shapeshifting

A change in shape to a particular structure of neurons was found to have a significant impact on obesity in rats. Researchers believe the finding will translate to humans and could help us fight our own middle-aged bulges one day.Researchers from Nagoya University, Osaka University and other institutions in Japan undertook the rodent study to try to see how the shape of neurons and the way they change with age might be related to obesity. They focused on a protein called melanocortin-4 (MC4R), which is a chemical…

Lying in a tent erected outside his house, Maulud Emhamed Sidi Bashir is listening to a small silver handheld radio. In the Sahrawi refugee camps near Tindouf in south-western Algeria, people often set up traditional tents like this on the doorsteps of newer buildings. The crackling electric guitar notes Bashir, 75, is listening to are a similar mix of traditional and modern. Many of the songs, his relatives say, are by a band called El Wali.It can take a while to figure out what, exactly, El Wali is. There is not much…

Last Updated: March 07, 2024, 10:04 ISTGovernment Gives Green Signal To Shape-Shifting L2-5 Vehicle Category. (Photo: Business Standard)Indian government greenlights innovative L2-5 vehicles, merging two and three-wheelers for adaptable transportation. Promoting sustainable mobility solutions.In a giant leap towards the future, the government of India has shown a thumbs up to a new concept of motor vehicles– “L2-5” that merges elements of two and three-wheelers.The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) released…

A study by CUNY ASRC researchers, using X-ray crystallography under different conditions, revealed various shapes of a disease-related protein, offering new avenues for drug development. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew crystallography experiments using high pressure and heat to reveal how proteins change shape could advance the development of novel drugs.Proteins do the heavy lifting of performing biochemical functions in our bodies by binding to metabolites or other proteins to complete tasks. To do this successfully,…

Two wheels, a motor, a seat, some handlebars and some footrests: put 'em in one arrangement, and you've got a sportsbike. In another, a cruiser. Or an adventure machine. Or a commuter. Why not a single, shape-shifting architecture that does it all?It's amazing just how much a motorcycle's geometry affects the riding experience. Change the wheelbase, the angle of the forks, or the center of gravity, and suddenly your bike steers in a totally different way. Move the handlebars up and back, and the character of the bike…

Shape-changing machines have long been a staple of science fiction—for good reason. Consider the power of the villainous killing machine in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. When the liquid-metal T-1000 arrives, the heroes quickly realize they have two big problems: First, their foe can morph, turning human-looking appendages into deadly blades. Second, blowing holes in the machine barely slows it down; it can heal itself! Self-healing machines are among us already. Of course, the reality doesn’t quite match up…

Researchers have developed a metallic gel that is highly electrically conductive and can be used to print three-dimensional (3D) solid objects at room temperature. Printed objects can be engineered to change shape as the gel dries; a phenomenon called ‘4D printing,’ with the fourth dimension being time. This image shows a metallic spider that was printed at room temperature using the metallic gel, and which assembled and solidified into its final 3D shape via 4D printing. Credit: Michael Dickey, NC State…

A shape-shifting robot swarm could make the trip to the Moon with future astronaut missions. The robot, which is called the Mori Modular Robot for Space, or Mori3, is a polygonal shape-shifting robot built by researchers at EPFL. It’s the first in the world of modular robotics, the creators claim, and it can change shape, move around, and even interact with people and objects. When separated, the Mori3 doesn’t look like much. However, when you create a swarm of these little modular robots, you’re able to turn…

Yesterday, apropos of nothing, Bleeding Cool looked at the shape-shifting powers of Ms Marvel, and how she had stopped using them.Published Tue, 30 May 2023 10:57:11 -0500 by Rich Johnston | Last updated Tue, 30 May 2023 10:57:36 -0500 | Yesterday, apropos of nothing, Bleeding Cool looked at the shape-shifting powers of Ms Marvel, and how she had stopped using them mostly, as she discovered that when she shape-shifted, any injuries her body had received no longer healed while she was in a different shape, and put a…

In the Marvel comic books, as opposed to the television series, Ms Marvel is known for her power of embiggening, stretching her body and changing its size.In the Marvel comic books, as opposed to the television series, Ms Marvel is known for her power of embiggening, stretching her body and changing its size. But there was another ability, that of proper shape-shifting and it was the first power she exhibited after undergoing the Inhuman process of Terrigenesis, courtesy of her genetic bloodline. Emerging from the cocoon,…