NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is about to pull off a dramatic close flyby of Mars, skimming just 2,800 miles above the planet to get a powerful gravitational boost on its journey to the mysterious metal-rich asteroid Psyche。 The maneuver will save propellant while giving mission scientists a rare chance to test and calibrate the spacecraft’s instruments
Cumberland, B。 is reimagining its coal mining past as a clean energy opportunity。 Water trapped in abandoned mine tunnels could be used in a geothermal system to heat and cool buildings efficiently and with minimal emissions
Dante’s Inferno may have been far more than a religious epic。 New research argues that the 14th-century poet essentially imagined a catastrophic asteroid impact centuries before modern science understood meteors。 In this interpretation, Satan crashes into Earth like a giant cosmic object, blasting through the Southern Hemisphere and reshaping the p
Physicists may have just cracked open a hidden side of the quantum world。 For decades, every known particle was thought to belong to one of two categories — bosons or fermions — but researchers have now shown that bizarre “in-between” particles called anyons could also exist in a one-dimensional system。 Even more exciting, these strange particles m
A powerful new electromagnetic thruster has taken a major step forward after a successful high-energy test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory。 Fueled by lithium vapor and driven by intense magnetic forces, the experimental engine reached record-breaking power levels—far beyond anything currently used in space。 Glowing hotter than molten lava and f
Scientists in Germany have pulled off a staggering computing feat by fully simulating a 50-qubit quantum computer for the first time ever using Europe’s new exascale supercomputer, JUPITER。 The breakthrough shatters the previous 48-qubit record and highlights just how powerful next-generation supercomputers have become
Scientists have taken a major step toward ultra-secure quantum communication by demonstrating a remarkably stable quantum encryption system that worked across more than 120 kilometers of optical fiber。 Using tiny semiconductor quantum dots that emit single particles of light on demand, the team achieved one of the highest secure key rates yet for t
Scientists may have found a powerful new way to hunt for alien life — not by searching for specific molecules, but by looking for hidden patterns in how those molecules are organized。 Researchers discovered that living systems leave behind a kind of chemical “fingerprint” in the statistical distribution of amino acids and fatty acids, one that cons
Creating complex molecules usually requires years of experience and countless decisions, but a new AI system is changing that。 Synthegy lets chemists guide synthesis and reaction planning using simple language, while powerful algorithms generate and evaluate possible solutions。 The AI doesn’t just compute—it reasons, scoring pathways and explaining
A mysterious comet from beyond our solar system is giving astronomers a rare glimpse into alien worlds — and it may have formed in a place far colder and stranger than anything around our Sun。 The interstellar visitor, called 3I/ATLAS, contains an astonishingly high amount of “heavy water,” far exceeding anything seen in our own solar system
The little pauses, “ums,” and moments when you struggle to find the right word may reveal far more about your brain than anyone realized。 Researchers discovered that everyday speech patterns are closely tied to executive function — the mental system that powers memory, planning, focus, and flexible thinking。 By using AI to analyze natural conversat
A major obstacle may be standing in the way of the next generation of ultra-tiny computer chips。 Researchers discovered that many promising 2D materials lose their advantages because an invisible atomic-scale gap forms when they are combined with insulating layers。 That tiny gap weakens electronic performance and could prevent further miniaturizati
A team at the University of Hong Kong has developed a new “super steel” that can survive the harsh conditions needed to make green hydrogen from seawater。 The material uses an unexpected double-protection mechanism that resists corrosion far better than conventional stainless steel。 Even more impressive, it could replace costly titanium parts used