Quantum sensor could measure how Earth drags spacetime

Einstein’s theory of general relativity describes gravity as the bending of spacetime, a mathematical model that combines three-dimensional space and time into a single, four-dimensional continuum. The theory also predicts that a rotating object, such as Earth, slightly drags the surrounding spacetime as it rotates, a phenomenon known as frame-dragging.

Tesla Reveals SpaceX-Powered ‘Flying’ Roadster

It might ultimately still be vaporware, but it’s vaporware that can fly

First-Ever Public Confirmation of ‘Zero-Click’ Spyware Delivered Via Targeted Ads

Experts have speculated that what’s known as the targeted ad ecosystem — where data brokers and advertising firms bid in real time to place ads on apps and websites — could be used for espionage.

IMF Warns of the Real AI Threat: Debt

Financial markets have remained resilient, supported by solid economic growth and strong corporate earnings, but financial stability risks remain elevated. Three salient risks could trigger a sharp tightening of financial conditions and market turmoil.

Scientists discover ‘D-rex’, a giant fungus from Chinese forests whose unique lineage dates back 65 million years

Deep in the forests of Yunnan, China, scientists have discovered a “fungal giant” that challenges our understanding of how large fungi can become. The newly described species, Dianjunus rex, produces vertical fruiting bodies up to 50 cm (20 inches) high and weighing up to 2.2 kg (4.9 pounds)—the largest known within the phylum Ascomycota.

Why AI makes computer worms harder to stop

Anthropic’s warning that AI-powered “worms” could soon spread across smart gadgets is the latest in a series of studies showing how artificial intelligence could supercharge self-spreading malware.

Warmer coastal waters drive heavy cyclone rainfall farther inland, raising flood risks

A research team has found that the area affected by tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall is extending inland along Northern Hemisphere coasts at an average rate of approximately 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles) per decade. Driven by rising nearshore sea surface temperature (SST), this shift is increasing disaster risks for inland regions.

Rocks from hydrothermal vents can spontaneously combust, posing potential risks for deep-sea mining operations

Projects involving the mining of seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits around hydrothermal vents already face criticism over their destructive nature, and now these projects may face a new concern.

AI misuse and nuclear famine could threaten humanity’s survival before 2100

The fate of global health does not rest on any single disease. True preparedness means pairing the fight against illness with strength in finance, climate, defense and security. The COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the world to a standstill at the start of the decade, showed that containing and neutralizing a disease is only one part of being prepared.

== it is Thursday as I add this to the list
The ’leap second’ could disappear. How a minor time adjustment became a major problem

The precise atomic time we use to track our days — developed in the 1950s and measured by tracking the natural vibrations of atoms — is slightly out of sync with solar time, which is based on the position of the sun in the sky relative to a specific location on Earth, because the planet’s rotation has been gradually slowing.

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World’s Timekeepers Vote to Eliminate the Leap Second

After decades of discussion, quibbling and worrying about clocks in computer systems, the world’s official timekeepers have voted to replace what many viewed as a tiresome correction: the leap second. It’s time, they say, for the leap hour.

== yjc
Mournful elephant mom wins 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the U.K.-based Natural History Museum in London, with a stated goal to share nature’s stories and insights about environmental challenges that need our attention.

Hooked on tuna: People have been harvesting these oce

From a humble mayonnaise-laden sandwich to an expensive piece of sashimi, tuna is a prized source of food for people around the world. Once an inexpensive, easily shipped canned protein source, today’s bluefin tunas can fetch millions of dollars at auction. Millions of tons of tuna are harvested every year, supporting a global industry worth around $40 billion annually.

Gravity and quantum information linked through a derivation of Einstein’s equations

In 1995, the physicist Ted Jacobson showed that Einstein’s equations can be derived from thermodynamics, the physics of heat and entropy, much like the laws governing a gas emerge from the motion of its molecules. This suggested that gravity might not be fundamental but could emerge from something deeper.

A new way to replace carbon with nitrogen atoms could lead to better medicines

When drugmakers want to improve on compounds they have already created, they can replace a carbon atom with a nitrogen atom. While effective, the techniques they use to perform this chemical swap, known as skeletal editing, have some downsides. For example, older approaches often require harsh chemicals or only work on specific types of molecules.

