The reliquary of the holy crib: the remains of Jesus’ manger from Bethlehem
simple facts Name: Holy Crib Contents: 5 pieces of plane tree wood Birthplace: Jerusalem Created: Around 4-6 BC In the 640s, Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem sent several modest wooden planks to Rome for safekeeping after the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem. Sophronius asked Pope Theodore I to protect the piece of wood, and the pope stated […]
Why is Venus so bright?
If you look up at the sky at dawn or dusk when there is not a single cloud in the sky, you will easily spot Venus. Appearing as a bright, steady, glowing speck, it is the second brightest object in the night sky, after the moon. “This planet is about 100 times brighter than a […]
This week’s science news: Japan’s laser weapons test bids farewell to Comet 3I/ATLAS, AI solves ‘impossible’ math problem
This week’s science news featured some amazing innovations, including the development of a new type of quantum processor that will last 15 times longer than those used by Google and IBM. Manufactured from the rare earth element tantalum, this processor is an important step toward stable quantum computing. But scientists must overcome significant challenges, including […]
Scientists build ‘most accurate’ quantum computing chip ever thanks to new silicon-based computing architecture
After building a new kind of architecture, silicon quantum computing physicists have developed what they claim is the most accurate quantum computing chip ever designed. Representatives of the Sydney-based startup say its silicon-based atomic quantum computing chips have advantages over other types of quantum processing units (QPUs). That’s because the chip is based on a […]
Scientists discover ‘unprecedented celestial phenomenon’ around ‘Eye of Sauron’ star, just 25 light-years from Earth
Astronomers hoping to observe planets around nearby stars have witnessed an “unprecedented astronomical phenomenon” that is much rarer, the researchers said. It is the violent aftermath of not one, but two collisions between the planet’s rocky components. Over the past two decades, astronomers have witnessed two catastrophic collisions around the star Fomalhaut, located just 25 […]
What is the fastest rate a human can grow?
If you have teenagers or were once a teenager yourself, you’ve probably experienced this. Your child’s jeans may have fit perfectly in September, but by December they’re showing their ankles. Growth during adolescence can seem surprisingly rapid, with some teens growing 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) per year. But is this really […]
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is rapidly moving away from us. Can we ‘intercept’ it before it leaves us forever?
We’ve watched it speed through the solar system using the most powerful telescopes in human history. We’ve studied its light with probes whipping around the sun and robots marooned on Mars. Countless eyes watched it make its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19 — and yet, for all of this, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS […]
AI is solving ‘impossible’ math problems. Can it best the world’s top mathematicians?
In October 2024, news broke that Facebook parent company Meta had cracked an “impossible” problem that had stymied mathematicians for a century. In this case, the solvers weren’t human. An artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by Meta determined whether solutions of the equations governing certain dynamically changing systems — like the swing of a pendulum […]
1,400 years ago, Nubians tattooed their young children. Archaeologists are trying to figure out why.
Archaeologists discovered mummified bodies in Sudan and discovered that children as young as 18 months old had their faces tattooed 1,400 years ago in the Nile Valley region. Furthermore, this practice coincided with the introduction of Christianity to the area known as Nubia. “If the tattoo was a symbol of the person’s Christian beliefs, it […]
Japan trials 100-kilowatt laser weapon – capable of cutting metal and drones while in flight
Japan has deployed a system that fires laser beams with 100 kilowatts of energy, powerful enough to disable small drones. It was installed on a 6,200 ton (6.3 million kg) warship. The weapon combines 10 lasers (each with a power output of 10 kW) into a single 100 kW beam, providing enough concentrated power to […]