News
- Physics
The standard model of particle physics passed one of its strictest tests yet
An experiment with a single electron, trapped for months on end, produced one of the most precise tests yet of the standard model of particle physics.
- Archaeology
Homo sapiens may have brought archery to Europe about 54,000 years ago
Small stone points found in a French rock-shelter could have felled prey only as tips of arrows shot from bows, scientists say.
- Quantum Physics
Google’s quantum computer reached an error-correcting milestone
A larger array of quantum bits outperformed a smaller one in tests performed by Google researchers, suggesting quantum computers could be scaled up.
- Astronomy
The James Webb telescope found six galaxies that may be too hefty for their age
The galaxies formed in the universe’s first 700 million years and may be up to 100 times more massive than predicted.
- Life
Chemical signals from fungi tell bark beetles which trees to infest
As fungi break down defensive chemicals in trees, some byproducts act as signals to bark beetle pests, telling them which trees are most vulnerable.
- Science & Society
Lots of people feel burned out. But what is burnout exactly?
Researchers disagree on how to define burnout, or if the phenomenon is really another name for depression. Helping people cope at work still matters.
- Health & Medicine
A new treatment could restore some mobility in people paralyzed by strokes
Electrodes placed along the spine helped two stroke patients in a small pilot study regain control of their hands and arms almost immediately.
- Tech
This robot automatically tucks its limbs to squeeze through spaces
Inspired by ants, a robot with telescoping legs can crawl under low ceilings, climb over steps and move on grass, loose rock and mulch.
- Health & Medicine
Psychedelics may improve mental health by getting inside nerve cells
Psychedelics can get inside neurons, causing them to grow. This might underlie the drugs’ potential in combatting mental health disorders.
- Animals
Glassy eyes may help young crustaceans hide from predators in plain sight
Nanospheres in the eye reflect light that matches the color of the surrounding water, possibly making the animals invisible to nearby predators.
- Paleontology
Insect bites in plant fossils reveal leaves could fold shut millions of years ago
The 252-million-year-old fossil leaves have symmetrical holes, which suggest an insect bit through the leaves when they were folded.
- Climate
Rapid melting is eroding vulnerable cracks in Thwaites Glacier’s underbelly
Thwaites is melting slower than thought, but the worst of it is concentrated in underbelly cracks, threatening the Antarctica glacier’s stability.
