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Comet Impacts Could Bring Ingredients for Life to Europa’s Ocean

“Comet strikes on Jupiter’s moon Europa could help transport critical ingredients for life found on the moon’s surface to its hidden ocean of liquid water — even if the impacts don’t punch completely through the moon’s icy …

Amateur Scientists Have Helped Astronomers Identify Nearly a Quarter-Million Galaxies

“Astronomers on a historically ambitious and massive galaxy-mapping mission have activated more than 10,000 amateur scientists in 85 countries to help in their quest. Now they hope to significantly scale up their volunteer force for a unique project that …

Brain-Powered Wheelchair Shows Real-World Promise

“In one of the first studies of its kind, several people with motor disabilities were able to operate a wheelchair that translates their thoughts into movement. The study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and published today …

New Quasiparticle Discovered In Moiré Patterns

“If you hold one wire mesh on top of another one and look through it, you’ll see a larger pattern called a moiré pattern formed by the overlapping grids of the two meshes, which depends on their relative twisted …

Can Robots and Humans Co-exist in Public? UT Campus Study Will Offer Answers

“Autonomous robots will soon rove the buildings and streets of The University of Texas at Austin campus. But unlike other commercial delivery services, this fleet of robots will help researchers understand and improve the experience of pedestrians who encounter them …

‘Smart Plastic’ Material is Step Forward Toward Soft, Flexible Robotics and Electronics

“Inspired by living things from trees to shellfish, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin set out to create a plastic much like many life forms that are hard and rigid in some places and soft and stretchy in …

Magnetic Field Helps Thick Battery Electrodes Tackle Electric Vehicle Challenges

“As electric vehicles grow in popularity, the spotlight shines more brightly on some of their remaining major issues. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are tackling two of the bigger challenges facing electric vehicles: limited range and slow …

Stars Shed Light on Why Stellar Populations Are So Similar in Milky Way

“Scientists have uncovered what sets the masses of stars, a mystery that has captivated astrophysicists for decades. Their answer? Stars, themselves. Using highly detailed simulations, a collaborative team led by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin has made …

How Electric Fish Were Able to Evolve Electric Organs

“Electric organs help electric fish, such as the electric eel, do all sorts of amazing things: They send and receive signals that are akin to bird songs, helping them to recognize other electric fish by species, sex and even individual …

Low-Cost Gel Film Can Pluck Drinking Water From Desert Air

“More than a third of the world’s population lives in drylands, areas that experience significant water shortages. Scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a solution that could help people in these areas access …