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Neutrinos: The “ghostly chameleons” of particle physics become even more mysterious
Experiments cannot confirm what theory predicts about neutrinos. And particle physicists have no idea why.
How the biggest earthquake in world history nearly destroyed a local civilization
Some of the coastal areas were not repopulated for millennia afterward, showing that there was a long-lasting memory of this tragic event.
Newly discovered fast radio burst challenges astronomers’ previous knowledge
The discovery calls into question the few things scientists know about these powerful astronomical phenomena.
Why slime is the perfect protection against wildfires
Fire-retardant gels and slimes combine the best attributes of water and foam.
The cosmos can kill us in many ways. But the James Webb Space Telescope can help save us
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will study many dangerous cosmic phenomena, knowledge of which may help save humanity.
How the universe got its magnetic field
Where did the “seed” magnetic field come from in the first place?
Mars “earthquakes”: Red Planet might have more seismic activity than we ever expected
There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on beneath the single plate of Mars.
We need a bigger Big Bang machine: The case for a new particle accelerator
Giant particle accelerators aren't a waste of money. They are essential for understanding the Universe.
Please, don’t build another Large Hadron Collider
A next-generation LHC++ could cost $100 billion. Here's why such a machine could end up being a massive waste of money.
There is no replication crisis in science. It’s the base rate fallacy.
The base rate fallacy may help to explain low reproducibility in various fields of science.
“Spooky” quantum biology might cause your DNA to mutate
The spooky world of quantum mechanics might reach out and touch you — by mutating your DNA. Welcome to the weird world of quantum biology.
What makes smoky, charred barbecue taste so good?
The chemistry of cooking over an open flame.
To find life on Mars, don’t follow the water — follow the salt
Researchers have discovered 830-million-year-old microbes living inside a salt rock on Earth. Could the same occur on Mars?
Martian sands offer new look into the planet’s ancient climate
A new study of Martian dust gives insights into the ancient Martian climate. The findings hint at a wetter world.
A rare “black widow” binary has the shortest orbit yet
"The pulsar sort of consumes the thing that recycled it, just as the spider eats its mate.”
Why is Titan’s landscape so Earth-like despite its different composition?
The answer may lie in the particular way sand forms on Titan.
Chinese rover makes surprise discovery about liquid water on Mars
Data from the Zhurong rover suggests the Red Planet was wet more recently than we thought.
Scientists watch a crystal being born
Crystallization is an entirely random process, so scientists have developed clever ways to investigate it at a molecular level.
No music on Mars: Sound is different on the red planet
The high pitches from the flute and the harp would reach your ears before the notes from the tuba and the cello.
Cryovolcanoes: How ice volcanoes reshaped the surface of Pluto
We have long thought that Pluto was completely frozen solid, but the discovery of cryovolcanoes challenges that assumption.
Time travel could be possible, but only with parallel timelines
Equations that describe time travel are fully compatible and consistent with relativity — but physics is not mathematics.
Physicists embark on a hunt for a long-sought quantum glow
Could we finally detect the elusive Unruh effect?
Europa’s similarity to Greenland suggests its hidden ocean is close to surface
Europa may be difficult to access. But if a recent study is correct, its subsurface ocean would be more accessible than previously thought.
How general relativity could help predict volcano eruptions
Extremely precise atomic clocks are not just of theoretical interest; they could help detect impending volcanic eruptions or melting glaciers.
A radio message will be sent to an alien solar system this year. What should it say?
There are pros and cons to sending interstellar messages to aliens that may or may not exist.
Volcano-triggered mass extinction paved the way for the dinosaurs
Volcanic activity caused the end-Triassic mass extinction 200 million years ago. The dinosaurs survived and rose to dominance.
What leaking helium-3 gas can tell us about Earth’s origin
Ancient helium-3 from the dawn of time leaks from the Earth, offering clues to our planet’s formation. A key question is where it leaks from.
Searching for Planet 9
Pluto failed to meet the definition of a planet, but some astronomers think there might be a legitimate Planet 9 out there.