CO₂ ice blocks on Mars may dig gullies as they slide and sublimate in the thin atmosphere. In lab experiments, scientists recreated these eerie, worm-like movements under Martian conditions. The findings help explain unusual dune formations and deepen our understanding of how alien landscapes evolve.

New research reveals that Earth’s continents owe their stability to searing heat deep in the planet’s crust. At more than 900°C, radioactive elements shifted upward, cooling and strengthening the landmasses that support life. This ancient heat engine also distributed valuable minerals, giving scientists new clues for exploration and for spotting potentially habitable planets.

Auburn scientists have designed new materials that manipulate free electrons to unlock groundbreaking applications. These “Surface Immobilized Electrides” could power future quantum computers or transform chemical manufacturing. Stable, tunable, and scalable, they represent a leap beyond traditional electrides. The work bridges theory and potential real-world use.

Johns Hopkins scientists uncovered microscopic “nanotube” channels that neurons use to transfer toxic molecules. While this process clears waste, it can also spread harmful proteins like amyloid-beta. Alzheimer’s-model mice showed more nanotubes early on, hinting at a link to disease development. Researchers hope to one day control nanotube formation as a potential therapy.

Scientists discovered that lean pork builds muscle more effectively post-workout than high-fat pork, even with identical protein levels. Using advanced tracking techniques, they found that fat content blunted the body’s muscle-building response. The results contradict previous findings about fattier foods enhancing synthesis, suggesting that food form and processing matter.

Korean researchers found that low-dose radiation therapy eased knee pain and improved movement in people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. The treatment, far weaker than cancer radiation, showed real benefits beyond placebo. With no side effects and strong trial results, the approach could provide a middle ground between painkillers and joint surgery.

Scientists discovered that specific nutrients in nematodes' diets activate stress defenses that keep their cells healthier over time. These RNAs prevent toxic protein buildup, promoting longevity and vitality. The worms fed with balanced diets lived more active, healthier lives. The findings hint that mild dietary stress could support better aging in humans as well.

Scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi have discovered why it rains on the Sun. Solar rain, made of cooling plasma, forms rapidly during solar flares, a mystery now solved by modeling time-varying elements like iron. The finding upends long-held assumptions about the Sun’s atmosphere and could improve predictions of space weather events. It’s a breakthrough that forces a rewrite of how we understand the Sun’s outer layers.

Scientists at TU Wien have uncovered that quantum correlations can stabilize time crystals—structures that oscillate in time without an external driver. Contrary to previous assumptions, quantum fluctuations enhance rather than hinder their formation. Using a laser-trapped lattice, the team demonstrated self-organizing rhythmic behavior arising purely from particle interactions. The finding could revolutionize quantum technology design.

Astronomers are investigating a strange class of exoplanets known as eccentric warm Jupiters — massive gas giants that orbit their stars in unexpected, elongated paths. Unlike their close-orbiting “hot Jupiter” cousins, these planets seem to follow mysterious rules, aligning neatly with their stars despite their bizarre trajectories. Theories suggest that companion planets, surrounding nebulas, or even stellar waves could be shaping these odd orbits in ways never seen before.

A parasitic worm uses static electricity to launch itself onto flying insects, a mechanism uncovered by physicists and biologists at Emory and Berkeley. By generating opposite charges, the worm and insect attract, allowing the leap to succeed far more often. High-speed cameras and mathematical modeling confirmed this “electrostatic ecology” in action.

Researchers analyzing pulsar data have found tantalizing hints of ultra-slow gravitational waves. A team from Hirosaki University suggests these signals might carry “beats” — patterns formed by overlapping waves from supermassive black holes. This subtle modulation could help scientists tell whether the waves stem from ancient cosmic inflation or nearby black hole binaries, potentially identifying the true source of spacetime’s gentle vibrations.

A new human liver organoid microarray developed by Cincinnati Children’s and Roche recreates immune-driven liver injury in the lab. Built from patient-derived stem cells and immune cells, it accurately models how genetics influence drug reactions. The system replicated flucloxacillin-related toxicity seen only in people with a specific genetic variant, marking a major step toward predictive, patient-tailored drug safety testing.

Scientists have uncovered a 151-million-year-old midge fossil in Australia that challenges long-held views about insect evolution. Named Telmatomyia talbragarica, the fossil shows freshwater adaptations previously thought to exist only in marine species. This discovery suggests that Chironomidae may have originated in Gondwana, offering new insight into ancient biogeographical patterns.

High above the Sun’s blazing equator lie its mysterious poles, the birthplace of fast solar winds and the heart of its magnetic heartbeat. For decades, scientists have struggled to see these regions, hidden from Earth’s orbit. With the upcoming Solar Polar-orbit Observatory (SPO) mission, humanity will finally gain a direct view of the poles, unlocking secrets about the Sun’s magnetic cycles, space weather, and the forces that shape the heliosphere.

Scientists imaged the heart of the OJ 287 galaxy, uncovering a curved plasma jet around what appears to be two merging supermassive black holes. The structure reveals unimaginable energy levels and shockwaves in the jet. This achievement, using a virtual telescope the size of multiple Earths, sheds new light on how black holes shape galactic jets and gravitational waves.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have uncovered a surprising quantum effect inside an organic material, something once thought impossible outside metals. The team found that a special molecule can turn light into electricity with incredible efficiency, using a hidden quantum behavior unseen in such materials before. This breakthrough could lead to simpler, lighter, and cheaper solar panels.

MIT researchers found that metals retain hidden atomic patterns once believed to vanish during manufacturing. These patterns arise from microscopic dislocations that guide atoms into preferred arrangements instead of random ones. The discovery introduces a new kind of physics in metals and suggests engineers can exploit these patterns to enhance material performance in demanding environments.

Endurance exercise may train the immune system as much as the muscles. Older adults with decades of running or cycling had immune cells that functioned better and aged more slowly. Their inflammation levels were lower and their cells resisted fatigue even under stress. The findings point to a direct link between lifelong fitness and healthier immune regulation.

Researchers at USC have created the first method to noninvasively measure microscopic blood vessel pulses in the human brain. Using advanced 7T MRI, they found these tiny pulsations grow stronger with age and vascular risk, disrupting the brain’s waste-clearing systems. The discovery may explain how circulation changes contribute to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.