This mysterious particle may be proof that black holes can explode
In 2023, physicists detected something that should not have existed: a single subatomic particle called a neutrino carrying an almost unimaginable amount of energy.
This...
How microbes on rock surfaces control groundwater chemistry
Far below the Earth’s surface, deep inside cracks and pores in solid rock, vast communities of microorganisms are quietly at work.
These microscopic organisms are...
Scientists achieve near-perfect light transmission on silicon chips
Optical fiber quietly powers much of the modern world.
It carries internet traffic across oceans and cities with astonishing efficiency, letting light travel kilometers with...
This 4D-printed smart skin can transform its shape and reveal hidden images
Most synthetic materials are made to do just one or two things. Once they are created, their properties rarely change.
A research team at Penn...
Safer plastics ahead: Scientists make polyurethane without toxic chemicals
Polyurethane is one of the most widely used plastics in the world.
It appears in everything from furniture foam and insulation to coatings, adhesives, and...
Why one of Earth’s most common ocean bacteria is surprisingly fragile
One of the most abundant living organisms on Earth may also be one of the most vulnerable.
A group of ocean bacteria known as SAR11,...
This nickel catalyst could change how drugs and materials are made
Chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new class of nickel catalysts that could significantly change how important chemicals are made.
The...
Sponge-like gold shows powerful new light and electron effects
Gold is best known for its shine and value, but in modern science it is also an important high-tech material.
New research shows that by...
Webb Telescope spots rare five-galaxy merger just 800 million years after the big bang
Astronomers have spotted an unexpected and dramatic event in the early universe: a tightly packed collision involving at least five galaxies just 800 million...
Think bottled water is cleaner? It may contain more microplastics than the tap
Many people choose bottled water believing it is cleaner and safer than tap water. But new research suggests that this assumption may not always...
430,000-year-old wooden tools found in Greece rewrite early human history
Archaeologists have uncovered the earliest known hand-held wooden tools ever used by humans, and the discovery is changing what we know about early technology.
Found...
What an ancient jellyfish can teach us about the evolution of sleep
An upside-down jellyfish drifts in a shallow lagoon, rhythmically contracting its translucent bell.
By night that beat drops from roughly 36 pulses a minute to...
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How extreme conditions on Mars could support life
Many people might think that the search for life on Mars ended when NASA's first rovers sent back images of the planet's barren, harsh...
Deep sea ‘dark oxygen’ raises questions about alien life
In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, about 12,000 feet below the surface, lies a region called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ).
This area is covered...
Ancient DNA shows no human population is pure
Recent studies have shown that examining ancient DNA could provide important insights into human history.
In recent research from Harvard Medical School, researchers found with...
Giving coffee grounds a second life: they can make concrete stronger!
Love your daily coffee?
What if I told you the grounds could be used for more than just your morning brew?
Scientists in Australia have discovered...
Fleets of ‘nanocardboard’ aircraft could explore Mars
A fleet of tiny “nanocardboard” aircraft could help explore Mars, researchers say.
They each weigh about as much as a fruit fly and have no...