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Latest story• Apr 14, 2026

Physicist reckons two-button calculator can do all elementary math

Physicist Andrzej Odrzywołek claims he developed a two-button calculator using only an "exponential-minus-log" function and the digit 1 that can perform all elementary mathematical operations typically requiring a scientific calculator. His unpeer-reviewed research suggests this single operator can generate trigonometric functions, algebraic operations, arithmetic, and mathematical constants like π and e through...

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Sperm whales may make their own vowel sounds, similar to human language

Sperm whales produce clicks with vowel-like qualities similar to human speech using "phonic lips" in their noses. Scientists identified two distinct vowel types, suggesting whale communication is more complex than previously...

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US scientists build spring-powered computer that runs without electricity

Scientists at St. Olaf College and Syracuse University have created mechanical computers that operate through springs and steel components without electricity or batteries. These spring-powered systems perform computational tasks...

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Dark matter could be black holes from a different universe

Scientists suggest dark matter could be ancient black holes that survived from before the Big Bang in a "bouncing universe" model where our cosmos rebounded from a previous collapse.

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Scientists just recreated a rare cosmic reaction never seen before

Scientists directly measured arsenic-73 capturing a proton to form selenium-74, recreating a supernova reaction that creates rare p-nuclei. This breakthrough halves uncertainty in predicting selenium-74 abundance in space.

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Physicists think they've resolved the proton size puzzle

Two new experiments have resolved the 15-year "proton radius puzzle" by confirming the smaller 0.84 femtometer measurement from 2010, ruling out new physics beyond the Standard Model.

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First humanoid robot with embodied intelligence for high-risk tasks enters service

A 198-pound robot is clinging to the walls of Chinese chemical storage facilities, wielding welding torches and grinding tools where human workers once risked their lives. China has deployed what it calls its first "embodied"...

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Artemis II astronauts share all in first news conference since splashdown

NASA's Artemis II crew held their first press conference after completing a historic 10-day mission that took them 252,760 miles from Earth, farther than any humans have traveled since Apollo 13. The four astronauts splashed down...

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New Log2Motion AI model exposes hidden muscle strain behind everyday smartphone use

Researchers from Aalto University and Leipzig University created Log2Motion, an AI system that converts smartphone touch data into full-body motion simulations to reveal the hidden physical strain of daily phone use. The tool...

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Hybrid Constructions: The Post-Quantum Safety Blanket

Post-quantum cryptography expert Soatok argues that while hybrid constructions combining traditional and quantum-resistant algorithms make sense for encryption due to "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks, they're unnecessary for...

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A protostar discovered by astronomers has strange behavior

Astronomers discovered MC 27, one of the youngest known stars, 430 light-years away in the Taurus cloud. The protostar has an unusually warm gas ring possibly created by magnetic field shock waves.

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Video: Robot uses vision and AI to adapt to terrain like animals in real time

KAIST researchers developed DreamWaQ++, a quadrupedal robot system that uses cameras, LiDAR, and sensors to navigate complex terrain in real time like animals do. The robot successfully climbed 50-step staircases and 35-degree...

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Generating universes within universes with a single seed

Computer-generated "random" numbers aren't truly random but come from deterministic mathematical algorithms that create massive predetermined lists of pseudorandom values, all starting from a single seed number. Using simple...

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We need Post-Quantum Cryptography more than ever

Recent breakthroughs by companies like Oratomic and Google have made quantum algorithms significantly more efficient at breaking current encryption methods like RSA and ECC, accelerating the timeline for when quantum computers...

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New photonic chip traps light for millions of cycles using protective coating

Researchers have developed a breakthrough method to trap light on photonic chips for millions of cycles using a protective aluminum coating during fabrication of delicate van der Waals materials. The coating acts like microscopic...

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New nanotechnology uses non-invasive ultrasound to create light inside living tissue

Stanford researchers created nanoparticles that emit light when activated by ultrasound waves, enabling wireless brain control in mice. This breakthrough could lead to non-invasive cancer treatments and gene editing.

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World’s first 100% battery-electric cruise ship unveiled with 1,856 passenger capacity

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft unveiled Project Vision, the world's first fully battery-electric cruise ship concept capable of carrying 1,856 passengers on a 902-foot vessel. The ship would use existing maritime technology and...

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Two Supermassive Black Holes Are on a Cosmic Collision Course

Astronomers at the Max Planck Institute discovered two supermassive black holes orbiting each other every 121 days within galaxy Markarian 501, at a distance roughly 250-540 times that between Earth and the sun. After analyzing...

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Physicists entangle two moving atoms for the first time, validating 'spooky' quantum theory

Scientists successfully entangled two moving helium atoms through their momentum for the first time, proving Einstein's "spooky action at a distance" theory applies to how particles physically move. Using ultracold atoms in a...

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The AI Revolution in Math Has Arrived

AI models solved five of six International Mathematical Olympiad problems in July 2025, surprising mathematicians with their rapid progress. However, this performance doesn't necessarily show broader mathematical reasoning...

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Exploding black holes could explain an antimatter mystery

Car-sized black holes exploding in the first tenth of a billionth of a second after the Big Bang might solve one of cosmology's greatest puzzles: why matter dominates our universe instead of antimatter. Scientists have long...

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New study shows how the brain weighs evidence to make decisions

Research shows brains use the same process for free choices and forced decisions, gradually accumulating evidence before committing. This suggests decision-making is more automatic than we think.

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This new chip could slash data center energy waste

University of California San Diego engineers developed a new chip design using piezoelectric resonators and capacitors that achieves 96.2% efficiency when converting data center power from 48 volts to 4.8 volts, delivering four...

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These cheap solar cells work better because they’re flawed

Lead-halide perovskites, cheap solar cell materials packed with structural flaws, achieve efficiency levels approaching silicon cells through an unexpected mechanism that researchers at Austria's ISTA have finally explained....

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