“The concept of time has troubled philosophers and physicists for thousands of years, and the advent of quantum mechanics has not simplified the problem,” says Professor Hugo Dil, a physicist at EPFL. “The central problem is the general role of time in quantum mechanics, and especially the timescale associated with a quantum transition.” At the
For most of my life, I’ve had a superpower: the ability to recall names. As a coach of youth sports, I could memorize 12 names within minutes of the first practice. Parents thought I was a caring coach for this party trick. Now, at 52, it’s my kryptonite, and I live in fear of getting
For the first time, segments of a Vulcan rocket landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of the West Coast debut of the United Launch Alliance vehicle sometime later this year. ULA’s RocketShip recently docked at the harbor on the South Base with the Vulcan rocket components stowed inside the huge cargo vessel. “Having flight
Our brains age along with the rest of our bodies, and as they do, they produce fewer new brain cells. Now, researchers have found a key mechanism through which the typical age-related decline in neuron production might be slowed. In later life, the neural stem cells (NSCs) that turn into fully fledged neurons become more
Meet Tyrannoroter heberti, a newly described species that was one of the largest, most feared land animals of its time – at least, if you were a fern. Hailing from 307 million years ago, this strange tetrapod was among the earliest known terrestrial creatures to experiment with a herbivorous diet. By the time the first
In December, NASA took another small, incremental step towards autonomous surface rovers. In a demonstration, the Perseverance team used AI to generate the rover’s waypoints. Perseverance used the AI waypoints on two separate days, travelling a total of 456 meters (1,496 feet) without human control. “This demonstration shows how far our capabilities have advanced and
Scientists don’t need to be superstar public performers like Taylor Swift, but they can learn from show business.Credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty for TAS Rights Management You’re at a conference. The lights are low, it’s the last speaker of the day, engagement has hit rock bottom and the audience completely tunes out. Phones come out and everyone
A high-energy signal lasting over seven hours, first observed in mid-2025, has drawn intense scrutiny from astrophysicists tracking rare cosmic phenomena. Detected by multiple space-based observatories, the event, cataloged as GRB 250702B, set a new record for gamma-ray burst duration. Its scale and duration immediately set it apart. Most gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), typically caused by
Scientists may have solved a long-standing mystery surrounding Uranus’ extraordinarily strong radiation belt. A new analysis of Voyager 2 data suggests that a temporary space weather event may have made the planet’s electron radiation belt more intense than usual as Voyager 2 was passing by. The findings could help to explain why the radiation belt
Kanzi, whose name means “treasure” in Swahili, was born in 1980 and died in 2025 at the age of 44. His favorite food was onions and his favorite game was chase. Great Ape Trust hide caption toggle caption Great Ape Trust Kanzi, whose name means “treasure” in Swahili, was born in 1980 and died in