Illustration: Christine Daniloff/MIT

Parallelizing common algorithms

Researchers revamp a common “data structure” so that it will work with multicore chips. [caption id="attachment_2415" align="alignright" width="300"] Illustration: Christine Daniloff/MIT[/caption] CAMBRIDGE, Mass-- Every undergraduate computer-science major takes a course on data structures, which describes different…

Needle in a Haystack: Finding the Right Genes…

[caption id="attachment_2412" align="alignright" width="300"] Arabidopsis thaliana, a model flowering plant studied by biologists, has climate-sensitive genes whose expression was found to evolve. Courtesy of Penn State[/caption] Scientists using supercomputers found genes sensitive to cold and…

Hubble image of NGC 7714

The tell-tale signs of galactic merger

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured this striking view of spiral galaxy NGC 7714. This galaxy has drifted too close to another nearby galaxy and the dramatic interaction has twisted its spiral arms out…