Curiosities
Scientists Generate Optical Skyrmions Using a 200-Year-Old Experiment
NTU Singapore researchers created complex light structures called optical skyrmions by shining a laser at a small disc, no exotic materials required.
Curiosities
Curiosities
Common Pesticide Alters Gene Activity and Reproduction in Bumblebees
Researchers found that sulfoxaflor changes gene expression in bumblebee ovarian tissue, potentially reducing offspring and contributing to population decline.
Curiosities
James Webb Telescope Maps the Cosmic Web in Unprecedented Detail
JWST's largest-ever survey reveals how galaxies have evolved over 13 billion years within the vast structure known as the cosmic web.
Curiosities
CERN Shuts Down Large Hadron Collider Until 2030 for Major Upgrade
The LHC has entered a four-year shutdown for upgrades. It will return in 2030 as the High-Luminosity LHC, colliding 10 times more particles.
Curiosities
AI-Powered Worm Can Spread Across Networks Without Human Guidance
Researchers built an AI worm that autonomously spreads across networks by finding and exploiting vulnerabilities — no human intervention required.
Curiosities
Andean People Evolved a Gene to Safely Process Arsenic
A population in the Argentinian Andes carries a gene variant that helps them metabolize arsenic more safely after thousands of years of exposure.
Curiosities
Cape Leopards Are Genetically Unique — And Smaller for a Reason
A whole-genome study reveals South Africa's Cape leopards form a distinct genetic group, isolated for 20,000 years and adapted to smaller prey.
Curiosities
Planetary Flybys May Have Triggered Earth's Worst Mass Extinctions
A physicist proposes that gravitational tides from passing dwarf planets could explain mass extinctions that lack asteroid impact evidence.
Curiosities
Earth's Oldest Known Asteroid Crater Dated to 3 Billion Years Ago
A new analysis of ancient crystals confirms Australia's North Pole Dome as Earth's oldest known impact crater, at roughly 3.02 billion years old.
Curiosities
Liking Onions May Be Linked to Lower Diabetes and Blood Pressure Risk
A new study finds that a genetic preference for onions is associated with lower odds of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Curiosities
Losing Deep Sleep After 60 Raises Dementia Risk by 27 Percent
A 2023 study found that adults over 60 who lose just 1 percent of slow-wave sleep per year are 27 percent more likely to develop dementia.
Curiosities
New Zealand's Million-Year Cave Holds a Bird Nobody Expected
A cave near Waitomo yielded fossils of 16 species from 1 million years ago, including a parrot that may have flown.
Curiosities
Sperm Whales Are Developing Distinct Dialects in the Mediterranean Sea
Scientists have identified two distinct vocal dialects among Mediterranean sperm whales, offering rare evidence of cultural evolution in the wild.
Curiosities
The Vitamin That May Change What Glioblastoma Can Do
A clinical trial at the University of Calgary is testing high-dose niacin against glioblastoma, with early results that surprised the research team.
Curiosities
Many Older Adults Improve Cognitively and Physically Over Time
A Yale study found nearly half of adults 65+ improved in cognitive or physical function over 12 years, with positive aging beliefs playing a key role.