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A Paradigm Shift – Scientists Use Engineered Bacteria To Lower Blood Pressure

Lead Image: Scientists at The University of Toledo have demonstrated that engineered bacteria can reduce blood pressure, paving the way for potential hypertension treatments using the human microbiome. Researchers from The University of Toledo have discovered potential avenues to utilize our body’s microbiome in managing blood pressure. Scientists at The University of Toledo have demonstrated that engineered bacteria can lower blood pressure. This groundbreaking discovery paves the way for utilizing our body’s microbiome as a potential treatment for hypertension. The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Pharmacological Research, represents a paradigm shift, said Dr. Bina Joe, a hypertension researcher…

Rivaling Hiroshima: The Earthquake-Fueled Firestorm of Tokyo, 1923

Lead Image: The fires following the 1923 Kantō earthquake killed 90% of the victims, making it one of history’s deadliest natural disasters. A recent paper highlights the importance of fire prevention in earthquake-prone areas and underscores the interplay between scientific predictions and socio-economic responses. The 1923 Kantō earthquake in Tokyo led to fires responsible for 90% of the 105,000 casualties. This tragedy, detailed in a new paper in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, offers lessons for current earthquake scientists and urban planners. Fires that raged in the days following the September 1, 1923, magnitude 7.9 Kantō earthquake…

Quantum Leap – Harvard Scientists Use Sound To Test Devices, Control Qubits

Acoustic resonators, found in devices like smartphones and Wi-Fi systems, degrade over time with no easy way to monitor this degradation. Researchers from Harvard SEAS and Purdue University have now developed a method using atomic vacancies in silicon carbide to measure the stability of these resonators and even manipulate quantum states, potentially benefiting accelerometers, gyroscopes, clocks, and quantum networking. Using sound waves to control atomic vacancies could enhance communication technologies and provide novel control mechanisms for quantum computing. Acoustic resonators are everywhere. In fact, there is a good chance you’re holding one in your hand right now. Most smartphones today…

Mars’ Seismic Secrets: Decoding the Red Planet’s Core Mystery

Analysis of Martian seismic data recorded by the InSight mission in combination with first-principles simulations of the seismic properties of liquid metal alloys have revealed that Mars’s liquid iron core is surrounded by a 150-km thick molten silicate layer, as a consequence of which its core is smaller than previously proposed. The decrease in core radius implies a higher density than estimated earlier and is compatible with a metal core consisting of 9–15 wt% of light elements, chiefly S, C, O, and H. Credit: Thibaut Roger, NCCR PlanetS, ETH Zurich Mars’s liquid iron core is smaller and denser than previously…

Physics Unraveled: Accelerating Waves and the Mysteries of Time and Relativity

Researchers have derived a new wave equation, linking wave mechanics with the general theory of relativity and the arrow of time, offering solutions to long-standing physics debates and introducing applications for novel materials. Researchers at Tampere University and the University of Eastern Finland have reached a milestone in a study where they derived a new kind of wave equation, which applies to accelerating waves. The novel formalism has turned out to be an unexpectedly fertile ground for examining wave mechanics, with direct connections between accelerating waves, the general theory of relativity, as well as the arrow of time. Light Interaction…