Clogging is a phenomenon in which moving particles get stuck, slowing or blocking the flow, but how this transition occurs has remained experimentally unproven. Researchers from Science Tokyo studied superconducting vortices to demonstrate that clogging is a nonequilibrium phase transition. Using a two-step measurement protocol, they distinguished clogging from conventional pinning and revealed that both transitions share a critical point, offering new insights into predicting and controlling clogging across diverse systems.

When I learned that Netflix planned to film the miniseries Below, about a sea monster terrorizing a Newfoundland outport, I thought to myself: “THIS I’ve gotta see!”

Nectaries are specialized floral tissues that secrete nectar to attract pollinators. Although the protein CRABS CLAW (CRC) is established as essential for nectary formation, the exact molecular mechanisms governing how it drives organ growth and secretion have remained unknown.

Scientists spend their careers trying to understand the world, but a new study suggests they have surprisingly different ideas about what science itself is. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, found that scientists disagree about the meaning and purpose of science even more than the general public does. Of the 18 descriptions of science examined, few received unqualified endorsement from scientists, who often expressed reservations even about ideas they generally agreed with.

Science fiction authors have been dreaming of robotic spacecraft harvesting fortunes from asteroids for decades. Humanity is slowly getting closer to that reality. But if you ask asteroid mining skeptics, they will usually ask one specific question—what happens to the prices of all those rare materials once someone actually brings them back? A pair of system dynamicists from MIT directly tackled that question with a new paper titled Will AstroForge Collapse the PGM Market?

Humans have left their mark on virtually every place on the planet, from the deep sea to the peaks of the highest mountains. But a few very remote atolls in the Pacific Ocean may be exceptions. A new Frontiers in Marine Science study has found two coral atolls, Bikar and Bokak, located on the territory of the Marshall Islands, to be some of the most intact ecosystems remaining in the region and perhaps the world.

House Democrats are already planning to make their impeachment case against the defense secretary as airtight—and appealing to Republicans—as possible.

The latest global State of Wildfires report, co-led by the University of East Anglia, shows that the extreme fire-prone weather experienced across Spain and Portugal in 2025 was three times more likely due to human-caused climate change, and the area burned was three times larger. The paper is published in Earth System Science Data.

We’re deep in the Middle Ages. In the mind’s eye, monks stagger past, flagellating themselves to cleanse their sins and demonstrate their humility before God and creation. This was a time when humility—humilitas—was considered one of the fundamental virtues of Christian life.

Want to play with dogs at the airport and have it be for a good cause? Well, boy, do we have the volunteer gig for you. It’s actually less playtime and more very serious Transportation Security Administration (TSA) work, but there’s still dogs, so we consider that a win: The TSA is currently looking for volunteers to be explosive detection K9 decoys, and honestly there may not be a cuter way to spend a weekend. Let these very smart dogs show us all just how smart they really are! In their call for volunteers, the TSA says that a volunteer shift with these crafty canines “may feel like a high-stakes game of hide and seek.” They also emphasize that “this training is a serious and important part of keeping our canine teams ready for duty.” What does a TSA explosive detection K9 decoy even do? You’re basically pretending to be an airport bad guy or, as the TSA puts it, “a covert role player.” You might be tasked with carrying a “training item” and wander around an airport acting like you’re just an everyday passenger in the ticketing lobbies, going through security, or just generally waiting around for their boarding…

For the first time, researchers in Australia have identified and tracked the weather systems that are collectively more important to rainfall across the tropics than tropical cyclones. The work, published in the journal Weather and Climate Dynamics, has advanced a new way to investigate how tropical rain may change as the Earth warms up.

In the 18th century, a clay tobacco pipe could reveal more than you might think. Its length, quality and condition, as well as the way it was used, could signal social status. In a new doctoral thesis, Lund University archaeologist Robert Bergman Carter shows how smokeways at the time served as clear markers of status.

