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Science News

Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.

Physicists can’t agree on how the Universe works
Science News

Physicists can’t agree on how the Universe works

A massive worldwide survey of physicists has revealed surprisingly little agreement about some of the universe’s biggest mysteries. No majority backed the standard cosmological model, a leading explanation for dark matter, or any single theory of quantum gravity. One area of stronger agreement stood out: 68% said the Big Bang does not necessarily represent the beginning of time. Researchers say the divisions show just how alive and unsettled the frontiers of physics remain.

📅 2026-09-13 13:15:56    •    ScienceDaily
A 1,000-fold longer charge lifetime helps organic catalyst produce solar hydrogen faster
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A 1,000-fold longer charge lifetime helps organic catalyst produce solar hydrogen faster

Researchers from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with researchers from the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of CAS, have developed a coumarin-linked covalent organic framework (COF) that enables high-efficiency photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production.

📅 2026-09-13 13:00:08    •    Phys.org
NASA's next great observatory could spot oceans on distant worlds
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NASA's next great observatory could spot oceans on distant worlds

We've found more than 5,500 exoplanets so far. Dozens of them are in the habitable zones of their parent stars, where, at least in theory, they could host an ocean. But we've never definitively found a liquid ocean on another planet.

📅 2026-09-13 13:00:04    •    Phys.org
Most men don’t know dairy is linked to prostate cancer risk
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Most men don’t know dairy is linked to prostate cancer risk

Most men may be missing an important dietary clue about prostate cancer. A new survey found that only 20% knew research has linked dairy consumption with increased prostate cancer risk, while 66% said they would consider avoiding dairy after learning about the connection. Studies have also associated plant-based diets with substantially lower risks of prostate cancer, progression, and recurrence.

📅 2026-09-13 12:58:06    •    ScienceDaily
Global warming is breaking a 400-year climate link between two oceans
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Global warming is breaking a 400-year climate link between two oceans

The Indian and Pacific oceans have been climatically linked for centuries, but scientists say that connection is now breaking down in an exceptional way. Ancient climate records suggest volcanoes disrupted the relationship in the past, while today human-caused warming appears to be driving a much more unusual shift.

📅 2026-09-13 12:18:05    •    ScienceDaily
Scientists are building a microscope powered by a quantum computer
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Scientists are building a microscope powered by a quantum computer

Scientists are combining an electron microscope with a quantum computer to squeeze far more information from each electron. The approach could reveal faint details with fewer electrons, helping protect fragile samples that conventional microscopy can damage.

📅 2026-09-13 12:03:59    •    ScienceDaily
Researchers pinpoint key early-universe measurement with record precision
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Researchers pinpoint key early-universe measurement with record precision

An international team, including researchers from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, has reached a major milestone in "precision cosmology" by measuring the amount of helium created in the universe's first five minutes with unprecedented accuracy.

📅 2026-09-13 12:00:01    •    Phys.org
NASA-backed scientists turn plastic waste into edible cookies
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NASA-backed scientists turn plastic waste into edible cookies

Scientists have engineered yeast to turn PET plastic and agricultural waste into ingredients for protein-rich, 3D-printed cookies called µBites. Developed partly for NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge, the system can produce proteins, fats, vitamins, and even vanilla flavoring from waste materials. Researchers hope the unusual technology could eventually help address both plastic pollution and food insecurity, while also supplying food in extreme environments such as deep-space missions.

📅 2026-09-13 11:54:36    •    ScienceDaily
Physicists discover a hidden “curveball” in quantum light
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Physicists discover a hidden “curveball” in quantum light

Researchers have experimentally demonstrated the optical Magnus effect for the first time, revealing that a tightly focused laser interacts most strongly with an atom slightly away from the beam’s center. The unexpected shift is similar to the physics that makes a spinning table tennis ball curve through the air. Because lasers are used to control qubits, the effect could create errors in quantum computers, but it might also provide a new way to couple qubits together.

📅 2026-09-13 11:22:01    •    ScienceDaily
AI uncovers hidden Ozempic side effects across 400,000 Reddit posts
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AI uncovers hidden Ozempic side effects across 400,000 Reddit posts

AI analysis of 400,000 Reddit posts found that users of drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound reported unexpected symptoms including menstrual changes, chills, hot flashes, and fatigue. Researchers cannot say the medications caused these problems, but the patterns may reveal overlooked signals worth studying.

