Headlines

JWST may have found where heavy black hole seeds formed

Astrophysicists think that the supermassive black holes (SMBH) we see in the modern universe are the result of a long, drawn-out process. That process is referred to as the hierarchical black hole mergers framework. It explains how some SMBHs can reach such staggering masses.

Why are we so squeamish about eating hagfish?

When fishers are out working their boats, they are typically targeting a specific type of fish. However, other species often end up in their nets or trawls as well. This is known as "bycatch"—seafood for which the fishers receive no payment. Although it is illegal to discard

Fingernail-sized chip untangles mixed light into clean beams

Stanford engineers and colleagues designed a chip that can take a muddled mixture of light from multiple lasers and output clean beams of light. It's the first time researchers have demonstrated a device that can take in mixed, or partially coherent, light and sort its photons

Unpacking wheat's water use for drought research

Researchers at The University of Queensland have developed a way to quantify how wheat varieties capture and convert soil water. Dr. Raul Gimenez from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation said the technique could be used to identify drought-tolerant crops.

Ceres' water ice can mask massive surface salt deposits

The dwarf planet Ceres is arguably one of the most overlooked and underappreciated planetary objects in the solar system. This could be because while Ceres has the same dwarf planet designation as Pluto, Ceres is largely considered an "asteroid" since it resides in the main

Climate change is making the tropics hotter

A new study finds that tropical areas often thought to be safe from the effects of climate change are actually experiencing significant changes in rainfall and extreme temperature events. The paper, "Shifting climate in Caribbean tropical forests: Long-term trends at La Selva

When to move is key to mobile retail

In recent years, the principle behind the humble ice cream truck has been getting a high-tech makeover. Retailers are reinventing mobile stores—both people-piloted and self-driving—often selling perishable items such as baked goods or fresh meals. BPM Analytics projects sales