U.S. volunteers were pretty upbeat about the idea of finding space aliens, study finds Space rocks, such as asteroids, might transport the first extraterrestrials that reach Earth: tiny microbes. ZINCO79/ISTOCKPHOTO AUSTIN, Texas —…
Google moves toward quantum supremacy with 72-qubit computer
QUANTUM UPGRADE Google’s 72-qubit quantum chip (shown) could become the first to perform a calculation impossible for traditional computers. LOS ANGELES — Quantum computers are bulking up. Researchers from Google are testing a…
Drone captures humpback whales catching krill with bubbles
Duke Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab (NOAA Permit 14809-03, ACA Permit 2017-034) HUMPBACK whale surfaces, its mouth distended with krill and thousands of litres of water. It is the final stage…
‘Liquid biopsy’ promises early detection for cancer
A new blood test looks for DNA shed by tumor cells, such as these pancreatic cancer cells. ANNE WESTON/CANCER RESEARCH UK/VISUALS UNLIMITED, INC. A team of researchers has taken a major…
LSD Treatments Can Actually ‘Harmonise’ The Brain, Study Shows
In recent years, scientists have been uncovering potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic substances like psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) – it looks like they can ‘reset’ the brain in people with mental health…
Scientists observe a new quantum particle with properties of ball lightning
Scientists at Amherst College and Aalto University have created, for the first time a three-dimensional skyrmion in a quantum gas. The skyrmion was predicted theoretically over 40 years ago, but only now…
Caterpillar wrestling, next-generation CRISPR, and the troubled James Webb Space Telescope
(LEFT TO RIGHT): SHINJI SUGIURA; KC ROEYER/UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY; NASA/DESIREE STOVER/FLICKR (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) Thirteen million degrees of Kevin Bacon: World’s largest family tree shines light on life span, who marries…
Astronomers Glimpse Cosmic Dawn, When the Stars Switched On
For the first time, astronomers have glimpsed the dawn of the universe 13.6 billion years ago when the earliest stars were just beginning to glow. This image provided by the National Science…
Researchers create first stem cells using CRISPR genome activation
In a scientific first, researchers have turned skin cells from mice into stem cells by activating a specific gene in the cells using CRISPR technology. The innovative approach offers a potentially simpler…
Flights worldwide face increased risk of severe turbulence due to climate change
Flights all around the world could be encountering lots more turbulence in the future, according to the first ever global projections of in-flight bumpiness. A map of the percentage change in…