As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is being investigated for having an affair with an alleged Chinese spy, let’s not lose sight of the core of the story: an uber-rich dude who cheated on his wife the moment he became a global celebrity. Jensen and Lori Huang have been together for over 41 years. Lori has been by Jensen’s side since he was a broke college student, when according to Jensen’s telling, he wooed her by promising to get her straight As — and, upping the ante, that he’d be a CEO by the time he was 30. He stayed true to his word: when he was 30 years old, he co-founded Nvidia.  “Lori’s been with me for a long time, our whole life,” Jensen told Singapore-based news channel CNA in a May interview. “She’s been part of Nvidia every step of the way.” Lori was instrumental to Jensen’s start. A talented engineer like her husband, she got a job at a Silicon Valley tech company and, initially, earned a higher salary than he did. But when Jensen pursued starting his own company, it was Lori who sacrificed her career so she could take care of their two children, Spence and…

For the first time, astronomers witnessed a gigantic exoplanet dramatically vanish from view. But the “hot Jupiter” located about 1,000 light-years from Earth didn’t evaporate into the vacuum of space. Instead, the gravitational pull from an uncomfortably close neighbor is causing TOI-2535 b to wobble in its orbit thanks to the same dynamics dictating solar and lunar eclipses. The unusual discovery is detailed in a study recently published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, and relies on observations gathered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) orbital telescope. “We think of the universe as resembling clockwork, where everything is regular, but that’s not true,” Samuel Yee, a University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) astronomer and study co-author, explained in a recent profile. “If there are multiple planets in a system, they can affect each other’s orbits.” Astronomers first began examining TOI-2535 b in April 2019 using TESS. The eagle-eyed telescope identifies new planets by flagging subtle changes in stellar brightness. These changes are often caused by a previously unknown planet’s transit in front of its star as seen from Earth. In some ways, TOI-2535 b resembles our solar system’s largest planet, but it is even closer to its own star than Mercury…

Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have discovered a previously unknown specialized organelle structure in a deep-sea mollusk living at cold seeps in the South China Sea. Dedicated to maintaining bacterial symbiosis, this newly identified survival mechanism provides new insights into how deep-sea organisms adapt to nearly oxygen-free environments and opens new directions for research on chemosymbiosis, organelle evolution and deep-sea ecosystems.

A new experimental procedure developed by researchers at Yale School of Medicine could help scientists better understand how DNA structure influences disease and development.

The finding, researchers say, should factor into plans to mine the seafloor for the metal-rich nodules

Six space explorers who spent months aboard the International Space Station will reunite in Houston on November 17, bringing attention to a mission that produced more than 1,400 hours of scientific research, advanced medical experiments, and tested technologies designed for future journeys beyond Earth. NASA Prepares to Welcome Six Space Explorers Back to Houston According to an official NASA announcement astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev will appear at a public event at Space Center Houston. The gathering, scheduled for 6 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 17, will allow the returning explorers to discuss their experiences aboard the orbiting laboratory. An awards ceremony honoring contributors to the mission will follow the presentation. The event brings together astronauts who traveled to the station aboard different spacecraft and returned to Earth months apart. Their shared work formed part of Expedition 74, an international effort combining scientific research, technological experimentation, and routine station operations. Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who participated in the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, will not attend the Houston gathering. For NASA, the reunion offers an opportunity to explain how research performed hundreds of miles above…

Anduril Industries has announced the successful demonstration of a new satellite-based sensor designed to track other spacecraft that may be hiding their maneuvers in Earth’s shadow. Funded with Anduril’s internal capital, the company’s oven-sized satellite launched on a SpaceX rideshare mission in July with a package of tech demo payloads: an edge-compute processor, a power-management system adaptable to different types of missions, and a long-wave ,infrared space sensor capable of seeing other objects in orbit. Anduril reported on the success of the tech demo mission Tuesday. The company’s satellite, named Anduril-216, flies about 590 km (366 mi) above Earth, spending about one-third of each orbit in darkness. Anduril-216’s night passes allow its infrared imager to shine.Read full article Comments

In arid regions, the microbes that power threatened dryland soil ecosystems called biological soil crusts stay dormant over long periods, only “awakening” when they sense moisture from infrequent rainfall. Now, a team led by researchers at Penn State—driven by projections that those biocrusts will decline by as much as 40% in the next 45 years—found that when a dryland soil does get wet, most of the microbes in the biocrust stay inactive. It’s a discovery that will inform ongoing efforts to conserve and restore biocrusts, according to the researchers.