‘Atmospheric rivers’ helped open a Portugal-sized hole in Antarctica’s winter sea ice

Polynyas are patches of open water surrounded by sea ice, where heat and moisture can pass freely between the ocean and atmosphere. In August 2024, a vast polynya opened up in Breid Bay, off the coast of East Antarctica, in the depths of winter. The region had stayed ice-covered at this time of year ever since satellite records began in 1979.

Vera Rubin Observatory spots the largest ultra-fast spinning asteroid yet

The speed of an asteroid’s spin can tell astronomers a surprising amount about what it is made of. However, existing approaches to measuring spin based on telescope observations can often produce misleading estimates.

World’s largest penguin colony loses its title after decline of more than 250,000 breeding pairs

Zavodovski, a volcanic island in Antarctica, is silently witnessing a shift in the local ecosystem. Known as home to the world’s largest penguin colony, this island has long been under the watchful eye of scientists.

The bacteria on your tongue could be linked to your brainpower

Whether you’re a quick or slow thinker depends on several factors, such as the efficiency of the brain’s wiring and the amount of gray matter in specific control centers. But there may be another, rather surprising influence.

Reinforced vertebrae allow plunge-diving seabirds to survive high-speed impact

A northern gannet scans the sea for fish from 100 feet (30 meters) in the air. Upon seeing a school, it pitches its body into a nosedive, somehow breaking the surface at 70 miles per hour (113 kilometers per hour) without breaking its neck. This daring maneuver seems to defy the laws of nature, but it’s standard hunting behavior for plunge-diving seabirds.

Can building more roads make traffic worse? Here’s the mathematics behind it

Tackling traffic congestion is one of the biggest challenges facing large cities around the world. When it comes to reducing congestion, one solution almost instinctively comes to mind: build more roads or widen existing ones.

Alternative gravity theory offers possible explanation for dark energy changing over time

For many years, the simplest view of dark energy has been that it remains unchanged. Throughout cosmic history, the mysterious ingredient believed to drive the universe’s accelerated expansion is thought to have behaved in the same way at every epoch. However, an increasing number of observations are challenging this idea.

== yjc
Climate fingerprints reveal stronger evidence of human-caused warming after more than 30 years

The scientific evidence for human-caused global warming is stronger than ever, according to a major new review—despite a U.S. government report questioning the science.

NASA’s Perseverance rover breaks record for off-world driving distance

The nuclear-powered buggy has now traveled 28.10 miles, besting NASA’s Opportunity rover.

A New ‘Super Ice’ Is 10 Times Stronger, Bringing It Close to The Strength of Concrete

During the Second World War, the British Royal Navy experimented with the idea of using ice reinforced with wood pulp to build an aircraft carrier.

== yjc, may have sent this once before, if so sorry
== paywall?
The Hidden Geometry Behind the Quadratic Formula

By the time we got back it was past midnight. Her son, who was preparing for his Class 10 board exams, showed me his math test series. I flipped through it and landed on a quadratic equation. Solve for x.

NASA Releases Data from Artemis II Moon Mission, Calls It ‘Sights and Sounds of Science’

Through photographs, spoken observations, drawings, and annotations, the Artemis II crew created a unique scientific record—one that is now available to the science community and the public for further study.

Three quantum-inspired cores leave opposite fingerprints on the ringing of black holes

Every black hole hides a question at its center. Einstein’s theory predicts that whatever falls in is crushed into a singularity, a point of infinite density where the theory itself breaks down. Most physicists expect quantum gravity to replace that point with something finite. But the center lies hidden behind the horizon. How could we ever learn what is there?

== yjc
Immune cell map uncovers how individual aging trajectories diverge

The story of how the plant came to be scientifically described begins with a chance sighting on social media before culminating in a boat race against time at 1 a.m. in a flooded Colombian rainforest.

Fish may look fine in urban waters but their genes tell a different story

Blue damselfish, with their striking blue hue, are easy to spot, even along Okinawa’s heavily urbanized coastlines. But while abundant, their gene activity reveals a hidden cost to living in human-impacted environments.

Kilauea’s swelling summit helps scientists forecast lava fountain eruptions

Episodic lava fountaining is a rare volcanic behavior in which repeated, hours-long bursts of molten lava and gas are spewed from volcanic vents, with quiet pauses lasting days to weeks between episodes. These lava fountains have been observed in active volcanoes in places like Hawaii, Iceland and Italy, but researchers still do not fully understand what starts, sustains or stops these individual fountain episodes.