Weekly Science Picks

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Well, it’s Sunday again. It’s our time to recapitulate all the scientific contributions, ideas, events and discoveries that have occurred in this week. To be honest, the job was quite challenging, since the science and technology market is highly competitive and unpredictable. Luckily, we made it. Now we would like to present you top stories that were published during this week.

Nanostructures with applications in infrared and terahertz ranges

Scientists have created a compound semiconductor of nearly perfect quality with embedded nanostructures containing ordered lines of atoms that can manipulate light energy in the mid-infrared range. More efficient solar cells, less risky and higher resolution biological imaging, and the ability to transmit massive amounts of data at higher speeds are only a few applications that this unique semiconductor will be able to support.

Baking bread by the numbers

If we had to name who’s involved in bread making, most of us would probably identify the baker, the farmer who grows the wheat and maybe even the miller who grinds the wheat into flour. But how many people would think of the humble statistician? Dr Emma Huang would – and she’s eager to prove their worth in the process.

Try stargazing wherever you are

The first “wow” moment of my stargazing adventure took place before I had even looked through a telescope. Staring up at the cloudy night sky one cold March evening, I spotted a bright pinprick of light to the south-west. “Which star is that?” I asked Seb Jay, the astronomer who was going to teach me to stargaze and who was, at that moment, busy setting up a pair of telescopes in my back garden.

‘I have lived underwater’

The first night Deron Burkepile spent underwater was over 10 years ago, but the memory is still fresh in his mind. He remembers getting suited up — a couple of scuba tanks on his back, extra safety gear hanging from his rig—and stepping to the back of the boat. “You’re used to getting off the boat and coming back in an hour, maybe two at most,” he says. “So you’re thinking, wow, I’m not going to see the sun again for almost two weeks.”

Until next Sunday, stay thirsty for new updates from the world of science and technology.