NASA’s Lucy spacecraft discovered that asteroid Donaldjohanson is a wobbling, peanut-shaped relic born from a violent collision and slowly reshaped by the subtle force of sunlight。 It also carries traces of ancient water, making it an important clue to the solar system’s mysterious past
A groundbreaking superconducting X-ray spectrometer has begun operation at BESSY II, giving Europe its first TES-based system and boosting photon detection efficiency by up to 1,000 times。 The advance enables scientists to explore atomically thin materials, nanostructures, and ultra-dilute samples with remarkable speed and sensitivity
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that fireworks can pollute both the air and water in ways that extend beyond the visible smoke。 The findings show that leftover debris, fine particles, and airborne chemicals may affect ecosystems and increase people's exposure to air pollution during major celebrations
What if consciousness isn’t limited to brains like ours。 Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness could arise in many different forms of life, even in beings built from radically different materials than those found on Earth。 Drawing on the vastness of the universe and the likely existence of countless alien civiliza
A centimeter-sized crystal has revealed clear signs of quantum entanglement, showing that large, everyday objects can display surprisingly deep quantum behavior。 The discovery could help solve the mystery of strange metals while opening new possibilities for ultra-precise quantum sensors and other advanced technologies
Scientists have rewritten the story of gallium after discovering that its unusual atomic bonds re-form at high temperatures, contradicting decades of accepted theory。 The finding changes how researchers explain why the metal melts so easily and behaves unlike almost any other metal。 Beyond solving a long-standing scientific mystery, the work could
A decades-old puzzle about water has finally been unraveled。 Researchers found that water trapped in tiny nanoscale spaces is not inherently more reactive。 Instead, the intense pressures created inside these microscopic gaps explain most of the effect, while the surrounding material can further enhance water's chemistry if it interacts with the rea
A new quantum device can generate precisely controlled bursts of sound-like particles, or phonons, by forcing electrons through an ultra-thin crystal at extremely low temperatures。 The surprising behavior pushes beyond the limits predicted by current theories, suggesting scientists need to rethink how energy moves through advanced materials。 In the
Researchers have created quantum control techniques that can make a system appear to run backward in time。 By precisely managing quantum measurements, they can reshape the system's arrow of time and even harvest energy from the measurement process itself。 The breakthrough could lead to more powerful quantum computers, quantum batteries, and other a
NASA is marking the United States' 250th birthday with four striking red, white, and blue images of deep space from the Chandra X-ray Observatory。 The collection features an exploded star, a stellar nursery, a galaxy where stars are rapidly forming, and a galaxy cluster that provides evidence for dark matter
Scientists have combined machine learning with quantum physics to discover two new superconductors and create a much faster way to search for many more。 The technique could bring researchers significantly closer to the long-sought goal of a room-temperature superconductor
A strange "chirping" signal from a distant supernova has revealed the birth of a magnetar, confirming that these incredibly magnetic neutron stars can power the universe's brightest stellar explosions。 The discovery also marks the first time Einstein's general relativity has been used to explain the mechanics of a supernova
VW's plan calls for half as many models but didn't mention closures or job cuts