UW study: Flaw in rover tests risks future Mars missions
New computer simulations reveal a critical flaw in how space agencies test rovers, leading to overly optimistic predictions for missions on the moon and Mars.
The Viewpoint: A new observatory is assembling the most complete time-lapse record of the night sky ever
Now operational, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is creating a 10-year movie of the universe to investigate everything from the nature of dark matter to the threat of nearby asteroids.
Physicists solve 90-year-old quantum damping puzzle
Physicists have solved a longstanding quantum puzzle by describing how atomic-scale vibrations lose energy, opening the door to new ultra-precise sensor technologies.
New AI uses ‘curved space’ for explosive memory recall
A groundbreaking study reveals how Curved Neural Networks use geometry to create AI with explosive, "lightbulb moment" memory recall, paving the way for more powerful and brain-like computing.
Scientists see atoms’ quantum dance for the 1st time
Scientists capture the first direct images of collective quantum fluctuations, revealing the constant, coordinated "dance" of atoms within a molecule as predicted by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
Bumblebee catfish climb Brazil waterfalls in mass migration
Scientists document thousands of rare bumblebee catfish climbing waterfalls in Brazil for the first time, a behavior believed to be a critical part of their reproductive migration.
ETH team cools nanoparticle to quantum ground state at room temp
Scientists have successfully cooled a levitated nanoparticle to its quantum ground state at room temperature, achieving a record-breaking level of purity and paving the way for advanced quantum sensors.
New Datavzrd tool makes data visualization easy, no code needed
The new open-source tool Datavzrd allows scientists to create portable, interactive data reports from complex tables without needing any programming knowledge or specialized software.
How Fire, Not Spears, Wiped Out America’s Giants
Researchers at the La Brea Tar Pits discovered that a combination of climate change and massive, human-sparked wildfires—not just hunting—led to the extinction of North America’s megafauna.
This Rock Is Older Than the Solar System
Containing the building blocks of DNA and stardust older than the Sun, the Murchison meteorite offers an unprecedented glimpse into the origins of our solar system and life itself.