Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in Bonn have detected for the first time a molecule closely related to an amino acid: amino acetonitrile. The organic molecule was found with a 30 metre radio telescope in Spain and two radio interferometers in France and Australia in the "Large Molecule Heimat", a giant gas cloud near the galactic centre in the conste... read full post picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A molecule that until now existed only in theory has finally been made.

Known as a Rydberg molecule, it is formed through an elusive and extremely weak chemical bond between two atoms. picked by AutumnLotus 7 months ago

Scientists have detected an organic sugar molecule that is directly linked to the origin of life, in a region of our galaxy where habitable planets could exist. picked by AutumnLotus 12 months ago

Venus Express has detected the molecule hydroxyl on another planet for the first time. This detection gives scientists an important new tool to unlock the workings of Venus's dense atmosphere. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A strange gaseous molecule has been discovered lurking in the atmospheres of both Mars and Venus, scientists announced today, adding that it could affect Venus's hyperactive greenhouse effect. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

The tell-tale signature of the molecule methane in the atmosphere of the Jupiter-sized extrasolar planet HD 189733b has been found with the Hubble Space Telescope. Under the right circumstances methane can play a key role in prebiotic chemistry – the chemical reactions considered necessary to form life as we know it. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

The crystal structure of a molecule from a primitive fungus has served as a time machine to show researchers more about the evolution of life from the simple to the complex. By studying the three-dimensional version of the fungus protein bound to an RNA molecule, scientists have been able to visualize how life progressed from an early self-replicating molecule that also performed chemical reaction... read full post picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Scientists have, for the first time, detected giant twisting waves in the lower atmosphere of the Sun, shedding light on the mystery of the Sun's corona (the region around the Sun, extending more than one million kilometres from its surface) having a vastly higher temperature than its surface. picked by AutumnLotus 8 months ago

Scientists in Australia announced on Friday they had found the jawbone of a giant wombat the size of a large car that lived 20,000-40,000 years ago. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Tiny mussel-like creatures living 100 million years ago made giant sperm longer than their own bodies, proving size has always mattered for some animals when it comes to sex, scientists said on Thursday.

Giant sperm are still around today. A human sperm, for example, would have to be 40 metres long to measure up against a fruit fly's in comparison. picked by bingo 5 months ago

A 2.8ft rabbit who munches his way through £60 worth of food every week is bouncing his way into the record books.

Benny the Flemish Giant is vying for the title of world's longest rabbit, currently held at 2.6ft (81.5cm), by Amy, a Continental Giant who died in May. picked by AutumnLotus 4 months ago

A team of astronomers from Penn State and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland has discovered a new planet that is closely orbiting a red-giant star, HD 102272, which is much older than our own Sun. The planet has a mass that is nearly six times that of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

A team of Virginia Commonwealth University scientists has discovered a ‘magnetic superatom’ – a stable cluster of atoms that can mimic different elements of the periodic table – that one day may be used to create molecular electronic devices for the next generation of faster computers with larger memory storage. picked by AutumnLotus 5 months ago

Scientists have long marveled over counter-intuitive properties that set water apart from other solids and liquids commonly found in nature. That is why Pablo Debenedetti and collaborators were surprised to find a highly simplified model molecule that behaves in much the same way as water, a discovery that upends long-held beliefs about what makes water so special. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that they can engineer mouse and human cells to produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. If such a strategy can be developed for use in people, the scientists say, it could open a novel approach to treating obesity and diabetes. picked by AutumnLotus 3 months ago

The University of Utah built an interactive sliding scale to illustrate the size of REALLY REALLY small things like cells, atoms, HIV, water molecule, etc. Click the link to see. Very cool. picked by jasontho 4 weeks ago

Michigan State University plant scientists have discovered another piece of the genetic puzzle that controls how plants respond to high temperatures. That may allow plant breeders to create new varieties of crops that flourish in warmer, drier climates. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

British scientists have made the biggest breakthrough for more than 15 years in the fight against Alzheimer's.

It could cut the rate of new cases by a fifth - 100,000 a year in the UK alone. British and French teams have identified rogue genes responsible for one in five cases of the disease. The search is now on for drugs to combat them. picked by Bingo 3 months ago

A team of scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found a way to genetically enhance the scent of flowers and implant a scent in those that don't have one. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

Scientists in California have uncovered the best evidence yet that cosmic dust in the early universe mostly came from the explosions of giant stars. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago