A team of mathematicians used whimsical "silly sprinklers" to solve a physics mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades。 Their experiments showed that the rotation of both normal and reverse sprinklers is driven by the momentum of flowing water, not by the outside water flow or other long-standing theories。 The results finally provide a clear
The Backrooms began as a single eerie image of empty yellow rooms, but internet users transformed it into a vast fictional world that feels disturbingly real。 Through videos, games, maps, survival guides and social media stories, audiences do more than watch the horror unfold。 They help build and explore it
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
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
A new AI-powered blood test could give people a remarkably early warning of serious heart and circulation problems。 Developed by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, CardiOmicScore analyzes thousands of proteins and metabolites to estimate the risk of six major cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and atria
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
The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was likely an exceptionally rare CO chondrite from a distant region of the solar system。 Its unusual chemistry suggests that planet-cooling dust and debris, rather than sulfur inside the asteroid, may have delivered the deadliest blow
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Researchers have created self-destructing living plastic that uses engineered bacteria to completely break itself down when activated。 The material degrades in just six days without creating microplastics, offering a potential new solution for single-use plastic waste
A new review highlights exciting progress in atomically thin quantum materials where light and magnetism work together in ways never before possible。 In these materials, light-generated excitons can interact directly with magnetic behavior, creating opportunities to control magnetic states using light alone。 Scientists believe this could pave the w
Sweden could become an important source of rare earth elements needed for magnets and green technologies。 Instead of extracting one target metal, researchers are cataloging everything contained in Swedish mineral deposits。 They will then develop magnets using those naturally available combinations, potentially reducing pollution, waste, and relianc
Astronomers have found the first confirmed atmosphere around a rocky planet in another star’s habitable zone。 The planet, LHS 1140 b, revealed its atmosphere through helium slowly leaking into space。 Located 48 light-years away, the world may have preserved its atmosphere for billions of years, making it a promising target in the search for potenti
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
A distant Sun-like star appears to have devoured one of its planets, leaving behind a surprising chemical fingerprint。 Researchers found an unusually high concentration of lithium, a strong sign that planetary material was mixed into the star。 Careful comparisons with dozens of similar stars confirmed the signal is highly unusual, and scientists th
JWST has captured unusually detailed images of gas feeding the supermassive black hole at the center of NGC 4696。 A vast filament appears to funnel material into an 800-light-year-wide spinning disk, where gas races around at up to 600 kilometers per second。 The findings suggest black holes may recycle their own fuel by heating gas with jets and la
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