For the first time, physicists have discovered that ‘holes’ of light can travel faster than light itself. They are known as phase singularities or optical vortices, and since the 1970s, scientists have predicted that, just as the eddies in the river can move faster than the water flowing around them, so can the waves of … Read more
In order to survive in the human bloodstream, the African trypanosome virus coats itself in a protective membrane made of proteins called variant surface glycoproteins (VSG). A study published in Nature Microbiology has now identified a key protein that allows microbes to properly manipulate this protective “coat”. The researchers found that a newly identified protein, … Read more
Credit: POSTECH University, South Korea. Water is the most common liquid on Earth, yet it almost defies the laws of thermodynamics. Every known liquid contracts and thickens when cooled. Water does the opposite. As you cool water after it freezes, it shrinks considerably, which is why ice floats easily in ponds, lakes, and oceans. Now, … Read more