Science News

Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.

A quantum prediction from 1931 just came to life
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A quantum prediction from 1931 just came to life

Nearly a century after physicist Hans Bethe predicted them, scientists have created and directly observed unusual quantum states known as “Bethe strings” in an ultracold gas. By cooling cesium atoms to near absolute zero and trapping them in thousands of tiny one-dimensional tubes, researchers were able to make groups of atoms bind together without ordinary chemical bonds. These strange clusters could contain six or more particles and even collide with one another without falling apart.

📅 2026-10-09 08:25:24    •    ScienceDaily
NASA astronauts splash down after 100 million miles in space
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NASA astronauts splash down after 100 million miles in space

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts have returned to Earth after 237 days in space, traveling more than 100 million miles and completing over 3,792 orbits while conducting research to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The mission also made history with record-setting spacewalk achievements and experiments that could transform medicine both in space and on Earth.

📅 2026-10-09 03:56:28    •    ScienceDaily
Scientists create new statewide surface geologic map of Nebraska
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Scientists create new statewide surface geologic map of Nebraska

A new academic paper by Paul Hanson and Matthew Joeckel of the Conservation and Survey Division in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's School of Natural Resources contains a brief phrase—"new linework"—that looks innocuous but carries enormous meaning.

📅 2026-10-09 03:40:01    •    Phys.org
October’s night sky is full of cosmic tricks and treats
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October’s night sky is full of cosmic tricks and treats

October’s skies are packed with celestial surprises, from Jupiter disappearing behind the Moon to two meteor showers lighting up the darkness. NASA highlights four must-see events, including shooting stars from Halley’s Comet and a glowing Hunter’s Moon just before Halloween.

📅 2026-10-09 02:37:22    •    ScienceDaily
Nearly 30,000 people tested quit-smoking methods. One stood out
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Nearly 30,000 people tested quit-smoking methods. One stood out

Nicotine e-cigarettes appear to help more smokers quit than patches, gum, and several other common approaches, according to a major review of 80 clinical trials. Researchers say regulated vaping products are not risk-free, but may be a significantly less harmful alternative for people who would otherwise continue smoking.

📅 2026-10-09 02:07:28    •    ScienceDaily
Research shows how AI and mixed reality can enhance police work
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Research shows how AI and mixed reality can enhance police work

How can AI provide police officers with better support in complex situations? In an interdisciplinary collaboration, researchers in police research and computing science at Umeå University have explored the opportunities and risks associated with using AI-based interactive systems in police work.

📅 2026-10-09 02:00:01    •    Phys.org
Most trading card packs hide the odds of winning rare cards, study finds
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Most trading card packs hide the odds of winning rare cards, study finds

Pokémon, sports and other physical trading and collectible cards have been around for decades but have surged in popularity since COVID. These cards are usually obtained through gambling-like packs containing random cards. Most packs do not offer any highly desirable cards, but a few packs will. Consumers, often including children, therefore buy many packs in the hope of obtaining rare chase cards.

📅 2026-10-09 01:40:01    •    Phys.org
Introducing LGBT stories linked to more inclusive attitudes in primary schools
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Introducing LGBT stories linked to more inclusive attitudes in primary schools

Can literature foster greater acceptance of LGBT people among elementary school students? This is the core question behind a study conducted by researchers Guillermo Soler, María Ribes and José Rovira-Collado from the Language and Literature Didactics area of the Department of Teaching Innovation and Training at the University of Alicante (UA).

📅 2026-10-09 01:20:06    •    Phys.org
Scientists tested 5 natural compounds on cancer cells. One stood out
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Scientists tested 5 natural compounds on cancer cells. One stood out

Five natural compounds, including curcumin and berberine, were tested for their effects on cancer cells and healthy muscle cells. All disrupted cancer cell energy production and pushed many of the cells into a non-dividing state, with curcumin producing the strongest overall effect. Curcumin also showed a relatively favorable safety profile, while some other compounds caused more toxicity.

📅 2026-10-09 01:15:59    •    ScienceDaily
Only 9% of major companies use biodiversity indicators, study finds
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Only 9% of major companies use biodiversity indicators, study finds

Biodiversity indicators can help companies make more sustainable decisions. But only 9% of the world's largest companies in sectors with a major impact on biodiversity use such indicators, according to a new study from Lund University. The researchers also show that different indicators can lead to different conclusions and present seven recommendations for how they should be used.

📅 2026-10-08 23:40:14    •    Phys.org
The genetic switch behind the butterfly's enhanced visual world of color
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The genetic switch behind the butterfly's enhanced visual world of color

Many insects see the world through hundreds of tiny lenses that are grouped together in a visual organ known as the compound eye. Behind each lens sits a cluster of eight light-detecting cells arranged in a pattern that scientists believe has existed for hundreds of millions of years.

📅 2026-10-08 23:40:09    •    Phys.org
Stratospheric winds can warn of extreme energy demand in Europe
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Stratospheric winds can warn of extreme energy demand in Europe

A breakdown of normal polar winds in winter raises the chance of extreme cold—and a resulting spike in energy demand—in Europe, new research shows. Normally, strong and stable westerly winds circle high above the Arctic in the winter, in what is known as the "stratospheric polar vortex."

📅 2026-10-08 23:10:09    •    Phys.org
Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia
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Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia

A new paper published in the journal Phytotaxa describes a new species in the genus Victoria, the Colombian giant water lily (Victoria colombiana). With only three other known species in the genus, V. colombiana joins the pantheon of nature's giants with pads measuring up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) across.

📅 2026-10-08 23:10:06    •    Phys.org
Bees struggle to smell flowers when air pollutants combine
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Bees struggle to smell flowers when air pollutants combine

Bees, moths and other pollinating insects have a harder time smelling flowers in polluted air, according to research led by the University of Reading. Scientists analyzed 22 experimental studies on how the air pollutants ozone and nitrogen oxides (NOx) affect pollinators. Both pollutants make it harder for pollinators to find flowers by breaking down or altering the scents that flowers give off.

📅 2026-10-08 23:10:02    •    Phys.org
Netherlands report maps ecological and social aspects of large-scale carbon removal
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Netherlands report maps ecological and social aspects of large-scale carbon removal

There is a strong national and international commitment to large-scale carbon removal from the atmosphere (Carbon Dioxide Removal, CDR) to achieve climate goals. But how do you do that responsibly? A study commissioned by the Climate Research Initiative Netherlands (KIN) and led by the University of Twente shows which ecological and social effects and preconditions must be taken into account.

📅 2026-10-08 23:00:01    •    Phys.org
Number of known species of giant waterlilies almost doubles
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Number of known species of giant waterlilies almost doubles

Victoria colombiana, a species of giant waterlilly now identified as a new speciesCarlos Magdalena Giant waterlilies are not exactly inconspicuous plants. But in the past few years, we have discovered no fewer than three new species, taking the total to five. The latest species to be described was identified with the help of social media, satellite photos and a mad jungle dash in the dark. “I think it’s incredible that we find something so new, which is so large, in this world where we think everything is already known,” says Maarten Christenhusz at the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, who has helped describe two of the new species. Read more Why rediscovering extinct species can ac...

📅 2026-10-08 23:00:00    •    New Scientist
Sentinel-3C returns its first views of Earth
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Sentinel-3C returns its first views of Earth

Just two weeks after it was launched, the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite returned its first images and measurements from two of its key instruments—a major milestone that confirms the satellite is working well and on track to monitor the health of Earth's oceans, land, cryosphere and atmosphere.

📅 2026-10-08 22:40:14    •    Phys.org