The data center boom is running into serious real-world obstacles, from widespread local opposition and permitting delays to a scramble for electricity. Before those challenges even come into play, though, there’s a more basic problem: A lot of the projects being announced may never get built in the first place. With billions of dollars in AI infrastructure […]

Santosh Janardhan, who originally joined the company in 2009, will be stepping down from his role.

If you’ve been saving money for Black Friday, there has been a change of plans. Every year, Barnes & Noble slashes prices on Criterion collection movies and box sets by half. It’s the next best thing to being in the Criterion Closet. Most of the bestselling single-film 4K discs in the Criterion sale are $24.99, the bestselling standard Blu-rays are mostly $19.99, and the big director box sets are half off too. B&N ships orders of $60 or more for free, so three of the $24.99 4K discs clear the bar. The discount doesn’t stack with B&N’s Premium Membership discount, and a few of the most popular new 4K releases are already out of stock online. We checked every price and stock status in this post on Barnes & Noble Wednesday afternoon, November 11. Top Criterion Collection deals at Barnes & Noble The Princess Bride 4K Blu-ray $24.99 (was $49.99). No Country for Old Men 4K Blu-ray $24.99 (was $49.99). Seven Samurai 4K Blu-ray $29.99 (was $59.99). Yojimbo/Sanjuro 4K Blu-ray $39.99 (was $79.99). Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema Blu-ray box set $149.99 (was $299.99). The Wes Anderson Archive: Ten Films, Twenty-Five Years 4K box set $249.99 (was $499.99). The Princess Bride 4K…

Entering into the world of venture capital has never been easy, especially as a first-time fund manager. But it’s especially daunting right now. Olaf Sakkers has spent the past five years proving that difficult doesn’t mean impossible.

Plants are green because of a pigment that is key to photosynthesis: chlorophyll. In its production, the enzyme chlorophyll synthase plays an important role. As part of an international collaboration, researchers from Osnabrück University, the Center Algatech in Třeboň and the University of Sheffield have now succeeded in deciphering the structure of this enzyme and gaining valuable insights into its mechanism. The findings are published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

An OpenAI model helped me teach the Microduck to waddle and moonlight as a tiny cat butler.

Astronomers have identified two measurable changes that appear up to 10 days before black holes launch powerful jets into space. The discovery could give scientists a way to anticipate some of the universe’s most energetic outbursts instead of observing them only after they begin. A Hidden Pattern Emerges From Four Black Hole Systems Black holes are generally associated with swallowing matter, but the environment surrounding them can also produce extraordinary outflows. Some launch narrow jets of energetic particles that travel at speeds approaching that of light. Understanding precisely when these jets emerge has remained a persistent challenge because the physical conditions around a black hole can change rapidly. A research team led by Professor Toshihiro Kawaguchi of the University of Toyama, working alongside Dr. Kazutaka Yamaoka of Nagoya University, has identified a potentially useful pattern in those changes. Their findings, published on November 5, 2026, in The Astrophysical Journal, come from an analysis of four black hole binary systems, where a black hole draws material from a companion star. The researchers examined archived X-ray and radio observations of XTE J1859+226, XTE J1550-564, GX 339-4, and MAXI J1820+070. These systems provided opportunities to compare changes occurring near the black holes with…

CoreWeave is increasingly asking customers to pay upfront, borrowing against specific contracts, and even looking to short-term deals that could lead to higher prices, according to the company’s third-quarter earnings.

