Headlines

A blueprint for visiting an interstellar comet

Sometime in 2029, the European Space Agency is scheduled to launch its Comet Interceptor Mission. The Interceptor will wait for a long-period comet to arrive in the inner solar system then set off on a trajectory to rendezvous with it. These objects are ancient and primordial,

A solid-state quantum processor based on nuclear spins

Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, have the potential of outperforming classical systems on some tasks. Instead of storing information as bits, like classical computers, they rely on so-called qubits, units of information

What happens to eagles after rehab?

There are many ways for an eagle to suffer a human-caused death. Electrocution, lead poisoning, vehicle collisions, or being shot, to name a few. Some of these deaths are "offset" through a provision within the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1962 (BGEPA) that requires

How cells change their minds and save their work in progress

All cells need to sense and respond to their environment, to know when to activate genes, build proteins, and carry out their basic functions. One of the most well-studied cellular responses is how they react during times of stress, such as when the temperature gets too high or

Human hair grows through 'pulling' not pushing, study shows

Scientists have found that human hair growth does not grow by being pushed out of the root; it's actually pulled upward by a force associated with a hidden network of moving cells. The findings challenge decades of textbook biology and could reshape how researchers think about

Hornet-eating frog shows remarkable venom resistance

Experiments reveal that pond frogs can eat highly venomous hornets without suffering noticeable damage, even after repeated stings. Most frogs successfully consumed hornets, including the notorious Asian giant hornet. This unusual resilience suggests that frogs may have evolved

Engineered imperfections supercharge graphene’s power

Researchers have discovered a new way to grow graphene that deliberately adds structural defects to enhance its usefulness in electronics, sensors, catalysts, and more. Using a specially shaped molecule called azupyrene, scientists can produce graphene films rich in beneficial