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IMAGE: On the left is an image of the Jewel Bug Nebula (NGC 7027) captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2019 and released in 2020. Further analysis by researchers produced. view more
Credit: STScI, Alyssa Pagan
Images of two iconic planetary nebulae taken by the Hubble Space Telescope are revealing new information about how they develop their dramatic features. Researchers from Rochester Institute of Technology and Green Bank Observatory presented new findings about the Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302) and the Jewel Bug Nebula (NGC 7027) at the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society on Friday, Jan. 15.
Hubble s Wide Field Camera 3 observed the nebulae in 2019 and early 2020 using its full, panchromatic capabilities, and the astronomers involved in the project have been using emission line images from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared light to learn more about their properties. The studies were first-of-their-kind panchromatic imaging surveys desig
Credit: (Image courtesy of Guy Theraulaz/Harvard SEAS)
Following a series of studies on termite mound physiology and morphogenesis over the past decade, researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have now developed a mathematical model to help explain how termites construct their intricate mounds.
The research is published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Termite mounds are amongst the greatest examples of animal architecture on our planet, said L. Mahadevan, the Lola England de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics, of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and of Physics and lead author of the study. What are they for? How do they work? How are they built? These are the questions that have puzzled many scientists for a long time.
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IMAGE: New research can help ecosystem managers identify species vulnerabilities and prevent populations from becoming at risk, like the endangered Mexican gray wolf. view more
Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
More than 3,000 animal species in the world today are considered endangered, with hundreds more categorized as vulnerable. Currently, ecologists don t have reliable tools to predict when a species may become at risk.
A new paper published in
Nature Ecology and Evolution, Management implications of long transients in ecological systems, focuses on the transient nature of species and ecosystem stability and illustrates how management practices can be adjusted to better prepare for possible system flips. Some helpful modeling approaches are also offered, including one tool that may help identify potentially endangered populations.
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IMAGE: Computational materials scientists at Ames Laboratory developed an evolutionary algorithm, using a hybrid version of a computer program called Cuckoo Search (CS), which mimics the brood parasite behavior of cuckoo. view more
Credit: U.S. Department of Energy, Ames Laboratory
Computational materials science experts at the U.S. Department of Energy s Ames Laboratory enhanced an algorithm that borrows its approach from the nesting habits of cuckoo birds, reducing the search time for new high-tech alloys from weeks to mere seconds.
The scientists are investigating a type of alloys called high-entropy alloys, a novel class of materials that are highly sought after for a host of unusual and potentially beneficial properties. They are lightweight in relation to their strength, fracture-resistant, highly corrosion and oxidation resistant, and stand up well in high-temperature and high-pressure environments making them attractive materials for aerospace indust