Lifeboat Foundation

The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) has just thrown a spark into the fusion energy race. In a series of experiments, scientists at LLE pioneered a revolutionary “spark plug” for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) methods. This development could be vital to unlocking the future of clean and abundant energy.

The LLE is home to the large OMEGA laser system. They conducted experiments that fired 28 kilojoules of laser energy at small capsules filled with deuterium and tritium fuel. The result? Capsules implode, creating a plasma hot enough to kickstart fusion reactions between the fuel nuclei.

The existence and physical properties of topological excitations in ferroelectrics, especially mobile topological boundaries in one dimension, are of profound interest. Notably, topological excitations emerging in association with the neutral–ionic (NI) phase transition are theoretically suggested to carry fractional charges and cause anomalous charge transport. In recent years, we experimentally demonstrated mobile topological excitations in a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) ferroelectric, tetrathiafulvalene-p-chloranil[TTF-CA; TTF (C6H4S4) and CA (C6Cl4O2)], which shows the NI transition, using NMR, NQR, and electrical resistivity measurements. Thermally activated topological excitations carry charges and spins in the NI crossover region and in the ionic phase with a dimer liquid.

Research lab submits plans for next-generation model at least three times size of Large Hadron Collider.

The low amount of bacteria from the gut microbiota able to process bilirubin, a product of heme degradation, during the neonatal period of life suggests a strong connection between the microbiome composition and development of jaundice in infants. In other words, the lack of certain bacteria in the gut of infants seems to be linked to the risk of developing jaundice.

We live in a world dominated by science, but most people don’t understand its most essential characteristic: establishing standards of evidence to keep us from getting fooled by our own biases and opinions.

A prehistoric structure reminiscent of England’s iconic Stonehenge has been uncovered in Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan on the western shore of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

The findings were found by Dr. Mark Holley, a distinguished professor of underwater archaeology at Northwestern Michigan University.

The picturesque waters of Grand Traverse Bay have long-held maritime history, with dozens of known shipwrecks attesting to the area’s bustling 19th and 20th-century maritime trade routes. Under its serene surface, secrets of a different kind have emerged, capturing the attention of archaeologists and historians.

In Ecuador, Satanas the tarantula—named for his feisty attitude—became both teacher and friend to researchers.

When we look at the night sky, we may see junk instead of stars.

For decades, most people have believed that genes are the blueprint for life — but that perception, a pair of experts argue, falls short.