Sharper than lightning: Oxford’s one-in-6. 7-million quantum breakthrough

Physicists at the University of Oxford have set a new global benchmark for the accuracy of controlling a single quantum bit, achieving the lowest-ever error rate for a quantum logic operation — just 0.000015%, or one error in 6.7 million operations. This record-breaking result represents nearly an order of magnitude…

Sun unleashes monster solar storm: Rare G4 alert issued for earth

Local weather alerts are familiar warnings for potentially dangerous conditions, but an alert that puts all of Earth on warning is rare. On May 31, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) space-based instrumentation captured real-time observations of a powerful Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) that erupted from the Sun initiating a “severe…

New discovery: Tylenol stops pain at the nerves, before it hits the brain

A new study from Hebrew University reveals that acetaminophen doesn’t just work in the brain — it also blocks pain at its source by acting on nerve endings in the body. The researchers found that its active metabolite, AM404, shuts down specific sodium channels in pain-sensing neurons, stopping pain signals…

This overlooked supplement could help you think sharper and age better

Creatine, the supplement popular with athletes for its ability to help build strength and power, is increasingly being recognized for its broad health benefits. The compound’s usefulness extends well beyond the gym, according to Dr. Richard Kreider, professor and director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M…

How madagascar’s lizards became the island’s last hope for reforestation

After the island of Madagascar drifted away from India 88 million years ago, isolating it from all other landmasses, its flora and fauna evolved in seclusion. As these transformed into plants and animals completely unique to their island, Madagascar became a biodiversity hotspot unlike anywhere else on Earth. An important…

Scientists reveal the hidden pause that keeps bee colonies alive

Some queens don’t rule nonstop. A new study from the University of California, Riverside shows that even bumble bee queens, the sole founders of their colonies, take regular breaks from reproduction — likely to avoid burning out before their first workers arrive. In the early stages of colony building, bumblebee…

Scientists may have spotted a giant new planet forming

An international team of astronomers led by University of Galway, has discovered the likely site of a new planet in formation, most likely a gas giant planet up to a few times the mass of Jupiter. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile, the researchers…

Planets may start forming before their stars are even done

Star and planet formation has largely been considered separate, sequential processes. But in a new study, scientists at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have modeled a different scenario where planets start developing early — during the final stages of stellar formation — rather than after this phase ends, as previously assumed.…

How a common antibiotic fuels bacterial resistance

Antibiotics are supposed to wipe out bacteria, yet the drugs can sometimes hand microbes an unexpected advantage. A new study from Rutgers Health shows that ciprofloxacin, a staple treatment for urinary tract infections, throws Escherichia coli (E. coli) into an energy crisis that saves many cells from death and speeds…

Shocking brain cancer breakthrough: Electric fields supercharge immune assault

A new study led by Keck Medicine of USC researchers may have uncovered an effective combination therapy for glioblastoma, a brain tumor diagnosis with few available effective treatments. According to the National Brain Tumor Society, the average survival for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma is eight months. The study finds that…

The dopamine clock: How your brain predicts when you’ll feel good

A small region of the brain, known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), plays a key role in how we process rewards. It produces dopamine, a neuromodulator that helps predict future rewards based on contextual cues. A team from the universities of Geneva (UNIGE), Harvard, and McGill has shown that…

Burning for Beauty: How TikTok Skin Trends Are Harming Young Girls

It turns out when teens on TikTok say, “Get ready with me,” it can be more harmful than they might realize. rs, authors caution only 26% of daytime skin care regimens contain sunscreen Videos ’emphasize lighter, brighter skin’ and set a high standard of beauty It turns out when teens…

Krakencoder predicts brain function 20x better than past methods

Using an algorithm they call the Krakencoder, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine are a step closer to unraveling how the brain’s wiring supports the way we think and act. The study, published June 5 in Nature Methods, used imaging data from the Human Connectome Project to align neural activity with…

Common supplement reverses premature aging in landmark human trial

Werner syndrome (WS), a rare genetic disorder that causes accelerated aging. From their twenties, patients develop gray hair, hair loss, cataracts, diabetes, and other age-related conditions normally seen in the elderly. Additionally, patients develop severe and untreatable skin ulcers, often requiring limb amputation, and face early death from cardiovascular diseases…

