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Latest story• Jan 29, 2026

One of the largest time crystals created by scientists using IBM’s quantum heron chip

Researchers from Basque Quantum, NIST, and IBM created one of the largest time crystals ever using IBM's Quantum Heron chip, building a 144-qubit, two-dimensional system that exhibits repeating patterns in time rather than space. This breakthrough demonstrates quantum computing's ability to explore previously impossible physical phenomena and advances quantum-centric supercomputing approaches.

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Transportable nuclear power plant advances microreactor deployment in remote regions

Prodigy Clean Energy completed development of a transportable microreactor designed to replace diesel power in remote Canadian regions. The government-funded technology combines nuclear power with maritime construction for easy...

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How ALICE reverse-engineered the formation of light nuclei

CERN researchers discovered that 89% of deuterons in proton collisions form after the initial impact when temperatures cool, not during the violent collision itself. This finding reduces predicted background levels in cosmic ray...

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Early Universe's supermassive black holes grew in cocoons like butterflies

The James Webb telescope found mysterious "Little Red Dots" with seemingly impossible black holes. New research shows these are actually normal-sized black holes surrounded by dense gas that scattered light, creating optical...

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Ancient oceans stayed oxygen rich despite extreme warming

Scientists analyzing 16-million-year-old fossilized plankton discovered that the Arabian Sea contained more oxygen during ancient extreme warming than it does today, with severe oxygen depletion only occurring 4 million years...

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How long you live may depend much more on your genes than scientists thought

A new study suggests genes account for 55 percent of longevity, not the previously accepted 25 percent. As medical advances reduce premature deaths, genetic influence on lifespan becomes more apparent.

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'Previously unimaginable': James Webb telescope breaks own record again, discovering farthest known galaxy in the universe

The James Webb Space Telescope discovered the most distant galaxy ever observed, named MoM-z14, located just 280 million years after the Big Bang. This compact galaxy, 400 times smaller than the Milky Way, was confirmed through...

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Halley wasn't the first to figure out the famous comet. An 11th-century monk did it first, new research suggests.

An 11th-century English monk named Eilmer of Malmesbury identified Halley's comet's 75-year cycle 600 years before astronomer Edmond Halley received credit for the discovery.

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Fact checking Moravec's paradox

Moravec's paradox claims tasks hard for humans are easy for AI and vice versa, but this principle has never been empirically tested and only appears true because AI researchers focus on specific problem types while ignoring tasks...

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Cutting Up Curved Things (With Math)

Graphics chips only understand triangles, so tessellation converts curved surfaces like spheres into thousands of tiny triangles. This invisible process creates the illusion of smooth curves in every 3D model you see.

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How Portable Ultrasounds Keep Astronauts Healthy

NASA recently conducted its first medical evacuation from the International Space Station, with astronaut Mike Fincke crediting portable ultrasound devices as "super handy" during the emergency. The station uses compact devices...

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Robots are beginning to learn new skills through apps, not physical hardware upgrades

OpenMind robotics company launched the first robot app store, allowing humanoid and quadruped robots to gain new skills through downloadable software rather than hardware upgrades. Built on their OM1 operating system, the...

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Doctors keep patient alive using ‘artificial lungs’ for two days

Northwestern Memorial Hospital doctors saved a 33-year-old patient dying from influenza and secondary infection by creating an innovative "artificial lung" system that pumped and oxygenated blood for two days while his body...

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1D nanomaterials 100x thinner than human hair could supercharge next-gen batteries

Drexel researchers developed a method to roll flat MXene nanomaterials into tubular nanoscrolls 100 times thinner than hair. These hollow structures improve electrical conductivity and show promise for advanced batteries,...

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A massive clump of dark matter may lurk in the Milky Way

Scientists detected a massive dark matter clump near our solar system by studying pulse patterns of dead stars called pulsars. The invisible blob, located 3,260 light-years away, has a mass roughly 10 million times greater than...

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How AI Changes Science… And How It Doesn’t

While AI tools like AlphaFold have revolutionized scientific analysis by processing data more efficiently, experts emphasize that AI remains "book-smart" but not "street-smart," excelling at statistical correlations but lacking...

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The Schrödinger equation just turned 100, and quantum physicists are still grappling with its mysteries

A century ago this week, Erwin Schrödinger submitted an innocuous-looking equation that would revolutionize our understanding of reality itself. Now, physicists are rewriting that famous formula to include something that was...

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Real Dyson spheres? How alien megastructures might survive in space, study explores

University of Glasgow Professor Colin McInnes developed mathematical models showing that massive hypothetical alien energy-harvesting structures called Dyson spheres could achieve gravitational stability around distant stars. His...

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China’s Hair-Thin Fiber Chip Might be a Game-Changer for Computers

Researchers at Fudan University have created revolutionary computer chips embedded in hair-thin fibers that pack 10,000 transistors per millimeter using a spiral design, enabling flexible wearable technology and medical implants...

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After 70 years of false starts, fusion energy is finally gaining momentum

After decades of failed attempts, fusion energy is experiencing unprecedented momentum as advanced tokamak reactors in China, France, and South Korea achieve record-breaking plasma stability and duration. The massive ITER...

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Japan lost a 5-ton navigation satellite when it fell off a rocket during launch

Japan's H3 rocket suffered an unprecedented failure during its eighth flight in December when the 5-ton Michibiki 5 navigation satellite fell off the vehicle after the protective payload fairing was jettisoned four minutes into...

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New Study Throws a Wrench in Our Understanding of Memory

Researchers found that episodic memory (experiences) and semantic memory (facts) activate the same brain regions, contrary to previous beliefs. This discovery could improve treatments for memory disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

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World’s first exascale supercomputer shows how worn turbine blades drain jet engine power

Scientists used the world's first exascale supercomputer, Frontier, to discover how microscopic surface damage on jet engine turbine blades significantly reduces fuel efficiency and engine durability. The simulations, involving...

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Watch: Autonomous robot clears 6,000-sq-ft driveway in brutal New Jersey snowstorm

A New Jersey homeowner's GPS-guided Yarbo robotic snow blower autonomously cleared his 6,000-square-foot driveway during Winter Storm Fern. The robot navigated slopes and curves, automatically recharging as needed throughout the...

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