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Get hand-picked daily summaries of the best, most informative science and engineering articles from around the web. Browse recent summaries, then jump to the original source when you want the full article.

Latest story• Mar 2, 2025

Scientists create silicon-free solar cells to reduce costs, offer longer lifespan

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a technique to create more durable and cost-effective solar cells using perovskite crystals with titanium-infused top layers. This innovation addresses the main drawback of perovskite cells - their limited lifespan - potentially transforming the solar industry by making these cells last longer and perform as well as silicon cells, while being cheaper to produce. The...

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China is making gravity batteries

Gravity batteries store excess renewable energy by lifting heavy weights and generate power when needed by lowering them, offering a solution to intermittency issues in solar and wind energy production.

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Teaching Your Robot Cat To Land On Her Feet

The cat righting reflex enables felines to land on their feet when falling. Cats achieve this by performing a "hula hoop" motion around their midsection, rotating their body without violating conservation of angular momentum....

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We’ve figured out the basics of a shape-shifting, T-1000-style material

These 5cm robots can switch between liquid and solid states, connect with each other, bear weight, and alter their shape when directed, potentially enabling diverse applications if made smaller in the future.

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New Volvo EV offers 435 mile range, runs for almost 200 miles in just 10-min charge

Volvo's ES90 electric car offers a 435-mile range, rapid charging that adds 186 miles in 10 minutes, and uses 800-volt technology for better performance and efficiency, while incorporating recycled materials to reduce production...

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US to get 30 nuclear microreactors to generate clean energy for data centers

Last Energy plans to construct 30 nuclear microreactors in Haskell County, Texas, to power data centers statewide. The company's PWR-20 reactors, designed for mass production and flexible siting, will address growing energy...

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Oldest transport method reveals how Americans moved when wheels were not discovered

Ancient Indigenous Americans used pole-based "travois" to move goods 20,000 years ago, predating the wheel, as evidenced by drag marks found in New Mexico's White Sands National Park, revealing early migration and transport...

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China successfully tests new 66-satellite space-based cargo tracking system

Chinese scientists have developed a satellite network capable of tracking millions of shipping containers worldwide in real-time. The system, centered around the Tiantuo-5 satellite, can monitor container locations, internal...

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How do the universe's highest-energy particles originate? Magnetic outflows stemming from star mergers, analysis concludes

Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) have puzzled scientists for decades. New York University physicist Glennys Farrar proposes that UHECRs are created during neutron star mergers, which form black holes and generate...

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Robots are gaining new capabilities thanks to plants and fungi

Aaron Tremper serves as the editorial assistant for Science News Explores, bringing expertise in science journalism. With degrees in English and Journalism, Tremper has diverse reporting experience across various media platforms,...

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Endless thorium supply in China can help make unlimited nuclear power: Survey

China has discovered vast thorium reserves far exceeding previous estimates, potentially revolutionizing global energy production. Thorium generates 200 times more energy than uranium, could power ships and nations without...

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Max and min orbital speed

The ratio of a planet's maximum to minimum orbital speed is (1 + e)/(1 - e), with e being the orbit's eccentricity. For small eccentricities, this approximates to 1 + 2e. Earth's orbital speed varies by 3% (e = 0.0167), while...

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Some of Earth’s meteors are probably coming all the way from a neighboring star system

Alpha Centauri is estimated to have sent about 1 million large interstellar objects into our solar system, and this number is expected to increase tenfold as the star system approaches Earth over the next 28,000 years.

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French startup to launch world’s first 5G mmWave satellite internet

CTO, a French startup, plans to launch the first 5G mmWave satellite internet system in June 2025, offering fast, low-latency connections from space to bridge the digital divide and help telecoms expand service to remote areas...

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Fusion plasma prediction gets 1,000x boost with Korea’s new deep learning model

Scientists have developed a deep learning approach, FPL-net, that speeds up plasma prediction for nuclear fusion by 1,000 times. It solves the Fokker-Planck-Landau equation for fusion plasma collisions with high accuracy in a...

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US scientists to detect tiny 1 cm-long ‘grenades’ with Space Debris Hunter satellite

Scientists are developing a satellite called Space Debris Hunter to detect tiny space junk as small as 1 cm in Earth's orbit. The satellite will use plasma-based sensors to calculate debris distance, approach angle, and...

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Stronger than steel bulletproof vests recycled in microwave reactor with 96% efficiency

Researchers have developed a microwave-assisted chemical recycling process for aramid fibers used in bulletproof vests, achieving 96% conversion in just 15 minutes. This breakthrough method is faster and more energy-efficient...

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China tests world’s first jet fuel-powered engine to hit 16 times the speed of sound

China's new oblique detonation engine, using common jet fuel, achieved Mach 16 speeds with combustion rates 1,000 times faster than typical scramjets and an 85% shorter combustor, potentially reducing aircraft weight and...

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Surprising nuclear fusion discovery may make US reactors safer, more efficient

Carbon trapping in reactor walls poses a significant challenge for nuclear fusion reactors, as even small amounts can lead to fuel buildup, potentially violating safety regulations and reducing efficiency in future power plants.

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Astroscale aced the world’s first rendezvous with a piece of space junk

Astroscale has secured multiple government contracts for satellite services, including a $25.5 million deal with the US Space Force and an $80 million project with Japan. The company is developing technologies for satellite...

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Intelligent Life May Be Hiding in the Moons

The search for extraterrestrial life includes moons orbiting gas giants, which may offer robust habitats due to internal heat and subsurface oceans. Calculations suggest life-bearing moons could be as numerous as rocky planets,...

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Cricut’s new crafting machines are more accurate, faster, and cheaper

Cricut unveils new Maker 4 and Explore 4 crafting machines, available February 28, 2025. The updated models offer faster cutting speeds, improved accuracy, and lower prices, starting at $249.99 for the Explore 4 and $399.99 for...

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Does Time Work Differently in the Quantum Realm?

Physicists are exploring new theories about the nature of time and its directionality. A recent study published in Scientific Reports suggests the existence of two opposing arrows of time in open quantum systems, challenging...

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The muon's magnetic moment exposes a hole in the SM – unless it doesn't

The muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab found a discrepancy between theoretical predictions and measurements of the muon's magnetic moment, hinting at new physics beyond the Standard Model. However, recent lattice QCD calculations...

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