Gem-filled rivers and striped mountain ridges form a giant ‘Y’ in China’s revitalized desert — Earth seen from space
simple facts Where is it? Taklamakan Desert, China [38.459991514, 80.87050739] What is in the photo? A river and mountains forming a huge Y-shape Which satellite took the photo?Landsat 9 When was it taken? September 11, 2025 This striking satellite photo shows a giant letter Y lurking in the heart of China’s recently transformed desert. This […]
Exotic prime numbers may be hiding inside black holes
Like physics, mathematics has its own “fundamental particles,” or prime numbers, which cannot be decomposed into smaller natural numbers. They can only be divided by themselves and by 1. In a new development, it turns out that these mathematical “particles” offer a new way to tackle physics’ deepest mysteries. Over the past year, researchers have […]
A 2,000-year-old Phoenician coin was used as bus fare in Britain, but ‘how it was acquired remains an eternal mystery’
It turns out that an interesting coin left in a bus driver’s cash register in Britain in the 1950s has ancient origins. The coin was minted 2,000 years ago in what is now southern Spain. More than 70 years later, the grandson of a former transit cashier has donated the mysteriously acquired coin to a […]
For people with epilepsy, sleeping after a seizure can cause more seizures
Sleep may encode seizures in the brain by recycling memory consolidation processes, potentially making them harder to treat and prevent, a new study suggests. But new research also suggests possible ways to counter its effects. It uses electrical stimulation to prevent the brain from “remembering” the seizure, the researchers say. “This opens up a whole […]
California wildfire season is changing, with an increase in fires following traditional high-risk periods, study finds
Climate change is shifting wildfire seasons in North America, but the direction of those changes depends on local ecosystems, a new study shows. On average, fire seasons are moving forward in the northern boreal forests of Alaska and Canada. Almost no changes can be seen in the grassland area. And the dry West and California’s […]
The world’s smallest QR code can store thousands of years of data, but you’ll need an electron microscope to see it
Scientists have created the world’s smallest QR code, measuring just 3.07 × 10⁻⁹ square inches (1.98 square micrometers). The data can be stored for thousands of years and is so small that you need an electron microscope to see it. Each pixel in a QR code is just 49 nanometers in diameter, even smaller than […]
Asante Spider: A rare African sword ornament found on Ghana’s Gold Coast that later helped save a Texas man’s life.
The golden sword ornaments of the Asante Empire are distinctive in the shape of a spider. (Image credit: Image courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art, McDermott African Art Acquisition Fund) simple facts Name: Asante Spider What is it: gold sword ornaments Birthplace: Kumasi, Ghana When made: late 19th century The Asante Empire (also known as […]
Creating a ‘digital twin’ of yourself could revolutionize future surgeries and make medical procedures more personal
Dr. John Pandolfino jokes that he comes from a generational family of electricians and plumbers, and continues to follow the family business as a gastroenterologist. That’s because the esophagus, the organ that transports food from the mouth to the stomach, is essentially a pipe with electrical wiring attached to it, he said. Mr. Pandolfino is […]
Replacing humans with machines leaves truckloads of food stranded and unusable
Supermarket shelves can appear full, despite the strain on the food system beneath them. The fruits are neatly stacked, and the cooled meat is placed in its place. The supply chain appears to be working well. But looks can be deceiving. Today, food moves through the supply chain as it is recognized by databases, platforms […]
‘Exposed Skull’ reveals its dark secret in new images from the James Webb Telescope: Space Photo of the Week
simple facts What it is: Nebula PMR 1, also known as “Exposed Cranium” Location: 5,000 light years away, in the constellation Vela Share date: February 25, 2026. The powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed never-before-seen details of a cosmic “skull” made of the glowing remains of a dying star. This brain object, named […]