Astronomers have found the most distant and energetic “odd radio circle” ever detected — a massive double-ringed radio structure nearly 10 billion years old. The discovery, made with the help of citizen scientists using LOFAR, challenges theories that these cosmic rings are caused by black hole mergers. Instead, researchers suggest galactic superwinds may be to …

Astronomers discover the most powerful and distant cosmic ring ever seen Read More »

ESA has inaugurated a powerful new 35-meter deep space antenna at its New Norcia site in Western Australia, marking a major boost to Europe’s ability to communicate with spacecraft exploring the Solar System. This ultra-sensitive antenna, featuring cryogenically cooled technology and high-power transmission systems, will support missions like Juice, BepiColombo, and Solar Orbiter. ​ESA has …

ESA’s chilling new “super antenna” in Australia reaches spacecraft billions of miles away Read More »

Geophysicists have modeled how Earth’s magnetic field could form even when its core was fully liquid. By removing the effects of viscosity in their simulation, they revealed a self-sustaining dynamo that mirrors today’s mechanism. The results illuminate Earth’s early history, life’s origins, and the magnetism of other planets. Plus, it could help forecast future changes …

New simulation reveals how Earth’s magnetic field first sparked to life Read More »

A team at the University at Buffalo has made it possible to simulate complex quantum systems without needing a supercomputer. By expanding the truncated Wigner approximation, they’ve created an accessible, efficient way to model real-world quantum behavior. Their method translates dense equations into a ready-to-use format that runs on ordinary computers. It could transform how …

Quantum simulations that once needed supercomputers now run on laptops Read More »

Scientists using a global array of radio telescopes have detected the universe’s lowest-mass dark object by observing how it warped light through gravitational lensing. The invisible mass, about a million times the Sun’s weight, could be a small clump of dark matter or a dormant dwarf galaxy. The finding supports cold dark matter models and …

A million-sun-mass mystery object found lurking in deep space Read More »

USC engineers have developed an optical system that routes light autonomously using thermodynamic principles. Rather than relying on switches, light organizes itself much like particles in a gas reaching equilibrium. The discovery could simplify and speed up optical communications and computing. It reimagines chaotic optical behavior as a tool for design rather than a limitation. …

USC engineers just made light smarter with “optical thermodynamics” Read More »

A team of engineers at North Carolina State University has designed a polymer “Chinese lantern” that can rapidly snap into multiple stable 3D shapes—including a lantern, a spinning top, and more—by compression or twisting. By adding a magnetic layer, they achieved remote control of the shape-shifting process, allowing the lanterns to act as grippers, filters, …

Scientists create a magnetic lantern that moves like it’s alive Read More »

Scientists have developed an ultra-thin, paper-like LED that emits a warm, sunlike glow, promising to revolutionize how we light up our homes, devices, and workplaces. By engineering a balance of red, yellow-green, and blue quantum dots, the researchers achieved light quality remarkably close to natural sunlight, improving color accuracy and reducing eye strain. ​Scientists have …

Scientists create a paper-thin light that glows like the sun Read More »

Asteroid 2025 TF zipped past Earth above Antarctica, coming within 428 km of the surface. Roughly the size of a small car, it was detected hours after the flyby and posed no danger. ESA astronomers later confirmed its trajectory with extraordinary accuracy. ​Asteroid 2025 TF zipped past Earth above Antarctica, coming within 428 km of …

Tiny asteroid flew right over Antarctica, and no one saw it coming Read More »

The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered a massive red supergiant star just before it exploded, finally solving a cosmic mystery. Hidden beneath layers of dust, the doomed star revealed itself through Webb’s infrared eyes. The finding shows that many massive stars do explode but are obscured from view — until now. ​The James Webb …

JWST spots a hidden red supergiant just before it exploded Read More »