New Atlas

Medical Audio available

Magnetic metamaterial amplifies MRI for clearer images in less time

Michael Irving June 5, 2019

MRI is a great tool for diagnosing disease, but it can be costly and cumbersome. Now, engineers at Boston University have developed a new device, small enough for a patient to wear inside the machine, that could boost the signal and provide higher-resolution images at lower magnetic strengths.

Researchers have created a new magnetic metamaterial that can reduce MRI times while improving the resolution ...

Medical

Electrical brain stimulation winds memory function back 50 years

Nick Lavars April 8, 2019

A new study conducted by scientists at Boston University has outlined a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that was able to restore working memory in 70-year-old subjects, so much so they functioned like a healthy 20-year-old.

Neuroscientist Rob Reinhart has discovered a way to mend broken pathways in the brain and restore ...

Materials Audio available

Acoustic metamaterial silences sound without blocking airflow

Michael Irving March 11, 2019

In our increasingly noisy world, it can be hard to find some quiet time. Now, a team of mechanical engineers at Boston University has developed a new device that is specially designed to block up to 94 percent of incoming sound waves, while still letting air pass through.

A new ring-shaped device can block sound from passing through the middle without blocking air flow

Environment Audio available

China and India lead the way in "greening" the Earth since 2000

Michael Irving February 12, 2019

A new study of satellite data has shown that the Earth has gotten “greener” in the last 20 years or so, with the biggest contributors being China and India. Before we celebrate though, there are a few caveats to consider.

Satellite data has shown that the Earth has gotten 5 percent greener in recent years, but ...

Medical Audio available

Deactivating a trigger protein could stop melanoma in its tracks

Michael Irving February 3, 2019

A new study may have uncovered a previously unknown way to fight melanoma, one of the most deadly forms of skin cancer. A team led by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine has identified a gene that, when disrupted with a drug compound, can prevent melanoma from developing.

Researchers have identified a new target in the fight against melanoma

Robotics

Correcting robot mistakes using mind control without thinking

David Szondy March 6, 2017

Controlling robots isn't just a matter of finding ways to give them commands, but of making sure they're carrying out those commands properly. Researchers have developed a system that turns the operator into a human automatic fault detector to alert the robot when it makes a mistake.

The feedback system enables human operators to correct the robot's mistake in real-time

Health & Wellbeing

White fat may have several paths to a healthier brown

Michael Irving December 14, 2016

Brown fat has been studied as a potential treatment for obesity and related health issues. Now a team at Boston University has sequenced the genes of different fat types and found that white fat may be turned brown through several different mechanisms, including by way of an experimental chemo drug.

Scientists have studied how different approaches could convert white fat cells into healthier brown fat

Science

How dastardly squirrels drive crime scene investigators nuts

Oliver Starr July 29, 2016

Crime scene investigators already have plenty to worry about. But now they've got one more foe; squirrels. We’re not joking. The rodents with razor-sharp incisors chew up crime scenes to maintain their dentition, says new research led by James Pokines at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Not as cute as they look, squirrels needing to chew can wreak havoc on a crime ...

Space

Is the Great Red Spot the source of Jupiter's mysterious heat?

Nick Lavars July 27, 2016

Why does Jupiter's upper atmosphere sizzle away at extraordinarily high temperatures when it is so far away from the Sun? Scientists have come across evidence suggesting the enigmatic Great Red Spot may be acting as the provider of this mysterious and powerful energy source.

An unexpected discovery could finally explain the high temperatures in Jupiter's thermosphere

Biology

Imaging tool lets scientists look inside brain at nanoscale resolution

Richard Moss August 1, 2015

A new imaging tool promises to open the door to all sorts of new insights about the brain and how it works. The tool lets scientists see each of the human brain's 100 trillion synapses and 100 billion neurons, individually, plus all other cellular objects and many of their sub-cellular components.

The universe-like depth and complexity of the human brain can now be studied in excruciating detail ...