Using the Keck Observatory, astronomers measured the spins of dozens of giant planets and brown dwarfs orbiting distant stars。 They found that giant planets can spin faster than much more massive brown dwarfs, challenging simple assumptions about mass and rotation。 The results suggest that magnetic fields and formation processes play a major role i
Oxford physicists have created an entirely new type of Schrödinger’s cat-like quantum state using components that are themselves highly quantum in nature。 The advance could open new possibilities for more resilient quantum computers and deeper insights into the strange rules that govern the quantum universe
Scientists discovered that rice behaves in a highly unusual way: it weakens under rapid compression but stays stronger when pressure is applied slowly。 Using this effect, they engineered a new material that reacts differently to gentle movements and sudden impacts。 The material can adapt its stiffness automatically, opening the door to safer soft r
It's "an exciting advance in efforts to restock the antibiotic arsenal
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
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
Astronomers studying the rare supernova SN 2021yfj discovered material from one of the deepest layers of a dying star, providing a rare look at its hidden interior。 The finding confirms key theories about how massive stars forge the elements that help build planets, worlds, and life
Researchers discovered that hydrogen radicals generated by intense UV light can break down stubborn PFAS “forever chemicals” without added chemicals。 The breakthrough reveals a key mechanism that could lead to greener and more effective technologies for permanently destroying these pollutants
A clever nanoscale redesign may have solved one of superconductivity’s biggest problems。 Researchers in Sweden discovered that by subtly sculpting the surface beneath an ultrathin superconducting material, they could make it stay superconducting at higher temperatures and under much stronger magnetic fields
Two newly confirmed "super-puff" planets are so diffuse that they are less dense than cotton candy, despite being about the size of Jupiter。 Their rare orbital relationship and enormous, lightweight atmospheres could provide valuable clues about how some of the strangest planets in the galaxy come to exist
A rare meteorite has revealed evidence of a massive lost world that once orbited the young Sun before being destroyed in a catastrophic collision。 The discovery suggests some early planets formed from dramatically different materials than Earth and Mars, rewriting part of the solar system’s origin story
A distant galaxy nicknamed Shadow Blaster may have revealed a surprising source of cosmic neutrinos: extreme star formation instead of a supermassive black hole。 The discovery suggests that hidden, dust-filled starburst galaxies could account for a significant fraction of the Universe’s high-energy neutrinos