A new particle detector called PLATON could replace millions of tiny detector components with a single block of light-producing material。 Using a light-field camera, highly sensitive photon sensors, and AI, it reconstructs particle paths in fast, detailed 3D。 Simulations suggest it could match or surpass today’s best detectors while being far easie
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
China’s Tianwen-1 orbiter captured a faint but remarkable view of 3I/ATLAS as the interstellar comet raced past Mars。 The images reveal its tail and glowing coma, offering scientists a glimpse of material born beyond our solar system
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
Four nearby white dwarf stars have been discovered hiding in plain sight beside brighter red dwarf companions。 Hubble's ultraviolet observations finally revealed the long-hidden stellar remnants, including one just 25 light-years away that took nearly three decades to confirm。 The findings match long-standing predictions and suggest our corner of t
I cranked Apple’s iOS 27 beta to maximum transparency on my iPhone and enjoyed every warped second
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
A catastrophic asteroid breakup may have triggered a huge wave of impacts across the inner solar system about 800 million years ago。 The debris was launched from near a gravitational gateway controlled by Jupiter, sending fragments toward Earth, the Moon, and Mars。 The bombardment may explain ancient lunar craters and could have contributed to majo
A new theoretical study offers a possible explanation for how the Universe can grow more complex without violating the second law of thermodynamics。 Using a quantum gravity framework called Gravity from Entropy, mathematician Ginestra Bianconi found that the Universe’s total entropy may rise as space expands, even while entropy within each unit of
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
A new book claims AI has been built on a flawed assumption dating back to Alan Turing's famous 1950 paper。 Denning argues that the most important parts of human intelligence, including common sense, intuition, culture, and practical know-how, cannot be encoded into computers。 He believes this makes true human-level AI impossible, regardless of how
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details about the blistering lava planet 55 Cancri e, where temperatures are high enough to melt rock。 The data indicate the planet likely has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere shaped by gases escaping from its molten interior, with signs that volcanic outgassing may even create temporary clouds
NASA is ramping up its lunar ambitions by awarding nearly $600 million for four commercial Moon landings planned for late 2028。 Each mission will carry the same trio of science instruments to improve lunar navigation, study dangerous dust kicked up during landings, and map the Moon's radiation environment。 The agency also revealed plans for new rov