Why past mass extinctions didn’t break ecosystems—But this one might

Two major environmental shifts have triggered global transformations in large herbivore communities. A new study with researchers from the University of Gothenburg show how these ecosystems remained remarkably resilient despite extinction and upheaval. From mastodons to ancient rhinos and giant deer, large herbivores have been shaping Earth’s landscapes for millions…

5-minute STI test poised to transform sexual health diagnostics

Birmingham spin-out Linear Diagnostics has been awarded £1m funding to finalise the development of a rapid test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in partnership with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation and the North East Innovation Lab, part of Newcastle Hospitals. Linear is developing a…

New evidence reveals advanced maritime technology in the philippines 35,000 years ago

In 15 years of groundbreaking archaeological research, scientists from the Ateneo de Manila University, working with international experts and institutions, have established compelling evidence of the pivotal role of the Philippine archipelago in ancient maritime Southeast Asia. They uncovered a story of effective human migration, advanced technological innovation, and long-distance…

Earth’s core mystery solved: How solid rock flows 3,000 kilometers beneath us

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, shifting tectonic plates — these are all signs that our planet is alive. But what is revealed deep inside the Earth surprises laymen and scientists alike: Almost 3000 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, solid rock is flowing that is neither liquid, like lava, nor brittle like solid…

Photonic quantum chips are making AI smarter and greener

One of the current hot research topics is the combination of two of the most recent technological breakthroughs: machine learning and quantum computing. An experimental study shows that already small-scale quantum computers can boost the performance of machine learning algorithms. This was demonstrated on a photonic quantum processor by an…

Photons Collide in the Void: Quantum Simulation Creates Light Out of Nothing

Using advanced computational modelling, a research team led by the University of Oxford, working in partnership with the Instituto Superior Técnico in the University of Lisbon, has achieved the first-ever real-time, three-dimensional simulations of how intense laser beams alter the ‘quantum vacuum’ — a state once assumed to be empty,…

How outdated phones can power smart cities and save the seas

Each year, more than 1.2 billion smartphones are produced globally. The production of electronic devices is not only energy-intensive but also consumes valuable natural resources. Additionally, the manufacturing and delivery processes release a significant amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, devices are aging faster than ever — users replace…

Hidden in your dna: The mutation combo that raises clot risk by 180%

Blood clots can form in both arteries and veins. However, the reasons behind them differ, as do the consequences and the chances of preventing blood clots. In Sweden, almost half of all cases of venous thrombosis have a genetic explanation. A team of researchers from Lund University in Sweden has…

160 million years ago, this fungus pierced trees like a microscopic spear

Blue-stain fungi constitute a distinctive group of wood-colonizing fungi which lack the ability to decompose wood lignocellulose, yet are capable of causing significant wood discoloration. Though these fungi are generally nonfatal to their hosts, they often accelerate tree mortality when associated with wood-boring insects. Molecular phylogenetic analyses suggest that blue-stain…

Whales blow bubble rings—And they might be talking to us

A team of scientists from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis documented, for the first time, humpback whales producing large bubble rings, like a human smoker blowing smoke rings, during friendly interactions with humans. This previously little studied behavior may represent play or communication. Humpback whales…

Drone tech uncovers 1,000-year-old native american farms in michigan

With its cold climate, short growing season, and dense forests, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is known as a challenging place for farming. But a new Dartmouth-led study provides evidence of intensive farming by ancestral Native Americans at the Sixty Islands archaeological site along the Menominee River, making it the most complete…

Satellite tracking of 12,000 marine animals reveals ocean giants are in trouble

A sweeping new study is helping pinpoint where whales, sharks, turtles, and other ocean giants need the most protection and where current efforts fall short. Led by Ana Sequeira of Australian National University and supported by the United Nations, the research synthesized data from 12,000 satellite-tracked animals across more than…

Lighting up earthquakes: How scientists watched ruptures evolve in milliseconds

Researchers have developed a laboratory earthquake model that connects the microscopic real contact area between fault surfaces to the possibility of earthquake occurrences. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this breakthrough demonstrates the connection between microscopic friction and earthquakes, offering new insights into earthquake mechanics and…

This battery self-destructs: Biodegradable power inspired by

In the Mission: Impossible films, superspy Ethan Hunt — played by Tom Cruise — gets orders from his superiors on various devices that self-destruct in five seconds. Could electronics disintegrate into nothing in real life? Binghamton University Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi has researched disposable “papertronics” over the past 20 years,…