration Radio telescope observations of Milky Way pulsars reveal spacetime distortions likely caused by enormous gravitational waves rolling through everything in existence You can’t see or feel it, but everything around you — including…

Artificial Muscles Flex for the First Time: Ferroelectric Polymer Innovation in Robotics

Lead Image: Actuation of ferroelectric polymers driven by Joule heating. Credit: Qing Wang A new ferroelectric polymer that efficiently converts electrical energy into mechanical strain has been developed by Penn State researchers. This material, showing potential for use in medical devices and robotics, overcomes traditional piezoelectric limitations. Researchers improved performance by creating a polymer nanocomposite, significantly reducing the necessary driving field strength, expanding potential applications. A new type of ferroelectric polymer that is exceptionally good at converting electrical energy into mechanical strain holds promise as a high-performance motion controller or “actuator” with great potential for applications in medical devices, advanced…