When Mexican tetra fish moved into dark caves long ago, they evolved to deal with the dark by becoming albino…and going blind. And new research shows that the changes various cavefish populations went through occurred repeatedly--a massive, textbook example of convergent evolution. The study is in the journal BioMed Central Evolutionary Biology
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Feed SubscriptionPhoto Issue 2011: Dark Duel
"I loved the idea of a showdown between these two iconic characters, because while they fight on different sides they also share some remarkable similarities," said photographer JD Hancock. "The Dark Knight and the Dark Lord are both orphans who learned at the feet of the masters before embracing a fearful alternate identity and dedicating themselves to a relentless crusade against their enemies." ( "In The Messy NFC Battle, Consumers Are The Biggest Losers" ) Photo by JD Hancock See more of the best photos of 2011
Read More »New generation of superlattice cameras add more ‘color’ to night vision
Recent breakthroughs have enabled scientists from the Northwestern University's Center for Quantum Devices to build cameras that can see more than one optical waveband or "color" in the dark. The semiconducting material used in the cameras called type-II superlattices can be tuned to absorb a wide range of infrared wavelengths, and now, a number of distinct infrared bands at the same time.
Read More »Nature of universe is still a mystery to Nobel winners
They won the Nobel Prize for changing our understanding of the universe, but their discovery left an even larger mystery -- what is this dark energy that is propelling the universe to expand so fast?
Read More »World Science Festival: The Dark Side of the Universe [Live Stream]
For all we understand about the universe, 96 percent of what’s out there still has scientists in the dark. Astronomical observations have established that familiar matter--atoms--accounts for only 4 percent of the weight of the cosmos.
Read More »Pixel Qi’s Screens Are Now Ready To Change How You Use Computers
After years bubbling under the success radar, Pixel Qi has revealed a large high-resolution screen that works indoors and outdoors with equal ease. If it succeeds, it could change how and where you use computers
Read More »Scientists who use microwave heating in experiments can control it better now
(PhysOrg.com) -- For at least 20 years, organic chemists and materials scientists have used microwaves as an alternative energy source to activate materials and break chemical bonds. However, though microwaves are clearly useful, scientists have remained largely in the dark on exactly how they provide special heating properties.
Read More »Dark matter could provide heat for starless planets
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a resent paper posted at arXiv.org and submitted to Astrophysical Journal, Dan Hooper and Jason Steffen, physicists at Fermilab in Illinois, present the theory that cold and dark planets, not heated by a star, could be heated by dark matter.
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