Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered mysterious “little red dots” that may not be galaxies at all, but a whole new type of object: black hole stars. These fiery spheres, powered by ravenous black holes at their core, could explain how supermassive black holes in today’s galaxies were born. With discoveries like “The Cliff,” a massive red dot cloaked in hydrogen gas, scientists are beginning to rethink how the early universe formed—and hinting at stranger cosmic surprises still waiting to be revealed.

Chronic insomnia may do more than leave you groggy, it could speed up brain aging. A large Mayo Clinic study found that people with long-term sleep troubles were 40% more likely to develop dementia or cognitive impairment, with brain scans showing changes linked to Alzheimer’s. Those reporting reduced sleep showed declines comparable to being four years older, while certain genetic risk carriers saw even steeper drops.

Researchers trained AI on tens of thousands of eye scans, enabling doctors to predict which keratoconus patients need early treatment and which can be safely monitored, cutting down on unnecessary procedures while preventing vision loss.

A massive Danish study reveals that despite the remarkable weight-loss benefits of semaglutide, more than half of adults without diabetes stop using it within a year. High costs, unpleasant side effects, and underlying medical or psychiatric conditions play major roles in the dropouts. Younger users and men are especially prone to quitting, raising concerns since discontinuation often leads to weight regain.

Not all barnacles just sit on rocks and ships. Some invade crabs, growing like a parasitic root system that hijacks their bodies. A mysterious group called y-larvae has baffled scientists for over a century, with no known adult stage. Genetic evidence now reveals they’re related to barnacles and may also be parasites — lurking unseen inside other creatures.

Scientists have uncovered that “forever chemicals” like PFAS are even more acidic than anyone realized, meaning they dissolve and spread in water with alarming ease. Using a cutting-edge method combining NMR spectroscopy and computer modeling, researchers showed that the acidity of notorious compounds like PFOA and GenX had been vastly underestimated—sometimes by factors of a thousand.

Octopuses aren’t just flexible—they’re astonishingly strategic. A new study reveals how their eight arms coordinate with surprising precision: front arms for exploring, back arms for locomotion, and every arm capable of twisting, bending, shortening, and elongating in unique ways. Researchers observed nearly 7,000 deformations across multiple habitats, capturing behaviors from camouflage tricks to elaborate hunting techniques. This insight doesn’t just unlock secrets of octopus biology, it could also inspire new innovations in robotics and neuroscience.

Scientists in Tokyo have uncovered “Inocles,” massive strands of extrachromosomal DNA hidden inside bacteria in human mouths. These giants, overlooked by traditional sequencing, could explain how oral microbes adapt, survive, and impact health. Found in nearly three-quarters of people, Inocles carry genes for stress resistance and may even hint at links to diseases like cancer, opening a whole new frontier in microbiome research.

Scientists discovered that a gut bacteria molecule called corisin can travel to the kidneys, triggering inflammation and scarring that lead to diabetic kidney fibrosis. By attaching to albumin in the blood, corisin infiltrates kidney tissue and accelerates damage. In animal studies, antibodies that neutralize corisin slowed disease progression, offering hope for new treatments beyond dialysis and transplants.

Johns Hopkins scientists, working with global partners, have unveiled a new way to build microchips so small they’re invisible to the eye. By developing special metal-organic materials that interact with powerful beams of light, they’ve cracked a major hurdle in creating faster, smaller, and more affordable chips. This new process, chemical liquid deposition, could reshape electronics manufacturing and push the limits of technology for years to come.

Quantum materials, defined by their photon-like electrons, are opening new frontiers in material science. Researchers have synthesized organic compounds that display a universal magnetic behavior tied to a distinctive feature in their band structures called linear band dispersion. This discovery not only deepens the theoretical understanding of quantum systems but also points toward revolutionary applications in next-generation information and communication technologies that conventional materials cannot achieve.

Scientists have finally unlocked a way to identify the elusive W state of quantum entanglement, solving a decades-old problem and opening paths to quantum teleportation and advanced quantum technologies.

Physicists have achieved a breakthrough by using a 58-qubit quantum computer to create and observe a long-theorized but never-before-seen quantum phase of matter: a Floquet topologically ordered state. By harnessing rhythmic driving in these quantum systems, the team imaged particle edge motions and watched exotic particles transform in real time.

For centuries, scientists have puzzled over globular clusters, the dense star systems that orbit galaxies without dark matter. Using ultra-detailed simulations, researchers recreated their origins and unexpectedly revealed a new class of cosmic object that bridges star clusters and dwarf galaxies. These “globular cluster-like dwarfs” may already exist in our Milky Way, offering fresh opportunities to study both dark matter and the earliest stars.

Mars’ Jezero Crater holds signs of ancient water and strange mineral reactions, some linked with organic compounds. With Perseverance’s samples and AI-refined mineral maps, scientists are closing in on whether Mars once had the chemistry needed for life.

Researchers identified microRNA-93 as a genetic driver of fatty liver disease and showed that vitamin B3 can effectively suppress it. This breakthrough suggests niacin could be repurposed as a powerful new treatment for millions worldwide.

For centuries, people believed ice was slippery because pressure and friction melted a thin film of water. But new research from Saarland University reveals that this long-standing explanation is wrong. Instead, the slipperiness comes from the subtle interaction of molecular dipoles between ice and surfaces like shoes or skis. These microscopic electrical forces disorder the crystal structure of ice, creating a thin liquid layer even at temperatures near absolute zero. The discovery overturns nearly 200 years of scientific thought and has wide implications for physics and winter sports alike.

For the first time, scientists have observed electrons in graphene behaving like a nearly perfect quantum fluid, challenging a long-standing puzzle in physics. By creating ultra-clean samples, the team at IISc uncovered a surprising decoupling of heat and charge transport, shattering the traditional Wiedemann-Franz law. At the mysterious “Dirac point,” graphene electrons flowed like an exotic liquid similar to quark-gluon plasma, with ultra-low viscosity. Beyond rewriting physics textbooks, this discovery opens new avenues for studying black holes and quantum entanglement in the lab—and may even power next-gen quantum sensors.

Scientists have, for the first time, successfully studied liquid carbon in the lab by combining a powerful high-performance laser with the European XFEL x-ray laser. The experiment captured fleeting nanosecond snapshots of carbon as it was compressed and melted, revealing surprising diamond-like structures and narrowing down its true melting point.

Walking every day could be the simplest and most effective way to prevent chronic lower back pain. A large study involving over 11,000 people found that walking more — not faster — reduces the risk of developing long-term back issues. The findings show that even low-intensity walking provides protection, with participants walking over 100 minutes daily experiencing significantly lower risks than those walking less.