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 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
A newly developed material can control and "program" heat, allowing it to direct thermal radiation, switch modes, and remember its settings without continuous power。 The innovation could lead to smarter infrared sensors, better energy technologies, and memory devices that use light and heat instead of electrical charges
Researchers have created an AI-based simulation that makes it much faster to model how neutron star mergers produce many of the universe's heaviest elements。 The new tool could improve predictions of these powerful explosions while helping scientists better connect observations in space with experiments on Earth
Preclinical trial is testing the feasibility of humanoid robots in surgery
What if time doesn't actually exist until something changes。 Scientists at the University of Birmingham created a tiny "mini universe" using 24,000 ultracold atoms and showed that the flow of time can emerge naturally from changes inside a quantum system, without relying on any external clock
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
Celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary, NASA released a stunning Hubble portrait of Messier 3, an ancient globular cluster with more than 500,000 stars。 The remarkable cluster is helping scientists unravel the Milky Way's past thanks to its rare stars and possible origins in a long ago cosmic merger
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
A major breakthrough in quantum technology has turned magnons, tiny magnetic waves once considered too short-lived for practical use, into promising carriers of quantum information。 Researchers extended their lifetime by nearly 100 times, reaching up to 18 microseconds, and discovered that the main limitation is not a law of physics but the purity
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
Six years in prison for man who "sold out the very victims he was hired to represent
Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth。 They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism could have unpredictable effects on Earth's ecosystems。 By using robotic handling systems on the Moon, researchers hope to eliminate the risk of accident
A new quantum theory bridges two rival models of how impurities behave inside many-particle systems, resolving a problem that has challenged physicists for decades。 The findings could reshape experiments on ultracold atoms, semiconductors, and other exotic forms of quantum matter
Astronomers may have witnessed one of the rarest and most dramatic cosmic events ever seen: a long-sought intermediate-mass black hole ripping apart a dense white dwarf star and devouring it。 The Einstein Probe space telescope caught the explosion in its earliest moments, revealing an unusual sequence of intense X-ray flashes unlike anything seen i
Researchers solved the mystery of how soft lithium dendrites crack the hard ceramic inside solid-state batteries, triggering short circuits。 The breakthrough could help engineers build safer, longer-lasting batteries for smartphones, electric vehicles, and other electronics