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In 1887, a landmark experiment reshaped our understanding of the universe. American physicists Albert Michelson and Edward Morley attempted to detect Earth’s motion through space by comparing how fast light traveled along different directions. Their experiment found no difference at all. This unexpected null result became one of the most…
In everyday experience, applying repeated force almost always leads to heating. Rubbing your hands together warms your skin. Striking metal with a hammer makes it hot to the touch. Even without formal physics training, people quickly learn a basic rule: when you keep driving a system by stirring it, pressing…
As people return to gyms or start new fitness routines in the new year, new research suggests that even a short burst of intense exercise could play a role in protecting against cancer. Scientists report that as little as 10 minutes of hard physical activity may help slow cancer growth.…
Regular physical activity may ease symptoms of depression about as effectively as psychological therapy, according to an updated Cochrane review. When researchers compared exercise with antidepressant medication, they found similar benefits, although the certainty of that evidence was lower. Depression remains a major global health challenge, affecting more than 280…
Why does a brief jog leave some people winded while others seem to glide along with ease? Training, fitness level, and muscle strength clearly matter. But researchers are finding that the brain also has a powerful influence, especially in how hard physical effort feels. Why effort feels different from person…
A team of astronomers from several countries, led by researchers in Canada, has identified a galaxy cluster that appears far earlier and far hotter than current science predicts. The cluster is filled with intensely hot gas and existed just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang. According to established theories,…
Jupiter has nearly 100 known moons, but Europa continues to stand out as one of the most compelling. Beneath its thick shell of ice, scientists believe the moon contains an enormous ocean of salty liquid water. That possibility has fueled decades of speculation about whether Europa could host life, placing…
Photonic technologies that operate in the ultraviolet UV-C range (100−280 nm) play an important role in fields ranging from super-resolution microscopy to optical communications. As these technologies improve, they are expected to open new pathways across science and engineering. One of UV-C light’s most valuable traits is how strongly it…
In everyday physics, transport describes how things move from one place to another. Electric charge flows through wires, heat spreads through metal, and water travels through pipes. In each case, scientists can measure how easily charge, energy, or mass moves through a material. Under normal conditions, that movement is slowed…
A new study by mathematicians at Freie Universität Berlin shows that planar tiling, also known as tessellation, is far more than a decorative technique. Tessellations cover a surface with one or more geometric shapes without gaps or overlaps, and the researchers demonstrate that these structures can serve as precise tools…
Young star systems are chaotic environments where space rocks constantly collide. Asteroids, comets, and larger bodies crash into one another, sometimes sticking together and slowly transforming clouds of dust and ice into planets and moons. Although small impacts are common, the largest collisions are thought to be extremely rare during…
A new real-world comparison finds that bariatric surgery leads to dramatically more weight loss than popular injectable medications. After two years, people who underwent sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass lost about five times more weight than those using weekly GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide or tirzepatide,* according to research…
A research team in Japan has successfully recreated key human neural circuits in the laboratory using tiny, multi region brain models called assembloids. These structures are grown from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and are designed to mimic how different parts of the human brain connect and communicate. Using this…
Scientists have, for the first time, rebuilt ancient genomes of Human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) using DNA from archaeological human remains that are more than 2,000 years old. The research, led by teams at the University of Vienna and the University of Tartu (Estonia) and published in Science Advances,…
Researchers from Brazil and Portugal have created a new magnetic nanocomposite designed to attack bone cancer while also supporting bone repair. The work, published in Magnetic Medicine, describes a core — shell structure made from iron oxide nanoparticles wrapped in a thin coating of bioactive glass. This design allows the…
Cancer cases are exploding worldwide — and nearly half of the deaths could be prevented with better prevention, early detection, and access to care. New cancer cases worldwide have more than doubled since 1990, reaching 18.5 million in 2023. Over the same period, annual cancer deaths rose by 74 percent…
Scientists have long understood that plants take in air through tiny openings on their leaves known as stomata. These microscopic pores act like adjustable valves, letting carbon dioxide enter the leaf for photosynthesis while allowing water vapor to escape into the air. Until now, closely tracking this balancing act as…
As wildfires move across forests, grasslands, and peatlands, they release large amounts of gases and particles into the air. Scientists now say the pollution from these fires may have been underestimated. A study published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology reports that wildfires and prescribed burns (i.e., wildland fires) around…
Sleeping in on weekends to make up for lost sleep during the week may offer mental health benefits for teenagers and young adults, according to new research from the University of Oregon and the State University of New York Upstate Medical University. The study found that people ages 16 to…
New archaeological research is reshaping our understanding of when domestic dogs first developed the wide range of shapes and sizes seen today. The study shows that dogs began to vary in form far earlier than scientists once believed, with clear signs of diversity appearing at least 11,000 years ago. Using…
On December 6, 2025, a powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska. While quakes of that size draw attention, earthquakes occur far more often than many people realize. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that roughly 55 earthquakes happen every day worldwide, adding up to about 20,000 each year. Typically,…
There is a new reason to take daily tooth brushing seriously. Researchers in South Korea have found strong evidence that bacteria from the mouth can move into the gut and influence brain cells, potentially playing a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease. The study was carried out by a…
Scientists at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum recently uncovered a mistake that dates back decades involving a poison frog specimen from Peru. The frog had been incorrectly identified and designated as a holotype, which is the single preserved specimen used to officially define a species.…
An international research team that includes scientists from the UAB has published a new review in Nature Photonics examining a fast-growing field known as quantum structured light. This approach is reshaping how information can be transmitted, measured, and processed by merging quantum information science with carefully engineered patterns of light…
For nearly a year, a research team led by the SETI Institute closely followed the pulsar PSR J0332+5434 (also called B0329+54). Their goal was to understand how the pulsar’s radio signal appears to “twinkle” as it travels through clouds of gas on its way to Earth. Using the Allen Telescope…
Living systems pay energetic costs that traditional mechanical physics does not account for. One clear example is the energy needed to keep certain biochemical processes running, such as those involved in photosynthesis, while actively preventing other chemical reactions from taking place. In classical mechanics, if nothing moves, no work is…
An international research team has discovered two previously unknown viruses in short-finned pilot whales and orcas from the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean. The group includes students and senior scientists from Arizona State University (ASU), Coastal Carolina University, The University of the South in the US, as well…
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan have built the smallest fully programmable autonomous robots ever created. These microscopic machines can swim through liquid, sense their surroundings, respond on their own, operate for months at a time, and cost about one penny each to produce. Each…
Scientists at USF Health are making major progress in understanding how new opioid compounds interact with the body to relieve pain. Their work is raising optimism that future pain medications could deliver relief without the life-threatening side effects associated with today’s opioids. Their latest findings were published December 17 in…
Ever since humans first walked on the Moon, space agencies around the world have treated the idea of living beyond Earth as a major long term goal. Of the destinations we can realistically reach, Mars stands out as the leading candidate. Its dramatic terrain and a few familiar traits make…
