How does gold keep its glitter? Researchers uncover why it resists tarnish

The discovery helps explain why gold jewelry and other gold objects can remain untarnished for centuries—and could also point the way toward designing more effective gold-based catalysts for industrial and energy-related applications.

The bigger the reward, the faster we learn, researchers find

Scientists long assumed that learning speed depends primarily on our experience—how many times we try and succeed—not the size of the reward. We become better at poker because we keep playing and winning, regardless of the purse being $100 or $100 million.

Common food preservatives linked to high blood pressure and heart disease

Experimental research in the literature consistently suggested that preservatives may cause oxidative stress in the body or affect the way the pancreas works.

Ice core discovery finds volcanic eruptions could cause greater global disruption than previously thought

The Newberry eruption is categorized as a VEI 4 event (Volcanic Explosivity Index), which is around 10 times smaller than the Mount St Helens eruption in 1980. However, researchers found that what was exceptional about this eruption was that its ash was transported across the United States and the Atlantic, over 5,000 km from its source.

Black holes may avoid singularities when charge and Hawking radiation combine, theoretical physicist argues

Black holes are regions in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, even light, can escape. Einstein’s theory of general relativity breaks down inside black holes, either by the presence of a so-called “curvature singularity” or “Cauchy horizon.”

Crystals of space and time: A structural phenomenon that may collapse into tiny black holes

Black holes usually form in spectacular events, such as the death of a massive star. But in theory, arbitrarily small black holes are also possible: tiny microscopic objects that can emerge from special critical states after the slightest addition of energy.

== believe we’ve seen something on this study before, haven’t checked
Belugas may have crossed a cognition line to join an elite group of animals

For humans, recognizing our reflection comes naturally, and we barely give it a second thought. Called mirror self-recognition (MSR), it is widely considered a sign of self-awareness and cognitive development. In the animal kingdom, this ability, as far as we know, is incredibly rare.

== I have worked (code) with tensors at a really simple level
Quantum supremacy just ran into an unexpected rival

The problem at hand involves simulating a quantum system composed of hundreds of interacting “qubits”—the quantum computing equivalent of the bits used in classical computers—arranged in square, cubic, or diamond lattices. While bits can have values of 0 or 1, qubits can exist in a superposition of multiple values, making it challenging for traditional computers to simulate their dynamics.

Decades after Chernobyl disaster, this radioactive landscape has become one of wildlife’s most unlikely strongholds

An hour after midnight on 26 April 1986, a catastrophic explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant caused loss of human life, left people scrambling to flee, and within days, the entire area of Pripyat and Chernobyl had become a desolate wasteland.

Birds clap in the dark to flirt

Some birds sing to attract a mate. Others dance or display colorful feathers. But in the moonlit forests and shrublands of northern Argentina, one bird courts romance by snapping its wrists together, producing a sharp clapping sound scientists have puzzled over for decades.

How you map numbers in your mind isn’t universal

Imagine taking out a 12-inch ruler and finding that the number 12 is on the left side and the number 1 is on the right side. For most native English speakers, this would be disorienting. We are used to seeing the numbers move from smallest to largest, from left to right. When this layout flips, people struggle because the numbers are now in the “wrong” place.

Handwriting speed may be a sign of cognitive decline in older people

Handwriting requires a combination of fine motor control and a complex set of mental skills, such as selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information, making it a cognitively challenging task.

Scientists improve knowledge on sea level rise—and confirm it has been accelerating since 1960

Sea level rise is a direct consequence of human-induced climate change: global warming. It is relentless and very hard to stop. It arises from human-induced warming and the consequential expansion of the ocean, plus the addition of more and more water from melting glaciers and ice sheets. It will continue long into the future.

This simple muscle-saving duo may give aging bodies their best chance at staying strong

Watching older family members slowly grow weaker with age is something most of us dread, but have come to accept as inevitable. While a loss of muscle strength—sarcopenia—is a natural part of aging, scientists have found that certain tweaks to diet and exercise may help improve muscle strength and mass.

== certainly see that in the coyotes and racoons around here
Urban life makes animals bolder, more aggressive across 133 species, analysis finds

The researchers also warn that it’s not just species that we’re used to seeing in cities—like rats, gulls and pigeons—that are becoming bolder. The same behavioral shifts are being seen in species that are more commonly associated with rural habitats, but which are now adapting to urban life.

