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Astronomers have detected a giant exoplanet – between three and ten times the size of Jupiter – hiding in the swirling disc of gas and dust surrounding a young star. Earlier observations of this star, called MP Mus, suggested that it was all alone without any planets in orbit around…
Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that allows “self-driving laboratories” to collect at least 10 times more data than previous techniques at record speed. The advance – which is published in Nature Chemical Engineering – dramatically expedites materials discovery research, while slashing costs and environmental impact. Self-driving laboratories are robotic…
The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration has detected the merger of the most massive black holes ever observed with gravitational waves using the US National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded LIGO observatories. The powerful merger produced a final black hole approximately 225 times the mass of our Sun. The signal, designated GW231123, was detected…
A research team led by Prof. Mingtai Wang at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a finely tuned method for growing titanium dioxide nanorod arrays (TiO2-NA) with controllable spacing without changing individual rod size and demonstrated its application in high-performance solar cells.…
Researchers have cracked a fundamental optical challenge: how to control both angle and wavelength of light independently—a problem that’s limited imaging and display technologies for years. By harnessing the power of radiation directionality and engineering bilayer metagratings with unique symmetry properties, they’ve decoupled these two variables for the first time.…
Caltech scientists have found a fast and efficient way to add up large numbers of Feynman diagrams, the simple drawings physicists use to represent particle interactions. The new method has already enabled the researchers to solve a longstanding problem in the materials science and physics worlds known as the polaron…
A new study reveals that ingestions of nicotine pouches by young children have surged in recent years. Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Central Ohio Poison Center analyzed calls to U.S. poison centers and found…
A new kind of cosmic object could help solve one of the universe’s greatest mysteries: dark matter. Particle Astrophysicists have proposed the existence of a strange new type of star-like object, called a ‘dark dwarf’, which may be quietly glowing in the center of our galaxy. Far from being dark…
A 2.35-billion-year-old meteorite with a unique chemical signature, found in Africa in 2023, plugs a major gap in our understanding of the Moon’s volcanic history. Findings from analyses of the Northwest Africa 16286 meteorite, presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, offer fresh insights into how the Moon’s interior evolved, highlighting the…
The Milky Way could have many more satellite galaxies than scientists have previously been able to predict or observe, according to new research. Cosmologists at Durham University, UK, used a new technique combining the highest-resolution supercomputer simulations that exist, alongside novel mathematical modelling, predicting the existence of missing “orphan” galaxies.…
Research often points to exercise as a good way to boost mental health, but a recent study from the University of Georgia suggests that it’s not just physical movement that affects mental health. It’s how, where and why you exercise that makes the difference. “Historically, physical activity research has focused…
Using tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy at the same time leads to increased weight loss in postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity compared to use of tirzepatide treatment alone, according to a study presented at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. “These data are the…
Metabolic health factors, including small increases in blood sugar, are the main drivers of change in the reproductive systems and sexual functioning of aging men, according to a study presented at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. “Although age and testosterone levels have long been…
The anti-obesity medication tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for obesity, reduced obesity-associated breast cancer growth in a mouse model, according to a study being presented at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif. “Obesity is a significant risk factor for breast cancer, and…
When the first Neanderthal bones were uncovered in 1856, they sparked a flood of questions about these mysterious ancient humans. Were they similar to us or fundamentally different? Did our ancestors cooperate with them, clash with them, or even form relationships? The discovery of the Denisovans, a group closely related…
Pepper, the pet cat who made headlines last year for his role in the discovery of the first jeilongvirus found in the U.S., is at it again. This time, his hunting prowess contributed to the identification of a new strain of orthoreovirus. John Lednicky, Ph.D., Pepper’s owner and a University…
For decades, the story of Alzheimer’s research has been dominated by a battle between A-beta and tau amyloids, both of which can kill neurons and impact the brain’s ability to function. A new study suggests, however, that these sticky brain plaques may not be operating alone. Johns Hopkins University researchers…
Archaeologists from the University of Houston working at Caracol in Belize, Central America have uncovered the tomb of Te K’ab Chaak, the first ruler of this ancient Maya city and the founder of its royal dynasty. Now in ruins, this metropolis was a major political player in Maya history, dominating…
Being consistently physically active in adulthood is linked to a 30–40% lower risk of death from any cause in later life, while upping levels from below those recommended for health is still associated with a 20–25% lower risk, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published online in…
A University of Portsmouth student has discovered a new species of prehistoric mammal dating back 145 million years to the Berriasian age, providing fresh insights into the diversity of early mammals that lived alongside dinosaurs. carried out “digital dental surgery” using CT scanning to isolate individual teeth for detailed study…
Despite a warming climate, bone-chilling winter cold can grip parts of the U.S. — and this study explains why. Researchers found that two specific patterns in the polar vortex, a swirling mass of cold air high in the stratosphere, steer extreme cold to different regions of the country. One pattern…
Nerve cells are not just nerve cells. Depending on how finely we distinguish, there are several hundred to several thousand different types of nerve cell in the human brain according to the latest calculations. These cell types vary in their function, in the number and length of their cellular appendages,…
Scientists have discovered how a key protein helps maintain strong connections between brain cells that are crucial for learning and memory. Results of the study, published in the journal Science Advances, could point the way to new treatments for traumatic brain injuries and diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, the…
A new microchip invented by Scripps Research scientists can reveal how a person’s antibodies interact with viruses — using just a drop of blood. The technology offers researchers faster, clearer insights that could help accelerate vaccine development and antibody discovery. “This lets us take a quick snapshot of antibodies as…
In a first for the field, researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have reported a photopumped lasing from a buried dielectric photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser emitting at room temperature and an eye-safe wavelength. Their findings, published in IEEE Photonics Journal, improve upon current laser…
On its record-breaking pass by the Sun late last year, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe captured stunning new images from within the Sun’s atmosphere. These newly released images — taken closer to the Sun than we’ve ever been before — are helping scientists better understand the Sun’s influence across the solar…
Twisted materials — known as moiré structures — have revolutionized modern physics, emerging as today’s “alchemy” by creating entirely new phases of matter through simple geometric manipulation. The term “moiré” may sound familiar — it describes the strange rippling patterns you sometimes see when photographing striped shirts or screens; in…
The discovery of more than 15,000 kilometers of ancient riverbeds on Mars suggests that the Red Planet may once have been much wetter than previously thought. Researchers looked at fluvial sinuous ridges, also known as inverted channels, across Noachis Terra – a region in Mars’ southern highlands. These are believed…
A mystery interstellar object discovered last week is likely to be the oldest comet ever seen – possibly predating our solar system by more than three billion years, researchers say. The “water ice-rich” visitor, named 3I/ATLAS, is only the third known object from beyond our solar system ever spotted in…
NASA has selected three instruments to travel to the Moon, with two planned for integration onto an LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) and one for a future orbital opportunity. The LTV is part of NASA’s efforts to explore the lunar surface as part of the Artemis campaign and is the first…
