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Latest story• Aug 16, 2025

China tests its most powerful rocket yet, produces 990-ton thrust for moon mission

China successfully tested its Long March-10 rocket, producing 900 tonnes of thrust during a 30-second ground firing at Hainan Island. The test confirmed seven YF-100K engines could work in sync—a critical milestone toward China's goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030. This powerful rocket, standing 302 feet tall, will support ambitious lunar missions requiring two launches for crew and lander.

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How scientists made quantum dots smarter and cheaper

Scientists have developed a simpler, cheaper method for generating photons from quantum dots for quantum computing applications. Instead of using expensive electro-optic modulators to control photon emissions, the team uses...

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Quantum guitar: Scientists decode 90-year-old mystery of damped harmonic oscillator

Physicists have solved a long-standing quantum mechanics puzzle by creating the first exact solution for a damped quantum harmonic oscillator. The breakthrough explains how atoms lose energy while maintaining Heisenberg's...

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Scientists just made vibrations so precise they can spot a single molecule

Strong phonon interference in a 2D metal on silicon carbide enables highly precise molecular vibration measurements, allowing single-molecule detection without labels or complex equipment, potentially revolutionizing molecular...

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Meschers: Geometry Processing of Impossible Objects

Meschers introduce a new way to digitally represent impossible objects like M.C. Escher's illusions by storing 2D screen positions and edge depth differences, unlike traditional 3D meshes. This mathematical representation enables...

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Why on Earth would NASA build a nuclear reactor on the Moon?

NASA plans to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, accelerating existing space nuclear power research. The reactor would provide continuous power during 14-day lunar nights, enable industrial-scale activities...

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Astronomers combine 32 cosmic signals in bold hunt for dark matter’s axions

Combining observations from 32 cosmic sources, scientists detected a potential dark matter signal consistent with axion particles, narrowing down their possible existence and potentially solving the mystery of galactic cohesion.

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A Beautiful Accident Etched in Crystal

Researchers accidentally created flower-like zinc oxide nanocrystals while developing flexible wafers, which could potentially replace silicon in displays and wearables, offering high electron mobility for high-speed applications.

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The oldest known black hole formed more than 13.3 billion years ago

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted the oldest known black hole, formed within 500 million years after the Big Bang, over 13.3 billion years ago. This massive object, containing the mass of 38 million suns, was identified...

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University of Waterloo researchers develop robots to directly treat kidney stones

Researchers created tiny magnetic robots containing urease to dissolve kidney stones faster, using ultrasound-guided positioning, potentially benefiting patients who can't undergo traditional treatments for this common condition.

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How a mysterious particle could explain the Universe’s missing antimatter

Physicists are investigating neutrinos as a possible key to understanding why our universe contains abundant matter but almost no antimatter. New experiments like DUNE will determine if neutrinos violate CP symmetry—behaving...

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Drone with Boeing 747-sized wingspan flies 74 hours non-stop on only solar power

A drone with wings wider than a Boeing 747 has just spent three days cruising high above us, powered only by sunlight. US aerospace startup Skydweller Aero recently completed back-to-back flights lasting 73 and 74 hours with...

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Watch: Electra’s hybrid-electric plane takes off, lands on just 150-feet long runaway

Electra's hybrid-electric aircraft successfully demonstrated ultra-short takeoff and landing capabilities, completing takeoffs and landings in less than 150 feet during public tests at Virginia Tech. The technology will enable...

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Norway eyes floating 200-250 MW nuclear reactors to power industry, cut emissions

Norway is developing floating nuclear power plants with 200-250 MW small modular reactors placed on barges to supply emission-free electricity to offshore platforms and the onshore grid. The collaboration between Norsk...

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Would you board a spacecraft that takes 400 years to reach Alpha Centauri?

A hypothetical spacecraft called Chrysalis, designed to transport 2,400 people on a 400-year journey to Proxima Centauri b, recently won first place in the Project Hyperion Design Competition. The ambitious concept envisions a...

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Ice discs slingshot across a metal surface all on their own

Ice discs can self-propel across metal surfaces with patterned grooves, sliding along meltwater channels or slingshotting across hydrophobic coatings, potentially improving energy harvesting and defrosting technology while...

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Cosmic rays could, in theory, sustain life on other worlds

Cosmic rays may enable microbial life beyond traditional habitable zones through radiolysis, splitting underground water molecules to create energy sources for microbes. Calculations suggest Saturn's moon Enceladus could support...

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World’s first wireless OLED contact lens enables on-the-go retina testing

Korean scientists created a wireless OLED contact lens for easy retina testing, featuring ultrathin design, smartphone connectivity, and potential applications in myopia treatment and augmented reality, with successful animal...

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Cornell researchers build first ‘microwave brain’ on a chip

Cornell researchers developed a groundbreaking "microwave brain" microchip that processes both ultrafast data and wireless signals by utilizing microwave physics. This low-power processor (using under 200 milliwatts) achieves 88%...

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Spotify-like AI helps discover never-before-seen supernova as greedy star attempts to eat a black hole

An AI algorithm called LAISS detected unusual brightening before a supernova, revealing a massive star's failed attempt to consume a black hole, which led to the star's explosion due to gravitational stress.

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‘Tuning fork’: US lab uses sound to store quantum data 30 times longer than qubits

Caltech's hybrid quantum memory converts qubit signals to sound waves using a chip-based oscillator, extending storage time and reducing interference for a more compact and scalable quantum computing solution.

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Scientists achieve first observation of phonon angular momentum in chiral crystals

Researchers observed phonon angular momentum in chiral crystals using a cantilever system with tellurium, detecting tiny torques during heat flow and confirming quantum predictions, potentially enabling new quantum technologies...

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Tiny magnetic ‘robot’ could help dissolve kidney stones faster with less pain

Scientists at the University of Waterloo have developed a 12-millimeter magnetic robot that could revolutionize kidney stone treatment. The filament contains urease, an enzyme that dissolves stones, and can be magnetically...

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The disappearing planet next door has astronomers intrigued

NASA's Webb telescope found evidence of a gas giant planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A, 4 light-years away. Detected in August 2024 using Webb's MIRI instrument, the planet vanished in later observations, likely due to its...

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