Number 375
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New research reveals that almost half of Canadians believe in the paranormal—ghosts and all
What is the paranormal, exactly? It refers to phenomena that science cannot explain and are not part of a major religion in a particular society. For example, in Canada, psychic abilities and Bigfoot or Sasquatch are considered paranormal, while angels and demons are associated with religion.
Animals that eat poisons and don’t die
Critters consuming species that contain deadly toxins have evolved a suite of clever strategies to keep out of harm’s way.
Brain-inspired AI could cut energy use and boost performance
Researchers have shown that mimicking the brain’s sparse and structured neural wiring can significantly improve the performance of artificial neural networks—used in generative AI and other modern AI models such as ChatGPT—without sacrificing accuracy.
New images reveal the Milky Way’s stunning galactic plane in more detail than ever before
The Milky Way is a rich and complex environment. We see it as a luminous line stretching across the night sky, composed of innumerable stars. But that’s just the visible light.
Nanotyrannus confirmed: Dueling dinosaurs fossil rewrites the story of T. rex
What if everything we know about T. rex growth is wrong? A complete tyrannosaur skeleton has just ended one of paleontology’s longest-running debates.
Bowhead whales’ secret to long life may lie in a protein known as CIRBP
As humans age, we become more vulnerable to cancer and other diseases. Bowhead whales, however, can live for up to 200 years while staying remarkably disease resistant.
The commercialization of clothing-type wearable robots has taken a significant step forward with the development of equipment that can continuously and automatically weave ultra-thin shape memory alloy coil yarn—thinner than a human hair—into lightweight and flexible “fabric muscle” suitable for large-scale production.
Climate change inaction being paid for in millions of lives every year, global findings suggest
New global findings reveal that the continued overreliance on fossil fuels and failure to adapt to climate change is being paid in people’s lives, health, and livelihoods, with 12 of 20 indicators tracking health threats reaching unprecedented levels.
In a remote part of Antarctica’s western Weddell Sea, an area once hidden beneath a 200-meter-thick ice shelf, scientists have uncovered a new and unusual phenomenon: extensively maintained fish nesting grounds arranged in patterns.
Researcher improves century-old equation to predict movement of dangerous air pollutants
Most airborne particles are irregularly shaped. Yet the mathematical models used to predict how these particles behave typically assume they are perfect spheres, simply because the equations are easier to solve.
AI efficiency advances with spintronic memory chip that combines storage and processing
To make accurate predictions and reliably complete desired tasks, most artificial intelligence (AI) systems need to rapidly analyze large amounts of data. This currently entails the transfer of data between processing and memory units, which are separate in existing electronic devices.
Malaria parasites are full of wildly spinning iron crystals—scientists finally know why
Every cell of the deadly Plasmodium falciparum parasite, the organism that causes malaria, contains a tiny compartment full of microscopic iron crystals. As long as the parasite is alive, the crystals dance.
Floating solar panels are stressing the seafloor
Floating solar installations offer a tantalizing vision of sustainable energy—combining wind and solar power in the same offshore space. But according to new research, the seabed may be feeling the strain of such ingenuity.
Scientists Reveal Roof Coating That Can Reduce Surface Temperatures Up To 6C On Hot Days
Sydney researchers commercialising a product they say can cool indoor spaces and will cost little more than standard premium paints.
a Chorus of Synchronized Frequencies Helps You Digest Your Food
Synchronization abounds in nature: from the flashing lights of fireflies to the movement of fish wriggling through the ocean, biological systems are often in rhythmic movement with each other. The mechanics of how this synchronization happens are complex.
SpaceX: Starship Will Be Going To the Moon, With Or Without NASA
In what appears to be a direct response to the claim by NASA’s interim administrator Sean Duffy that SpaceX is “behind” in developing a manned lunar lander version of Starship, SpaceX today posted a detailed update of the status that project.
Mathematical Proof Debunks the Idea That the Universe Is a Computer Simulation
It’s a plot device beloved by science fiction: our entire universe might be a simulation running on some advanced civilization’s supercomputer.
NASA’s supersonic jet completes its first flight in California
Lockheed Martin and NASA are once again testing their X-59 Quesst aircraft.
Alien Worlds May Be Able To Make Their Own Water
Ocean planets could arise from rocks reacting with thick hydrogen atmospheres, lab experiments show.
Gallery of Winners and Finalists, 2025 Finalists
== yjc, expect it is true for much of the world
How China really spies on the UK
It is a question that successive governments have struggled with: what kind of threat does China really pose to the UK?
Six-million-year-old ice discovered in Antarctica offers unprecedented window into a warmer Earth
The oldest ice sample from Allan Hills dated by researchers clocks in at 6 million years, from a period in Earth’s history where abundant geological evidence indicates much warmer temperatures and higher sea levels compared to today.
A one-shot flu vaccine can beat avian flu strains before they appear
Scientists have developed a proof-of-concept vaccine that could offer broad protection against all known and emerging variants of highly pathogenic avian influenza (A5) viruses, including those that have yet to evolve.
New method can measure ocean acidification using ambient wind noise
Since the Industrial Revolution, scientists estimate that the ocean has become around 30% more acidic from the uptake of additional anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Ocean acidification has widespread effects, including loss of coral reefs and a decline in shellfish.