As Democrats take the reins in Washington DC this January, one of their key targets looks to be the wide world of prediction markets, which have been allowed to run roughshod under the Trump administration. Adding to the industry’s woes, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission just issued a warning to the prediction market Kalshi, informing it of imminent charges stemming from an investigation into the company’s experimental financial products. As Politico reports, the investigation stems from dozens of products and services which Kalshi allegedly began offering consumers without notifying the CFTC. The exact charges coming down the pike aren’t yet known, but as one anonymous insider told Reuters, the notification seems to suggest they’re coming soon. For its part, Kalshi told the publication the CFTC’s warning is about little more than a “procedural error involving the submission of a handful of contracts, many of which weren’t live.” “We are already addressing the issue,” as a Kalshi spokesperson told Politico. According to further reporting from CNBC — which has a commercial relationship with Kalshi, it’s worth noting — the investigation stems from the company’s sale of “event contracts” related to the weather. Event contracts are rule-bending prop bets dressed up…

A tiny biodegradable bubble can move away from a chemical on its own, without a motor. Living cells need complex molecular machinery to do this. This discovery by researchers led by chemist Daniela Wilson at Radboud University, together with colleagues at Durham University, is a step toward artificial cells with lifelike behavior and could, in the long term, provide an interesting approach for self-steering particles in targeted drug delivery.

Fractile has now become one of the top-funded players in the race for purpose-built AI chips.

Could extinction itself become a thing of the past? Advances in biotechnology, including ancient DNA sequencing, genome analysis and gene editing, have led some to believe that it may be possible to bring extinct species back to life.

Researchers have identified another potential approach to treating pancreatic cancer, with early experiments suggesting that blocking a protein could slow tumor growth and strengthen immune defenses. Pancreatic tumors can be surrounded by tissue so dense that it compresses blood vessels, making it difficult for nutrients to reach cancer cells. Even under these conditions, the cells […]

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has until the end of the day Wednesday to answer a call from House Republicans for a closed-door briefing on his affair with alleged Chinese spy.

In biomedicine, sorting cells accurately without damaging them remains a persistent problem. Current methods, like fluorescence-activated cell sorting, rely on labeling the cells extrinsically, which can stress the cells, alter their behavior and even interfere with the assay. A collaborative study between researchers in Singapore and China has now developed a noninvasive, label-free method to sort cells.

More than 2 billion people, or approximately one-quarter of the world’s population, lack access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. Today, 16 years after the U.N. General Assembly recognized this access as a fundamental human right, its legal protection is well established, but the reality on the ground lags behind.

A brilliant fireball tore across the night sky over Tennessee, leaving witnesses stunned by its intense colors and speed. The object traveled at approximately 47,000 miles per hour before disappearing high above the ground. Scientists have now identified the source of the spectacle: a small fragment of an asteroid burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. A Blazing Object Crossed Two States in Seconds The fireball first appeared above Robbinsville, North Carolina, at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Thursday. Within seconds, it raced southwest toward East Ridge, Tennessee, creating a luminous streak visible to people across the region. Despite its brief appearance, the meteor traveled an estimated 120 miles in less than ten seconds. Its tremendous velocity and the intense heat generated during atmospheric entry produced the brilliant flash that caught witnesses by surprise. The object eventually disintegrated approximately 25 miles above Earth’s surface, never reaching the ground as an intact body. Its rapid destruction produced a dramatic display that stood out against the evening sky. The event demonstrates how even relatively small objects entering Earth’s atmosphere can create a spectacle visible over a wide area. At such extreme speeds, the interaction between incoming space debris and atmospheric gases generates enough energy to…

Newly discovered artifacts are evidence of the earliest known example of a tradition of making clay figurines in the Middle East—and challenge long-held beliefs about when and how clay began to be used for symbolic purposes in the region, according to a study published in PLOS One by Laurent Davin from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and colleagues.

