Microbe ‘cities’ may solve a key ocean mystery
Some of Earth’s tiniest life-forms inhabit slowly sinking particles of fish poop and debris, playing a crucial role in ocean carbon storage.
Physicists just witnessed pinpricks of darkness moving faster than the speed of light — without breaking the laws of relativity
For the first time, researchers measured singularities in combined light and sound waves moving faster than the speed of light. The findings have implications in fluid dynamics, optics and many…
In physics first, Chinese scientists create rare ‘hexagonal diamond’ that’s harder than natural diamond
Researchers made small, pure samples of the elusive mineral lonsdaleite – also known as hexagonal diamond — and tested its material properties to show it's harder than diamond.
Scientists squished microbes into a steel ‘sandwich’ — and made a profound discovery about life in space
"Extremophile" bacteria could survive asteroid impacts that are strong enough to launch them into space, suggesting that life could travel between planetary bodies.
Robot libraries filled with tiny glass ‘books’ could store data for millennia
A Microsoft Research study suggests glass blocks etched with lasers could provide enduring data archives
Yellowstone’s earthquakes spark microbial boom deep underground
Earthquake swarms can supercharge microbial growth.
Physicists push quantum boundaries by turning a superfluid into a supersolid — and back — for the first time
Physicists saw excitons, a type of quasiparticle, undergo a reversible phase transition from superfluid to supersolid for the first time, opening new doors for studying extreme states of matter.
When an AI algorithm is labeled ‘female,’ people are more likely to exploit it
People who played the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” were less likely to cooperate when the other player was a male human or AI, and exploited female players.
Watch four flying cars go toe-to-toe in new ‘Formula One of the skies’
The Jetson One personal aircraft was recently demonstrated in a four-vehicle aerial race. The aircraft is designed for a single person, takes off and hovers like a helicopter, and can…
NASA’s ultraquiet supersonic ‘flying swordfish’ makes history with first test flight
NASA and Lockheed Martin’s X-59 "quiet" supersonic plane flew for the first time in October. It’s a major step towards reintroducing commercial supersonic flight in the United States.