How a 4,000-year-old city defied history’s ‘rules’ by becoming more equal as it became more successful

For decades, historians have generally agreed that the progress of small villages as they evolved into cities came at the price of widening inequality. A small group of leaders, kings and priests, would inevitably seize control of the wealth and the gap between rich and poor would grow.

Rare seals hide in underwater bubble caves to escape tourists

The uninhabited islet of Formicula in Greece’s Inner Ionian archipelago is a popular tourist draw for its clear waters, swimming spots, and marine diversity. A major attraction is the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the world’s most threatened seal species.

Poor grip strength linked to greater odds of developing depression

Depressive disorder is a common mental disorder where people can experience a depressed mood, loss of interest in activities, or feeling joy for long periods of time. It is a sneaky problem that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, geography, or social conditions. It is far more common than one might assume.

How swarms of tiny light-controlled robots could revolutionize wound care

Having a swarm of microbots moving across your body may sound like the stuff of a horror movie, but it could actually be the future of targeted drug delivery and advanced wound healing.

== yjc, I did manage to solve it, reasonably quickly
Can You Solve This Genius Japanese Puzzle?

The numbers below are arranged according to a certain rule. Once you’ve worked out the rule, fill in the missing number.

Sea level rise is swallowing US Mid-Atlantic farmland faster than expected

Using satellite data spanning decades as well as recent field measurements, the study’s authors found that between 1984 and 2022 approximately 25,000 acres of farmland was lost to sea level rise in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds, despite preventative measures taken by local farmers.

White hydrogen discovered in billion-year-old Canadian Shield rock points to potential new energy source

Within the Canadian Shield, hydrogen gas is steadily building up naturally among some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Now, for the first time, geochemists have measured its presence, mapped its concentration and tracked its long-term accumulation, shedding new light on this source of natural, or white, hydrogen.

Written in the eye: How the retina’s biological age could help predict osteoporosis risk

Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease that causes bones to lose mass and density, while also altering the internal architecture that gives them strength. Over time, these changes weaken the bones, making them increasingly prone to fractures.

Supernova dust may be behind one of JWST’s biggest puzzles

When JWST turned toward the universe’s earliest epochs, astronomers expected distant galaxies to appear as faint, dusty smudges. Instead, they found many galaxies—existing less than 550 million years after the Big Bang—blazing with ultraviolet light far brighter than any model had predicted.

Neutrino flavor flips could be key to triggering supernovae

Despite being so elusive, neutrinos are produced in abundance in some of the most violent events in the universe. One of their strangest properties is that they can spontaneously switch between three types, or “flavors”: a phenomenon known as neutrino oscillation that remains poorly understood in extreme astrophysical environments.

Europe Tests Laser Links As Satellite Comms Outgrow Radio

Greek mountaintop ground station aims infrared beams at CubeSats in ESA-backed optical networking trial.

At ‘crucial’ moment for pandemic preparedness, experts say world isn’t ready

Government funding cutbacks, distrust in public health authorities put everyone at risk.

== yjc
Cosmic Odometer

Find out how many millions of miles you’ve traveled through space since birth.

== yjc
Discover the beauty hidden within numbers at this charming site.

FlowingData explores how we use analysis and visualization to understand data and ourselves.

== yjc
‘We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs’

A couple have spent the past 20 years experimenting to perfect the practice of moulding trees so they grow into the shape of a chair. Alice and Gavin Munro grow their creations upside down, in a process that they say typically takes between six and nine years, before each item is dried for a year.

We still can’t see dark matter. But what if we can hear it?

New research suggests dark matter could leave a tiny but discernible imprint in the cacophony of ripples in spacetime called “gravitational waves” that ring through the cosmos when two black holes slam together and merge. However, this is only if spinning black holes can “churn” dark matter like cosmic butter.

== yjc, could be gone by the time you read this
An Entire Wikipedia That’s 100% AI Hallucinations

Halupedia is a wiki dedicated to everything that never happened—but its infinite capabilities are creating a big problem.

Mathematical analysis reveals a hidden ‘golden rule’ in abstract art

For generations, researchers have tried to understand why certain works of art move us more than others. But a direct link between image properties and viewer response has remained elusive.