A new theoretical study offers a possible explanation for how the Universe can grow more complex without violating the second law of thermodynamics。 Using a quantum gravity framework called Gravity from Entropy, mathematician Ginestra Bianconi found that the Universe’s total entropy may rise as space expands, even while entropy within each unit of
Scientists have created an “electron lighthouse” that uses laser light to launch and steer electrons through a semiconductor without an applied electrical field。 The quantum effect could eventually improve optical sensors, communications, imaging, and information storage
A newly discovered turning point in the Sun’s 11-year cycle could allow scientists to predict future solar activity years earlier than before。 At this “switch-off” point, the most violent space weather abruptly ends, and the remaining number of sunspots offers clues about the next cycle’s strength。 Early projections suggest Solar Cycle 26 may be mo
Scientists have created a programmable optical chip that can slow light on demand, giving engineers far greater control over how optical signals propagate through a circuit。 The technology could provide the delays, synchronization, and buffering functions needed to make light-based computing more practical。 A single chip could eventually perform se
Popular AI-powered food apps may make calorie counting easier, but they may also leave out a surprisingly large part of the meal。 Four apps underestimated calories and fat by about one-third when tested against carefully prepared meals。 High-fat ketogenic dishes appeared to cause the most trouble, while carbohydrates were measured more consistently
Scientists are testing two promising ways to destroy PFAS, the stubborn “forever chemicals” that can accumulate in water and resist normal treatment。 One method uses collapsing vapor bubbles to generate extreme heat and reactive molecules, while the other uses cold plasma and rising gas bubbles to pull PFAS to the surface and break them apart
China’s Chang’e-6 samples have uncovered a surprising difference between the Moon’s two hemispheres。 Solar wind particles penetrated deeper into the far-side soil because Earth’s magnetosphere slows the particles that reach the near side。 Noble gases locked inside the lunar regolith preserved evidence of this uneven bombardment
A catastrophic asteroid breakup may have triggered a huge wave of impacts across the inner solar system about 800 million years ago。 The debris was launched from near a gravitational gateway controlled by Jupiter, sending fragments toward Earth, the Moon, and Mars。 The bombardment may explain ancient lunar craters and could have contributed to majo
Cosmic expansion allows distant galaxies to move away faster than light, while still letting us see ancient light they emitted when they were much closer。 Eventually, accelerating expansion will push nearly every galaxy beyond our Local Group out of sight, making the Universe appear almost empty
Researchers discovered a proton-assisted mechanism that greatly improves how triplet energy moves between quantum dots and nearby molecules。 The proton briefly shifts position, helps coordinate electron movement, and then returns to where it started。 This quantum-driven shuttle could offer a powerful new way to tune solar cells, lasers, and catalyt
A giant planet had been hiding inside one of astronomy’s most closely studied planetary systems, concealed by a bright disk of cosmic dust。 Webb revealed Beta Pictoris d through atmospheric traces of carbon monoxide, water vapor, and methane, showcasing a promising new method for finding elusive exoplanets
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft aced its Mars flyby, using the planet’s gravity to speed toward its 2029 encounter with a metal-rich asteroid。 The spacecraft tested its cameras, magnetometer, and particle-detecting instruments, capturing unusual views of Mars and measuring its magnetic environment。 It also detected neutrons from the planet and spotted the
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that Venus may still be tearing itself apart from within。 Advanced 3D simulations indicate that some of the planet's giant rift valleys formed relatively recently and could still be expanding。 The results suggest Venus has a far more active interior than researchers once believed, challenging the long-held vie
Wavelength and intensity in the infrared are translated into colors in the visible
Europa’s hidden ocean has made the icy moon one of the solar system’s most promising places to search for habitable conditions。 Scientists have hoped that water from this deep ocean might rise through cracks and form shallow reservoirs that future spacecraft could more easily study。 New simulations suggest that journey is unlikely because turbulent
Rice University chemists have found a new way to make neodymium, a rare-earth metal, interact with oxygen。 Using a specially designed molecular structure described as a “basket,” the team positioned the atoms so they could form a bond once thought unlikely。 The breakthrough produced highly reactive compounds that could eventually give chemists alte