More than a century after Einstein revolutionized our understanding of gravity, scientists have uncovered a surprising new phenomenon hidden within his equations. Researchers at Columbia University and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez have identified a theoretical process called "gravitational reconnection," in which structures within gravitational fields can break apart and reconnect, transferring [...]

A nuclear explosion might save Earth from a deadly asteroid, but new research suggests that hitting the wrong side could make the difference between success and disaster. Scientists found that an asteroid's irregular shape can dramatically affect how it responds to an X-ray blast, with deflection effectiveness varying nearly fivefold [...]

Scientists have discovered a surprising quantum limit that prevents electrons from being tracked with unlimited precision in both space and time. The breakthrough could pave the way for manipulating chemical reactions and developing electronics hundreds of thousands of times faster than today's technology. [...]

Tiny spiked particles mixed into creams create microscopic openings in the skin, increasing delivery of a tested skincare compound nearly 37-fold without requiring injections or patches. [...]

Adding an electron or hole to excitons in carbon nanotubes preserves their optical chirality, opening possibilities for electrically controlled light amplification, detection, and modulation. [...]

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has already uncovered two previously unknown companions of the Milky Way using preliminary observations covering just 7% of the night sky. The discoveries include an extremely faint galaxy 355,000 light-years away and a star cluster hidden behind cosmic dust. Scientists suspect hundreds of additional satellite [...]

This dangerous Linux security hole must be patched as soon as possible. [...]

Astronomers have discovered a strange double ring of planetary wreckage around a dead star, revealing a possible preview of our Solar System's distant future. The two rings are separated by a mysterious gap that researchers believe is maintained by surviving planetary bodies, including one potentially as large as Pluto or [...]

Nanowerk's expanded gift guide features 38 unusual science gifts, from glowing plankton and ferrofluid to real meteorites and scientific curiosities. [...]

Simulations reveal how temperature changes the vapor chemistry of silicon carbide, offering a way to optimize crystal growth for power electronics while reducing costly trial-and-error experiments. [...]

Discovering new molecules for specific uses is a major driver of progress in a wide variety of industries, whether it’s pharmaceutical companies looking for new drugs, or electronics or energy companies seeking new materials with particular properties. But it’s also largely a trial-and-error process, because there is not yet any [...]

‘Notify when left behind’ is making its way to Android – but to limited devices for now. [...]

I’m not the sort of person who typically pays for a house cleaner. I’m too frugal, and I kind of enjoy putting on a podcast and going to town on my tub with a Magic Eraser. But when I saw an X post about a new humanoid-robot cleaning service in [...]

Over 90% of HR professionals say they believe employees can learn AI roles – but half of companies still hire outside for those positions, according to a new report. [...]

If you’re a new Pixel 11 user, here are six things I recommend changing right away to get the most from your phone.  [...]

In an emergency, a human might someday ask a robotic assistant to fetch a wall-mounted defibrillator located down the hall. But if the robot has incorrectly labeled the defibrillator as a fire extinguisher in its stored memory, it may not know where to find the life-saving device.This robotic assistant could [...]

Researchers have proposed a breakthrough technique for reading quantum information without destroying the delicate states that make quantum computers work. By detecting an electrical signal generated by the qubit itself, their method achieved up to 99.85% accuracy in simulations and could make future quantum computers simpler and more efficient. [...]

Texas is the fastest-growing data center market in the US and ground zero for Big Tech’s largest AI buildouts. But the blue wave that swept the Lone Star State may jeopardize that position. Democrat James Talarico won the US Senate seat against Ken Paxton. Gina Hinojosa won the race for governor [...]

A sales representative asks an AI agent for customer pricing, and the agent pulls data from multiple sources: restricted pricing systems, internal communications, and archived quotes. The output looks accurate to the agent, so a second agent uses the data to draft the proposal for the sales rep. No human [...]

Running a modern research laboratory requires more than maintaining sophisticated instruments. Researchers need to complete training, obtain access, schedule and operate equipment, navigate billing, and more. For large, shared facilities, coordinating these activities across hundreds of instruments and thousands of users can be a significant undertaking. As research becomes increasingly [...]

A new approach known as “reverse game theory” aims to control powerful AI models by designing systems that incentivize them to stick to the rules. As AI models become more capable, safety researchers are scrambling to ensure they are “aligned” with human desires—to make sure, in other words, that rogue agents [...]

Utilizing waste carbon at scale, assessing public trust in artificial intelligence and data centers, and building a quantum toolkit for critical applications were among the topics energy experts explored at the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI)’s annual research conference on Sept. 22-23.The complexity of the energy transition demands “a truly interdisciplinary [...]

Scientists have filmed tiny magnetic vortices called skyrmions melting out of an organized lattice for the first time, revealing new ways to manipulate these unusual structures. The breakthrough could help make brain-like computers a reality, potentially enabling dramatically smaller and more energy-efficient technology. [...]

Scientists have discovered a way to operate multiple silicon qubits simultaneously with remarkable accuracy, overcoming a major challenge in scaling up quantum computers. Their new technique maintained accuracy of approximately 99.9% even when all five qubits were running at once, opening the door to larger and more powerful quantum processors. [...]

Generative AI can create masterpieces in seconds, but a new analysis reveals it breaks the crucial link between making art and personal growth. Hebrew University's Amit Zoran argues that the future of creativity belongs to human discovery and perspective rather than automated digital output. [...]