New Atlas

Biology Audio available

Boosting a radiation-protecting protein could help cancer patients and astronauts

Michael Irving June 2, 2019

Radiotherapy is effective for killing cancer, but it harms healthy cells at the same time. Now researchers have found that boosting levels of a certain protein can protect against radiation damage, which could help cancer patients, victims of nuclear disasters, and future space travellers.

The red cells are proliferating cells in the intestinal crypts, which are vulnerable to radiation damage. ...

Space Audio available

Nearby collision of two neutron stars sprinkled our solar system with precious heavy elements

Anthony Wood May 3, 2019

A cataclysmic collision between a pair of dead stars may have seeded our solar system with precious heavy metals including gold and uranium, according to a newly published study. If such an event were to be observed in the present day, it would be the brightest point in the night sky.

Artist's impression of two neutron stars merging

Space Audio available

TRAPPIST planets may be habitable in weirder ways than we thought

Michael Irving April 18, 2019

TRAPPIST-1 is one the most fascinating planetary systems discovered so far. Now, two new studies have looked at the habitability of these planets, with a focus on radiation from the star and tides caused by the other planets. Strangely enough, these factors could help make them more liveable.

Two new studies have examined the role of radiation and tidal forces in the TRAPPIST-1 planetary ...

Science

Did a perfect supernova storm wipe out the Megalodon?

Michael Irving December 11, 2018

For millions of years, the apex predator of the oceans was a bus-sized shark known as the Megalodon. But around 2.6 million years ago they just disappeared. So what could wipe out a 50-ft (15-m) shark? According to a new study, the culprit was a series of supernovae exploding fairly close to Earth.

An artist's impression of Megalodon, a giant prehistoric species of shark that went extinct about 2.6 ...

Medical Audio available

Novel nanocrystals reduce X-ray radiation dose, while upping the resolution

Darren Quick October 25, 2018

An international team of researchers has developed novel nanocrystals that allow the radiation dose from a diagnostic X-ray to be much lower, while also enabling higher resolution images at a lower cost.

A team led by Prof Liu Xiaogang has developed nanocrystals that are highly sensitive to X-ray ...

Space

Bad news for Mars-bound astronauts – cosmic rays damage your GI tract

David Szondy October 2, 2018

In more bad news for future voyagers to Mars, a team of scientists has found that the cosmic rays that astronauts will encounter on long space voyages can cause heavy damage to their GI tract. Using animal tissue, they found that the radiation produces both immediate and long term health problems.

Cosmic radiation could adversely affect the digestive tracts of astronauts on a future manned mission to ...

Space

Orbiter data confirms manned Mars missions face severe radiation hazards

David Szondy September 19, 2018

Data returned by the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter indicates that astronauts on even short future Mars missions could face significant space radiation hazards and would be exposed to at least 60 percent of their total lifetime career radiation exposure limit.

Artist's concept of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Medical

Wearable yeast colonies act as "canaries" for radiation exposure

Michael Irving August 10, 2018

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a living device for radiologists, using yeast colonies in wearable patches to monitor how much radiation a person is being exposed to.

Purdue researchers have developed a yeast-based badge that can help radiologists monitor their levels of radiation ...

Space

Comprehensive radiation maps to aid search for life on Europa

David Szondy July 24, 2018

Europa is regarded as one of the most likely places in the solar system to find life, but where to look for evidence of it? To aid future space missions, a team has drawn up comprehensive maps of the radiation bombarding the moon to determine where explorers must look to find signs of life.

Europa is regarded as one of the most likely places to find life off the Earth

Space

Understanding the feeding habits of supermassive black holes is a matter of perspective

Anthony Wood May 31, 2018

A new computer model could help astronomers to interpret the radiation emitted by supermassive black holes as they rip apart and devour unfortunate stars. These extreme "feeding" episodes are known as Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), and are thought to be incredibly rare.

Artist's impression of a supermassive black hole surrounded by an accretion disk formed from a dead ...