📅 2026-09-13 10:46:19    •    ScienceDaily
Haunting Hubble telescope image captures cosmic cycle of destruction and creation —‬ Space photo of the week
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Haunting Hubble telescope image captures cosmic cycle of destruction and creation —‬ Space photo of the week

Quick factsWhat it is: The nebula LHA 120-N44Where it is: 160,000 light-years away, in the constellation DoradoWhen it was shared: Sept. 3, 2026It looks like a gigantic hole punched through a cloud, but this spectacular new image from the Hubble Space Telescope captures something more complicated: a cosmic cycle of destruction and creation, with one generation of stars tearing apart its birthplace while simultaneously helping a new generation form.LHA 120-N44 (N44, for short) is a nebula that lies about 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. From Earth, it appears in the constellation Dorado. This enormous, empty-looking region measu...

📅 2026-09-13 10:00:00    •    Live Science
Why do cats lick each other?
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Why do cats lick each other?

In a multicat household, it's common to see one cat licking another. When some people see this behavior, known as allogrooming ("allo" means "another individual"), they assume it's a sign of friendship. But is that really the case? Are there hidden, more complex reasons for why cats lick each other?While research into allogrooming is ongoing, scientists have suggested different explanations for why cats lick each other, including some social reasons and some more practical ones.Social bonding or social tension?The historical view, based on observations of free-roaming-cat colonies, was that allogrooming is a sign of affection and helps cats create and maintain bonds with other cats in their ...

📅 2026-09-13 09:00:00    •    Live Science
Venus’s pale yellow clouds may hide something surprisingly dark
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Venus’s pale yellow clouds may hide something surprisingly dark

A century-old mystery in Venus’s clouds just became more intriguing, as scientists calculated how strongly the unidentified material behind its dark ultraviolet patterns must absorb light. The results sharply narrow the possibilities and could help future spacecraft determine whether the mysterious substance is organic, inorganic, or something unexpected.

📅 2026-09-13 03:44:09    •    ScienceDaily
Scientists find water was fueling volcanoes 3 billion years ago
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Scientists find water was fueling volcanoes 3 billion years ago

Ancient rocks from Western Australia suggest water was reaching deep inside Earth more than three billion years ago, long before modern plate tectonics may have fully developed. Researchers propose that water-rich pieces of crust periodically sank into the mantle through a process they call “dripduction.” The buried water then helped produce magma and volcanic eruptions.

📅 2026-09-13 03:14:19    •    ScienceDaily
A hidden compound in healthy foods may worsen IBD
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A hidden compound in healthy foods may worsen IBD

A natural compound found in foods such as spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes may aggravate gut inflammation in people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis because their intestines appear to handle it differently. Researchers say the finding could open the door to lower-oxalate diets or microbiome treatments tailored specifically to people with IBD.

📅 2026-09-13 02:47:41    •    ScienceDaily
Ozempic and Wegovy may raise hair loss risk in some men
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Ozempic and Wegovy may raise hair loss risk in some men

GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound may increase hair-loss risk by 7% in men who are already genetically susceptible to male-pattern baldness. The findings suggest thinning hair may not be caused only by rapid weight loss and could also reflect a biological link between GLP-1 activity and hair follicles.

📅 2026-09-13 02:18:14    •    ScienceDaily
Scientists discover a hidden switch that shuts down inflammation
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Scientists discover a hidden switch that shuts down inflammation

Scientists have uncovered a natural braking system that helps the immune system switch off inflammation and prevent harmful immune cells from building up. Boosting this pathway in people reduced inflammation-related immune changes and sped up pain relief, pointing toward potential new treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases.

📅 2026-09-13 01:44:05    •    ScienceDaily
AI could make holiday planning easier for overwhelmed travelers
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AI could make holiday planning easier for overwhelmed travelers

Generative AI could help overwhelmed travelers organize their thoughts, compare options and complete vacation plans they might otherwise abandon, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

📅 2026-09-13 00:30:01    •    Phys.org