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Latest story• Feb 10, 2026

Mathematicians disagree on the essential structure of the complex numbers

Mathematicians hold fundamentally different views on what constitutes the essential structure of complex numbers, with debates centering on whether they should be understood purely as an algebraic field, as a field extension over real numbers, or as a rigid coordinate system with fixed real and imaginary parts. These competing perspectives—algebraic, analytic/smooth, and rigid—each offer different mathematical...

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Elon Musk pivots SpaceX plans to Moon base before Mars

A lunar city could be up and running in less than a decade, while Mars would take more than 20 years - that timeline shift has prompted Elon Musk to announce SpaceX is now prioritizing the Moon over the Red Planet for humanity's...

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'Quad God' Ilia Malinin and the science of figure skating's near-impossible jumps

Figure skater Ilia Malinin became the first person to land the quadruple axel in competition in 2022, a 4.5-rotation jump that had been considered nearly impossible for over a decade. The 17-year-old American represents figure...

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MIT scientists build terahertz microscope that reveals hidden superconducting motion

MIT physicists created a terahertz microscope using precisely tuned light pulses to observe quantum motion of superconducting electrons. This breakthrough could accelerate development of room-temperature superconductors and...

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Scientists may have found the brain network behind Parkinson’s

Researchers discovered that Parkinson's disease stems from dysfunction in a brain network called SCAN (somato-cognitive action network), which becomes overconnected to emotion and memory regions. When scientists used targeted...

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The smart trick that lets diesel submarines stay hidden underwater: Explained

Diesel submarines overcome the paradox of needing oxygen-dependent engines while operating underwater by using a dual-system approach where diesel generators charge batteries while surfaced or snorkeling, then electric motors...

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Scientists finally solve a 100-year-old mystery in the air we breathe

Warwick researchers updated a 1910 formula to accurately predict how irregularly shaped nanoparticles move through air. This breakthrough enables better tracking of real-world pollutants like soot, dust, and microplastics.

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This tiny organism refused to die under Mars-like conditions

Scientists exposed baker's yeast to Mars-like conditions including meteorite shocks and toxic salts. The yeast survived by forming protective cellular structures, suggesting life is more resilient to alien environments than...

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Sunlight-powered liquid gallium process produces clean hydrogen from seawater

University of Sydney researchers created a method to produce clean hydrogen from seawater using liquid gallium and sunlight, achieving 12.9% efficiency. This scalable technology eliminates purified water needs and could...

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Radioactive space can host building blocks of life, asteroid Bennu samples reveal

Penn State scientists analyzing 4.6-billion-year-old samples from asteroid Bennu discovered that amino acids, life's essential building blocks, can form in frozen, radioactive environments rather than requiring warm liquid water...

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Why Is the Sky Blue?

Earth's sky appears blue because when sunlight hits the atmosphere, blue photons scatter much more than other colors due to their frequency being closest to the resonant frequency of nitrogen and oxygen molecules, causing blue...

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Hiroshima scientists crack the code for 3D printing tungsten carbide

Scientists at Hiroshima University developed a 3D printing method for tungsten carbide using controlled laser heating. This technique preserves the material's hardness while enabling complex shapes impossible with traditional...

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A quick stretch switches this polymer’s capacity to transport heat

MIT engineers found that stretching an olefin block copolymer dramatically increases its heat conductivity in 0.22 seconds by aligning carbon chains. This reversible thermal switching could enable adaptive cooling clothing and...

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Impossibly powerful 'ghost particle' that slammed into Earth may have come from an exploding black hole — and it could upend both particle physics and cosmology

A record-breaking neutrino with 220 quadrillion electron volts of energy struck Earth in 2023, puzzling scientists with its impossible power that exceeds anything previously detected by 100 times. Researchers now believe this...

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Science & Engineering stories

Mathematicians disagree on the essential structure of the complex numbers

Latest stories

Elon Musk pivots SpaceX plans to Moon base before Mars

'Quad God' Ilia Malinin and the science of figure skating's near-impossible jumps

MIT scientists build terahertz microscope that reveals hidden superconducting motion

Scientists may have found the brain network behind Parkinson’s

The smart trick that lets diesel submarines stay hidden underwater: Explained

Get the next batch of curated stories in your inbox.

More recent stories

Scientists finally solve a 100-year-old mystery in the air we breathe

This tiny organism refused to die under Mars-like conditions

Sunlight-powered liquid gallium process produces clean hydrogen from seawater

Radioactive space can host building blocks of life, asteroid Bennu samples reveal

Why Is the Sky Blue?

Hiroshima scientists crack the code for 3D printing tungsten carbide

A quick stretch switches this polymer’s capacity to transport heat

Impossibly powerful 'ghost particle' that slammed into Earth may have come from an exploding black hole — and it could upend both particle physics and cosmology

New 'sungrazing' comet could become visible to the naked eye during the day — if the sun doesn't destroy it

Homemade Sphere Machine Actually Works, Turns Rocks Into Perfect Spheres

Where are all the blueshifted galaxies?

Mathematicians launch First Proof, a first-of-its-kind math exam for AI

China’s ‘artificial photosynthesis’ method could create petrol from carbon dioxide

The only U.S. particle collider shuts down – so a new one may rise

To reuse or not reuse—the eternal debate of New Glenn's second stage reignites

Scientists Intrigued by Possible Hollow Structures Under Surface of Venus

Physicists solve a quantum mystery that stumped scientists for decades

Neither classical nor quantum: This computer lets light solve complex calculations