Molten magma erupted onto the seafloor freezes to glass that contains clues to its origin in Earth’s deep interior and ancient past (field of view ~1 cm). Volcanic glasses like this one may reveal a link between Earth’s oxidation state and the deep carbon cycle.

Credit: Glenn Macpherson and Tim Gooding

Source: Scientists uncover relationship between lavas erupting on sea floor and deep-carbon cycle (Phys.org)

Start of penetration of alpha-synuclein to the membrane. Yellow is initial position; red is on the first stage of molecular dynamics simulations. Water molecules not shown.

Credit: Igor Tsigelny, San Diego Supercomputer Center, UC San Diego.

Source (UC San Diego News Center)

A lattice composed of columns of squares that represent repeating molecular structures, one rotated clockwise (colored blue) and another counterclockwise (colored orange) with respect to each other. (…) Such new symmetries also arise in helical structures such as DNA, proteins, and sugar crystals. These new symmetries lead to the prediction of new properties of these crystals that relate to these rotations, called “roto properties.” Applications range from the discovery of materials that allow electrical control of magnetism to new insights into well-known crystals such as quartz and organic crystals.

Credit: Penn State University, Gopalan lab, Ryan Haislmaier.

Source: Search for Advanced Materials Aided by Discovery of Hidden Symmetries in Nature, Penn State SCIENCE.

Reference ranges for blood tests, sorted by mass concentration.

High-res (6,798 × 977 pixels)

Via Wikimedia Commons