Male pufferfish embrace their inner artist when trying to catch the eye of a female pufferfish. Off the coast of Japan, males of the species create “fantastical” geometric circular patterns on the seafloor to attract a mate. The pufferfish uses his tail, fins, and body to create the patterns by swimming in circles, and then he adds peaks and valleys by swimming across radially. Shells and coral fragments serve as the finishing touches, dotting the peaks of the pattern. Read full article here
Science
‘Ghostly’ neutrinos provide new path to study protons
In groundbreaking research, an international collaboration of scientists from the University of Rochester have used a beam of neutrinos to measure the size and shape of the protons that make up the nuclei of atoms. This feat, once thought impossible, provides scientists with a new way of looking at the small components of an atom’s nucleus and opens up a wealth of new information about the structure of an atom’s nucleus and the dynamics of the forces that affect neutrino interactions. The researchers solved the challenge of harnessing neutrinos in large numbers by using a neutrino detector containing a target of both hydrogen and carbon atoms, and over nine years of data collection at Fermilab’s accelerator. Read full article here
Merv
March 25, 2023