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ChatGPT’s Atlas: The Browser That’s Anti-Web
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, released their own browser called Atlas, and it actually is something new: the first browser that actively fights against the web.
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Humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head
Devastating consequences’ now inevitable but emissions cuts still vital, says António Guterres in sole interview before Cop30.
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Tracking the neural activity of undergrads reveals how the human brain learns to code
Computer programming powers modern society and enabled the AI revolution, but little is known about how our brains learn this essential skill.
Tiny galaxy, big find: Black hole discovered in nearby Segue 1
Small and unassuming, Segue 1 is a nearby dwarf galaxy containing only a handful of stars—too few to provide the gravity needed to keep itself from scattering into space. Like other dwarf galaxies, it was long believed that gravity from a mysterious substance called dark matter was the main binding force.1
Dwarf galaxies tip the scales in favor of dark matter over modified gravity
An international team has shed light on a decades-long debate about why galaxies spin faster than expected—and whether this behavior is caused by invisible dark matter or by a collapse of gravity on cosmic scales.
Teen builds advanced robotic hand from LEGO parts
The anthropomorphic device can grasp, move and hold objects with remarkable versatility and human-like adaptability.
How the Mayans were able to accurately predict solar eclipses for centuries
The Maya Civilization, from Central America, was one of the most advanced ancient civilizations, known for its significant achievements in astronomy and mathematics.
The ‘universal thermal performance curve’ that shackles evolution
Scientists have unearthed a universal thermal performance curve (UTPC) that seemingly applies to all species and dictates their responses to temperature change.
Arctic fossil is northern-most rhino species ever found
Discovery suggests animals crossed land bridge from Europe much longer than thought.
Jet Engine Shortages Threaten AI Data Center Expansion As Wait Times Stretch Into 2030
Wait times for mobile gas turbines stretch into the 2030s as hyperscalers race to buy every jet engine they can find.
Skip short strolls – a longer daily walk is better for your heart, says study
Walking for at least 15 minutes without stopping is ideal, it says. That’s about 1,500 steps in a row, which gives your heart a good workout.
== yjc
First Shape Found That Can’t Pass Through Itself
Imagine you’re holding two equal-size dice. Is it possible to bore a tunnel through one die that’s big enough for the other to slide through?
OpenAI’s Less-Flashy Rival Might Have a Better Business Model
OpenAI recently inked hundreds of billions of dollars of deals to build data centers filled with chips it hopes will further its AI dominance. But one of its rivals—the Amazon-backed developer Anthropic—has a clearer path to making a sustainable business out of AI.
Big Tech makes Cal state its AI training ground
Cal State, the largest U.S. university system with 460,000 students, recently embarked on a public-private campaign – with corporate titans including Amazon, OpenAI and Nvidia – to position the school as the nation’s “first and largest AI-empowered” university.
Record-breaking quantum key distribution transmission distance achieved alongside classical channels
Quantum key distribution (QKD) harnesses the power of quantum mechanics to securely transmit confidential information. When an outside source eavesdrops on a QKD transmission, the quantum states are affected. This dependably alerts the receiver and sender that the transmission is no longer secure.
== pretty neat looking
Ancient Scythian animal-style art began with functional objects, study finds
The Scythian animal style is a distinct artistic tradition characterized by its stylized animals. It has been found in various forms across the Eurasian steppe.
Floral-scented fungus lures mosquitoes to their doom
In the battle against mosquito-borne diseases that kill hundreds of thousands of people each year, scientists turned to an unlikely ally: a fungus that smells like flowers.
The beginning of the universe: Cosmic inflation with standard particle physics repertoire
How did the universe come into being? There are a multitude of theories on this subject.
How the brain’s activity, energy use and blood flow change as people fall asleep
A new study has used next-generation imaging technology to discover that when the brain is falling asleep, it shows a coordinated shift in activity.
In the summer of 1812, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte led about half a million soldiers to invade the Russian Empire. But by December, only a fraction of the army remained alive. Historical records suggest that starvation, cold, and typhus led to their demise.
Scientists discover elusive solar waves that could power the sun’s corona
The findings could finally explain one of the sun’s greatest mysteries—how its outer atmosphere, the corona, reaches temperatures of millions of degrees while its surface is only around 5,500°C.
Using entanglement to test whether gravity is quantum just got more complicated
ing gravity and quantum theory remains a significant goal in modern physics. Despite the success in unifying all other fundamental interactions with quantum mechanics and many attempts at explaining a “quantum gravity,” scientists are still coming up short.
Iceland Just Found Its First Mosquitoes
Iceland’s frozen, inhospitable winters have long protected it from mosquitoes, but that may be changing.
Sweden’s crowd-forecasting platform ‘Glimt’ helps Ukraine make wartime predictions
Glimt is an open platform that relies on the theory of “crowd forecasting”: a method of making predictions based on surveying a large and diverse group of people and taking an average.
Study Reveals How Hard It Is To Avoid Pesticide Exposure
Regulators closely monitor dietary intake of pesticides when deciding whether they are safe enough for the market, but little attention has been paid to the effects of breathing them in or absorbing them through the skin.
“The impulse to control knowledge is as old as knowledge itself. Controlling what gets written is a way to gain or keep power.”
- Ryan McGrady, senior research fellow at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, reflects on Elon Musk's desire to create his own online encyclopedia to the New York Times.