As people, we are all shaped by the neighborhoods we grew up in, whether it was a bustling urban center or the quiet countryside. Objects in distant outer space are no different.
Powerful black holes might grow up in bustling galactic neighborhoods
Separating molecules is a highly energy-intensive but essential part of drug development, desalination and other industrial processes – improving membranes can help
Separating molecules is critical to producing many essential products. For example, in petroleum refining[1], the hydrocarbons – chemical compounds composed of hydrogens and carbons – in crude oil are separated into gasoline, diesel and lubricants by sorting them based on their molecular size, shape and weight. In the pharmaceutical industry[2], the active ingredients in medications are purified by separating drug molecules from the enzymes, solutions and other components used to make them.
Nanoparticles will change the world, but whether it's for the better depends on decisions made now
Technologies based on nanoscale materials – for example, particles that are more than 10,000 times smaller than the period at the end of this sentence – play a growing role in our world.
Traditional medicine provides health care to many around the globe – the WHO is trying to make it safer and more standardized
For approximately 80% of the world’s population[1], the first stop after catching a cold or breaking a bone isn’t the hospital — maybe because there isn’t one nearby, or they can’t afford it. Instead, the first step is consulting traditional medicine, which cultures around the world have been using for thousands of years.
Peruvian writers tell of a future rooted in the past and contemporary societal issues
The Aymara people of the Andean Highlands speak of “qhipa pacha,” a phrase that refers to the future as a direction one walks to backward. They believe in looking to the past as a way to understand what may come next.
Experts alone can't handle AI – social scientists explain why the public needs a seat at the table
Are democratic societies ready for a future in which AI algorithmically assigns limited supplies[1] of respirators or hospital beds during pandemics? Or one in which AI fuels an arms race[2] between disinformation creation and detection? Or sways court decisions with amicus briefs written to mimic the rhetorical and argumentative styles of Supreme Court justices?
If anxiety is in my brain, why is my heart pounding? A psychiatrist explains the neuroscience and physiology of fear
Heart in your throat. Butterflies in your stomach. Bad gut feeling. These are all phrases many people use to describe fear and anxiety. You have likely felt anxiety inside your chest or stomach, and your brain usually doesn’t hurt when you’re scared. Many cultures tie cowardice and bravery more to the heart[1] or the guts[2] than to the brain.