The mysterious Amaterasu particle may not be a proton at all。 New research suggests that some of the most extreme cosmic rays could be ultraheavy atomic nuclei, heavier than iron, which are better able to retain their energy while traveling through space。 This idea could help explain how these rare particles reach Earth and provide new clues about
June's night sky delivers several must-see events, starting with a close encounter between Venus and Jupiter after sunset。 Mercury joins the pair to form a rare three-planet lineup, while the Moon puts on a special show by passing in front of Venus for viewers in parts of the Americas。 The month also marks the start of astronomical summer and the r
Scientists have proposed a new method for finding tightly bound supermassive black hole pairs by searching for stars that flash repeatedly as their light is magnified by the black holes’ gravity。 The timing and brightness of these bursts could provide a unique fingerprint of black holes slowly spiraling toward a future collision
A stunning spiral galaxy called Messier 88 is racing through the crowded Virgo Cluster on a journey that will dramatically reshape its future。 At its heart lies a supermassive black hole about 100 million times the mass of the Sun, while its graceful spiral arms sparkle with young star clusters and dark clouds of dust。 But as M88 plunges deeper int
Scientists have successfully tested an AI-designed universal coronavirus vaccine in humans for the first time, finding it to be safe and well tolerated。 The vaccine generated immune responses against multiple coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS, and related bat viruses with pandemic potential。 By targeting features shared across an entire vir
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong have created a remarkable new type of brain-inspired chip that can function just above absolute zero, one of the coldest environments imaginable。 By using a standard silicon carbide transistor in a completely new way, the team made a single device behave like an energy-efficient neuron, firing electrical “s
Scientists have uncovered unexpected quantum complexity inside cobalt, a metal long thought to be fully understood。 Advanced measurements revealed a dense network of topological electronic states that remain robust at room temperature。 These states enable extremely fast electron behavior and can be switched or controlled using magnetism
A breakthrough hydrogen-production method could make clean fuel far cheaper and easier to generate。 Researchers at the University of Birmingham developed a perovskite-based catalyst that splits water into hydrogen at much lower temperatures than existing technologies, potentially allowing factories, steel plants, cement works, and renewable energy
A new nature-inspired membrane uses perfectly uniform one-nanometer pores to filter molecules with remarkable precision。 The technology could transform industries such as pharmaceuticals and textiles by reducing energy consumption, improving water reuse, and delivering separation performance far beyond current filters
NASA’s futuristic X-59 jet is about to face its biggest challenge yet: breaking the sound barrier for the first time。 After a successful series of test flights that pushed the aircraft to near-supersonic speeds, engineers are preparing to fly it faster than Mach 1 and eventually up to Mach 1。6 at 60,000 feet
The repurposing of Pokémon Go data for AI training continues to draw scrutiny
A long-overlooked organ may hold surprising clues to healthy aging and cancer survival。 Researchers at Mass General Brigham used AI to analyze CT scans from tens of thousands of adults and found that people with healthier thymuses—a small immune-system organ once thought to become largely irrelevant after childhood—lived longer and had substantiall
JWST has revealed dramatic differences between the dawn and dusk regions of the scorching exoplanet WASP-121 b。 Fierce winds appear to carry heat from the planet’s permanent dayside, making the evening side hotter and more expanded。 Scientists also found signs that water is being broken apart by extreme temperatures and that mysterious mineral clou
Astronomers have spent years searching for a possible hidden giant planet far beyond Neptune。 Unusual orbits among distant Kuiper Belt objects have fueled the Planet Nine theory, but recent discoveries are challenging the idea by showing more stable motion than expected。 If Planet Nine exists, it may be much farther away than originally thought