Researchers have discovered a key process by which new genes from non-protein coding DNA undergoes mutations to enable export from the nucleus into the cellular cytoplasm where the new gene can be translated into novel polypeptides. In the new study the researchers have shown that far from being accessories, new gene products are often integral in key phenotype characteristics, such as larger brains in human-specific de novo genes from non-protein coding DNA. But before such genes can become novel protein products, they must change to escape the nuclear localization fated for long non-coding RNA sequences: the study elucidates the mutations involved in enabling nuclear export where the new gene can access the translational machinery of the ribosome, and demonstrates via knock-out and overexpression experiments the functional role of novo genes from non-protein coding DNA in organism development, like the enlargement of the cerebral cortex in humans.  

By: William Brown,...

^{Credit: NASA/APL/SwRI and NASA/JPL-Caltech} 

^{By Amal Pushp, Affiliate Physicist at the Resonance Science Foundation} 

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the earliest glow of radiation present in the universe that apparently dates back to the time when the universe came into being. Similar to this radiation, there is another glow that is lesser heard of and that corresponds to the light emitted in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, mainly by all astrophysical sources outside the milky way. This radiation encompassing the universe is termed the cosmic optical background (COB). From a technical standpoint, the COB is an ensemble of photons, strictly in the visible spectrum, over the volume of the observable universe. One can infer a significant amount of information about galaxies, stellar clusters, etc from the COB. Furthermore, the phenomena involving mass accretion by black holes associated with the galactic and stellar systems also count within reach...

Physicists Utilize the Holographic Correspondence Conjecture to Describe Quantum Teleportation of Qubits Via a Traversable Wormhole Spacetime Geometry: researchers have begun testing a quantum gravity theory by employing the entanglement states achievable within quantum computers. In a recent experiment, a research team used Google’s Sycamore quantum computer to test the teleportation of nine qubits to see if the quintessentially quantum mechanical process could produce the same signal as if the qubits had traversed through a micro-wormhole. As reported in the journal Nature, the research team provides the data that they say confirms the holographic correspondence between quantum teleportation and traversing through a microscopic spacetime Einstein-Rosen bridge (also known as a wormhole), indicating that gravitation is operational at the scale of particle interactions, and spacetime geometry may underlie quantum mechanics.

By RSF scientists Dr. Inés Urdaneta...

^{Credit: Science/AAAS} 

^{By Amal Pushp, Affiliate Physicist at the Resonance Science Foundation} 

Quantum states generally represent the possible conditions of a quantum system in terms of a mathematical entity. For example- the spin of an electron can be either up or down so there are two quantum states and this can further be represented as a superposition using Bra-Ket or Dirac notation.  

In principle, quantum states are categorized into two types: pure states and mixed states. A pure state is principally the natural state of a quantum system and carries with it the exact information of the overall system. On the other hand, a mixed state has limited information about a particular quantum system and is usually an ensemble of probabilities. Talking of their representation, pure states are denoted by a ray in a Hilbert space over complex numbers whereas mixed states are represented by density matrices.  

Inspired by the infamous Schrodinger’s cat...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and top science media outlets and journals make highly publicized announcement of “positive net energy gain” from presumed fusion ignition. Yet, when the total energy input of the power supply of the experiment is considered, the fusion reaction was a net energy loss greater than 99%. In other words, for every single unit of fusion energy it produces, NIF burns at minimum 130 units of energy, an efficiency of less than 1%. This is far from any “energy gain”.

By Nassim Haramein, Director of Research Torus Tech R&D Laboratories

With the announcement by the US department of Energy “For First Time, Researchers Produce More Energy from Fusion Than Was Used to Drive It, Promising Further Discovery in Clean Power and Nuclear Weapons Stewardship”, the question has been mooted whether we have just witnessed a scientific and...

^{Credit: University of Liverpool} 

^{By Amal Pushp, Affiliate Physicist at the Resonance Science Foundation} 

Atomic Nucleus is the central component of atoms comprising of protons and neutrons bound together by the strong nuclear interaction, one of the four fundamental forces and the most powerful of all.  

Just like atomic structure, there is a nuclear structure and various models have been propounded in order to approximate the behavior and interactions of atomic nuclei. Some of these models are the liquid drop model, the nuclear shell model, and the collective model proposed by Aage Bohr and co-workers concerning the non-spherical geometry of nuclei. 

With reference to the shell model propounded by physicists Goeppert Mayer and Jensen, who won the Nobel prize in 1963 for their work, it says that the atomic nucleus just like the atoms has energy levels that are characterized by the Pauli exclusion principle of quantum mechanics. They found that the main crux...

The physical constant alpha (α) has been described as one of the greatest mysteries of physics. Now, new measurements and analysis of spectra from Sun-like stars have produced the most precise astronomical test of alpha and hence potential locational variability in the strength of the electromagnetic interaction with charged particles. 

By: William Brown, scientist at the Resonance Science Foundation

How Constant are the Physical Constants of Nature?

Although the forces and physical constants of Nature have been measured and characterized to an astonishing level of precision, some big questions remain: what fundamental aspects of the universe give rise to the laws of Nature? Are the laws set from the beginning by some as-of-yet unidentified intrinsic and indelible relationship or mechanism, producing the seemingly fine-tuned physical parameters that give rise to organized matter and life? Are they immutable in time and space, or do they vary in...

^{By Amal Pushp, Affiliate Physicist at the Resonance Science Foundation} 

The fine structure constant, also called the Sommerfeld constant or electromagnetic coupling constant, is one of the fundamental physical constants that characterizes the strength of the electromagnetic interaction between charged atomic particles. The name of this constant was coined by physicist Arnold Sommerfeld who extended Bohr’s atomic model with the motivation of explaining the fine structure lines observed in the hydrogen spectra, which the previous models had failed to explain satisfactorily.   

Physical constants are generally of two types: one which has a proper unit associated with them and others that are dimensionless. The fine-structure constant is of the latter type, it is dimensionless and is represented by a number. Various probes have determined this number to be close to about 1/137.  

Physicists have estimated that the values of fundamental...

Image credit: Shutterstock

^{By Dr. Inés Urdaneta, Physicist at Resonance Science Foundation}

Many compact gravitational objects in the cosmos such as black holes, naked singularities, and wormholes, can only be detected by their shadows’ signatures. Distinguishing their different natures through their shadows is a difficult task because many times their shadows are very similar. Therefore, we can’t rely exclusively on this information to discern unambiguously the specific spacetime geometries from the objects.

For instance, the radio images obtained from the Event Horizon Telescope to directly observe the accretion disks of the supermassive black holes in the galactic centers, are hard to interpret since the information about their gravitational field is coupled non-linearly to the magneto-hydrodynamics of the system.

The main feature analyzed in such images, is their intensity profile. An interesting approach to constrain further the space time geometry, is to...

^{CREDIT: SEAN KELLEY/NIST} 

^{By Amal Pushp, Affiliate Physicist at the Resonance Science Foundation} 

Neutrons form a major component of baryonic matter. Except for hydrogen, neutrons are present in the central region (nucleus) of the atoms of all elements. Although they are electrically neutral, they are very crucial for the determination of atomic structure and its composition. One of the key reasons why they are influential is due to the fact that they can penetrate materials that optical radiations like X-rays usually cannot. 

The de Broglie hypothesis of quantum theory tells us that elementary particles can possess dual characteristics, wave and particle, depending on the situation. Just like the electrons, the wave characteristics of neutrons can also be employed to study materials and one of the major advantages in this regard is that the wavelength can be turned extremely small which in turn results in a high-resolution image of the sample under study. This...