Physicist Calculates Star Trek’s Picard Maneuver Would Be Even More Effective in Reality
A physicist’s analysis of the Star Trek: The Next Generation trick suggests the tactic would work better outside the fictional universe.
Science
Space, physics, materials, and general research.
Dust and Marine Halogens: A Natural Sink for Tropospheric Ozone
Mineral dust can trigger marine halogen chemistry that destroys tropospheric ozone, an overlooked process with implications for air quality, crops, and climate.
New Amazonian frog species revealed by DNA and call
The discovery of Adenomera varcena underscores how much Amazonian biodiversity remains undocumented as threats to the region intensify.
Gravity Mapping Reveals Hidden Ice in Rock Glaciers
A new gravity-based technique lets scientists estimate how much water is locked inside rocky, debris-covered glaciers like Utah's Timpanogos.
Two Atmospheric Factors Behind Contradictory Wind Energy Trends
A new analysis shows that two basic atmospheric factors explain weak and contradictory global wind energy dissipation trends under climate change.
Youngest Known Planet Elias 2-24 b Is Under a Million Years Old
Astronomers have confirmed a Jupiter-size world still forming, a discovery that challenges leading theories of giant-planet formation.
Short Hourly Exercise Breaks May Sharpen Memory and Attention
Even a couple of minutes of walking or stretching each hour could improve memory and attention span.
Plug-in solar panels legal in UK but safety concerns persist
New Scientist reports that plug-in solar panels are now legal in Britain, yet unresolved safety risks continue to temper their appeal.
Volatile Organic Compounds Are a Missing Piece of the Carbon Cycle
Reactive carbon emissions from the land surface may be significantly undercounted, with implications for climate and ecosystem models.
Venus May Have Swallowed Its Own Moon
New simulations suggest Venus's slow rotation would cause a moon to spiral inward and collide with the planet.
Warming Makes Equatorial Storms Bigger and Longer-Lasting
Climate warming is expanding tropical storm footprints and extending their lifetimes, boosting total rainfall even as peak intensity stays flat.
Quiet Atlantic hurricane season nears 175-year milestone
Ars Technica reports that the Atlantic hurricane season is about to reach a record calm not seen in 175 years, but warns that the quiet may carry a price.
US military confirms first orbital space-control weapons
The Pentagon has publicly acknowledged deploying on-orbit weapons for the first time, signaling a new phase in space-based defense.
Solar desalination system turns seawater into fresh water without brine
A new solar-powered desalination method removes salt as a solid, eliminating harmful brine and enabling mineral recovery.
New Method Predicts Kondo Effect in Real Materials
Researchers have adapted quantum chemistry tools to calculate the Kondo effect from a material's true atomic structure, not simplified models.
Neutrino Identity Swaps in Supernovae Could Trigger Direct Collapse
New modeling suggests that neutrinos changing identity inside a dying star can carry away enough energy to make the core collapse directly into a black hole.
Black Hole Winds Found 100 Times More Powerful Than Expected
New XRISM observations show supermassive black hole winds drive turbulence across 300,000 light-years, far beyond their host galaxy.
Liquid Nitrogen Flow Spotted on Pluto's Surface
New Horizons data offer the first evidence that liquid nitrogen has recently flowed across Pluto, pointing to an active, dynamic world.