ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Scientists model Saturn's interior, explain planet's unique magnetic field
• 'Oddball supernova' appears strangely cool before exploding
• Thin, large-area device converts infrared light into images
• New algorithm uses a hologram to control trapped ions
• Loan applications processed around midday more likely to be rejected
• Swarm of photons can somersault in lockstep
• Citrus derivative makes transparent wood 100 percent renewable
• Cellphone converts into powerful chemical detector
• Study sequences genome of extinct date palms germinated from 2,000 year-old seeds

Scientists model Saturn's interior, explain planet's unique magnetic field Posted: 05 May 2021 10:05 AM PDT New simulations offer an intriguing look into Saturn's interior, suggesting that a thick layer of helium rain influences the planet's magnetic field.

'Oddball supernova' appears strangely cool before exploding Posted: 05 May 2021 06:44 AM PDT Astronomers examined a massive star two-and-a-half years before it exploded into a supernova. At the end of their lives, cool, yellow stars are typically shrouded in hydrogen, which conceals the star's hot, blue interior. But this yellow star, located 35 million light-years from Earth in the Virgo galaxy cluster, was mysteriously lacking this crucial hydrogen layer at the time of its explosion.

Thin, large-area device converts infrared light into images Posted: 05 May 2021 06:44 AM PDT An infrared imager developed by engineers could be used to see through smog and fog; easily locate blood vessels on a patient; and see through silicon wafers to inspect the quality of electronic boards. It is also slim, compact and less costly to fabricate than similar technologies.

New algorithm uses a hologram to control trapped ions Posted: 05 May 2021 04:50 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the most precise way to control individual ions using holographic optical engineering technology.

Loan applications processed around midday more likely to be rejected Posted: 04 May 2021 04:16 PM PDT Bank credit officers are more likely to approve loan applications earlier and later in the day, while 'decision fatigue' around midday is associated with defaulting to the safer option of saying no, according to a new study.

Swarm of photons can somersault in lockstep Posted: 04 May 2021 04:15 PM PDT Scientists demonstrate the surprising result that photons in vacuum can have orbital angular momentum (OAM) vectors pointing sideways, at 90 degrees to the direction of propagation - a result literally orthogonal to the decades-long expectation that OAM vectors could only point forward or backward.

Citrus derivative makes transparent wood 100 percent renewable Posted: 04 May 2021 12:45 PM PDT Five years after introducing see-through wood building material, researchers have taken it to another level. They found a way to make their composite 100 percent renewable - and more translucent - by infusing wood with a clear bio-plastic made from citrus fruit.

Cellphone converts into powerful chemical detector Posted: 04 May 2021 08:25 AM PDT Scientists have developed an extension to an ordinary cellphone that makes it capable of detecting chemicals, drugs, biological molecules, and pathogens. The development is based on fluorescence spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy and uses the high-quality cameras found in modern cellphones. An inexpensive diode laser is used as a light source, oriented at right angles to the line connecting the sample and the camera.

Study sequences genome of extinct date palms germinated from 2,000 year-old seeds Posted: 03 May 2021 12:16 PM PDT Researchers from NYU Abu Dhabi's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology have successfully sequenced the genome of previously extinct date palm varieties that lived more than 2,000 years ago.

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