stackyFACTSIf you want to know a molecule's shape, turn it into a rock and hit it with high-energy rays. X-ray crystallography measures how radiation scatters off a crystal lattice, calculating the atomic structure from the resulting shadow puppet show. It is the exact technique that spoiled the secret shape of DNA.
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Instead of looking at things, scientists built a microscopic record player needle to literally drag across molecules. As the tip grazes the surface, a laser…
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Mother nature abhors a vacuum, but scientists love a good empty box. Vacuum chambers aggressively suck out every single gas molecule to create an environment…
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Trusting human senses around radiation is a fantastic way to glow in the dark, so we wear paranoid jewelry instead. Dosimeters measure cumulative exposure to…
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Your aggressively beating heart is essentially a sloppy, wet electrical generator, and these sticky little pads are just eavesdropping on the minute voltage…
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Staring at the stars is useless if the stars are hidden behind thick clouds of cosmic dust. Radio telescopes ignore visible light entirely, catching faint…
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When a star explodes or a nuclear bomb detonates, it screams in a frequency that can rip apart DNA. Gamma ray detectors use dense crystals or semiconductors…
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