Scientists found that transfer learning can make the search for new physics in the universe much faster, slashing the need for expensive simulations。 Yet the approach can backfire when AI relies too heavily on familiar patterns, potentially missing evidence of something truly new
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
Scientists have developed an artificial photosynthesis system that essentially regulates itself, eliminating the need for batteries used in many current designs。 The key innovation is an electrolyzer that automatically adapts to changing sunlight by altering its electrical properties as it heats up。 This keeps solar fuel production more stable whil
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
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered unusual chemistry in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, including the first direct detection of methane on a visitor from another star system。 The comet also contains exceptionally high levels of carbon dioxide, making it unlike most comets born in our solar system。 Scientists believe the methane was hidden
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
Researchers have finally resolved a key problem in a 100-year-old theory of color, showing that the qualities we perceive in colors are intrinsic to the mathematics of color space itself。 The discovery sharpens our understanding of human vision and could lead to more precise color technologies and visualizations
Scientists have uncovered a surprising force that may help explain how binary star systems form so quickly。 New supercomputer simulations show that magnetic fields surrounding newborn stars can act like a cosmic brake, stripping away angular momentum and allowing two still-forming protostars to spiral closer together instead of drifting apart
The repurposing of Pokémon Go data for AI training continues to draw scrutiny
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
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 RIKEN have proposed a new way to make quantum systems synchronize in only one direction—like a one-way street for sound particles known as phonons。 The breakthrough combines two quantum effects to create a form of one-way quantum synchronization that remains surprisingly stable even when exposed to manufacturing flaws and environmenta
Scientists used nanoscale gold metamaterials to supercharge heat transfer across tiny gaps, achieving up to four times more energy flow than similar conventional systems。 The breakthrough could lead to better chip cooling, more efficient energy technologies, and a new era of precision heat engineering
Astronomers have finally cracked the mystery behind a strange class of repeating cosmic signals that has baffled scientists for years。 Using Australia’s ASKAP radio telescope, researchers traced the bursts to a rare stellar duo in which a dense white dwarf is relentlessly siphoning material from a nearby red dwarf companion。 As the stolen matter sp