This artist’s concept shows the Milky Way and MACS 2129-1 side by side. MACS 2129-1 is only half the Milky Way’s size, but it’s three times as massive as our home galaxy. (Credit: NASA/ESA/Z.Levy/STScl)
Objects in the distant universe appear small and difficult to see – unless they’re sitting behind a cosmic magnifying glass.
That’s exactly the case for MACS 2129-1, a galaxy lensed by a massive foreground galaxy cluster. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, ast ...read more
Photo: flickr/Dallas Krentzel
Is there such a thing as an ugly penis? How about a pretty one? These researchers set out to determine what features are most important for a “good-looking” dong (with a specific application to men who had surgery to correct a penile birth defect). To do so, they had over 100 women rate photos of normal and surgically corrected penises, as well as complete a survey about which features of penile appearance were most important to them. The res ...read more
Various bird eggs on display at Natura Docet Wonderryck Twente in The Netherlands. (Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock)
When something is described as egg-shaped, the ubiquitous hen’s egg typically comes to mind. But for birds, eggs come in myriad shapes: owl eggs look like ping-pong balls, hummingbird eggs are shaped like jelly beans, swift eggs are pointed at one end like a pear.
So what’s the reason?
Biologists have been asking that question for quite some time, and their hypotheses ar ...read more
A close-up of moth’s eyes from order Lepidoptera. (Credit: Muhammad Naaim)
Moth eyes and lotus leaves may be important to the future of touch screens.
Researchers from the University of Central Florida and National Taiwan University designed an anti-reflective coating that was inspired by moth eyes. The coating reflects about 10 times less light than the best anti-glare technique in commercial use.
Optical Properties
The ability to see your phone’s display is a competition between ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
