New NSF-funded center to explore chemistry of “nanothreads”
John Badding, professor of chemistry, physics, and materials science and engineering at Penn State, holding a 3D model of a polytwistane nanothread, the focus of the new NSF Center for Nanothread Chemistry. Credit: Nate Follmer, Penn State
Gravitational forces in protoplanetary disks may push super-Earths close to their stars
LIGO and Virgo Detect Neutron Star Smash-Ups
Illustration of two merging neutron stars. The rippling space-time grid represents gravitational waves that travel out from the collision. Credit: National Science Foundation/LIGO/Sonoma State University/A. Simonnet
How the bumble bee got its stripes
NIH grant funds research to pinpoint natural selection’s influence on genomes
Stock Photo: Pixabay
Unlocking the mystery behind blood clots
An activated human platelet, a blood-clotting cell that plays a crucial role in preventing bleeding, but when overactivated can play a role in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. New research identifies one of the main mechanical mechanisms of blood clotting. Credit: Lining Arnold Ju (University of Sydney) and Qian Su (University of Technology Sydney).
New sensor detects rare metals used in smartphones
A new sensor changes its fluorescence when it binds to lanthanides (Ln), rare earth metals used in smartphones and other technologies, potentially providing a more efficient and cost-effective way to detect these elusive metals. Credit: Cotruvo Lab, Penn State

A more efficient and cost-effective way to detect the rare earth metals used in smartphones and other technologies.

Features that make lizards sexy are resilient to stress
The blue and black badges on a male lizard’s chin and abdomen help attract potential mates and fend off competitors. A new study by researchers at Penn State reveals that low levels of stress-associated hormones do not affect badge color or behaviors used to show off badges, suggesting that these traits are resilient to stress. Photo credit: Tracy Langkilde, Penn State
First ever open public alerts from LIGO: Two probable black-hole mergers spotted in first weeks after gravitational-wave detector is updated
LIGO Laboratory operates two detector sites, one near Hanford in eastern Washington, and another near Livingston, Louisiana. This photo shows the Hanford detector site. Credit: Caltech/MIT/LIGO Lab
A new signal for a neutron star collision discovered
A bright burst of X-rays discovered by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory likely signals the merger of two neutron stars— dense stellar objects packed mainly with neutrons. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Science and Technology of China/Y. Xue et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI
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