In three species of monkey, the complex pattern of ridges on the feet and palms varies between individuals, similar to human fingerprints, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Juliana Vieira Flores Sales at Universidade de Brasília and colleagues.

Even researchers and people with extensive training in statistics often find it difficult to interpret statistical results correctly. This is shown by a new systematic review carried out by Uppsala University and others, in which researchers have analyzed 55 studies involving over 15,000 participants. The work is published in PLOS One.

Iberian people continued using, and possibly building, massive necropolises well into the Bronze Age, according to a study published in PLOS One by Eduardo Vijande-Vila of the University of Cádiz, Spain, and colleagues.

Natufian hunter-gatherers may have shown their kids how to sculpt clay, sets of preserved fingerprints suggest.

About 10,000 years ago, a Neolithic culture in the southern Levant known as the Natufians became some of the first nomadic hunter-gatherers to transition towards agriculture. But even before this monumental lifestyle shift, members of the prehistoric community were already crafting symbolic figures from clay. What’s more, archaeologists say more than 150 recently discovered artifacts dating back 11,500 to 15,000 years ago are likely the earliest examples of their kind ever found in the Middle East. Their findings, published today in the journal PLOS One, suggest that even children sometimes had a role in creating these miniatures. The Natufians lived in what is now known as the Fertile Crescent between 9,500 and 13,000 BCE. Pre-agrarian and semi-sedentary, the culture likely preceded the region’s first permanent Neolithic settlements. Although archaeologists previously located small figurines linked to the Natufians made from rocks and bones, these clay artifacts have larger implications. Crafting items from preexisting hard materials typically relies on intentionally shaping through processes like breaking, sanding, or whittling. The existence of clay items suggests that the Natufians didn’t just express themselves artistically and symbolically. They did so through materials that required additional steps like baking and hardening. “This shift required diverse tools,…

Astronomers saw something strange in a distant star system—or rather what’s strange is what they didn’t see. Solving the mystery could reveal new astrophysics

For years now, we’ve watched as president Donald Trump and his family have enriched themselves by launching dubious cryptocurrency schemes — at the same time that the White House should be holding the industry accountable. There’s serious money at play. Trump and his family made off with nearly $3 billion during the first year of his second term alone, raising major flags among transparency and ethics advocates. But following a Democratic sweep in last week’s midterm elections, Trump’s crypto empire could now be facing some major accountability. And investors are already getting spooked: as Gizmodo points out, crypto ventures with direct ties to the president, including World Liberty Financial and the memecoins $MELANIA and $TRUMP are hitting all-time lows after the elections. The crypto industry overall spent about $170 million in its attempts to boost Republican candidates in the midterms, but ended up getting trounced. “This is an awful night for crypto,” one industry lobbyist told Politico. “From a Hill perspective, they are going to be lit on fire against crypto.” Democrats are gearing up to take control of both chambers of Congress in January, and it’s likely we’ll see them go after the president’s crypto endeavors. Senator Elizabeth Warren…

A search for genes linked to lifespan uncovered an unexpected connection between RNA splicing, metabolism, and developmental disorders. A mutation linked to a rare developmental disorder appears to interfere with more than the way cells process genetic instructions. Researchers discovered that it also disrupts vitamin B12-dependent metabolism in tiny roundworms. Supplying the vitamin restored key […]

The Okinawa rail (Hypotaenidia okinawae) is an endangered flightless bird endemic to the Yanbaru forest region of Okinawa Island in Japan. The bird has only recently begun recovering its numbers after introduced predators, such as the mongoose, and traffic accidents reduced its population to as low as 820 individuals.

A new study reveals surprising differences in how male and female hearts age at the cellular level. The heart may age very differently from one region to another. A detailed study of mouse hearts found that molecular signs associated with chronic inflammation and tissue scarring were concentrated around the aortic valves and aortic root, rather […]

Despite both species being bears, black bears (Ursus americanus) typically won’t go to areas that brown bears (Ursus arctos) frequent. For one, brown bears are bigger, at 600 to 900 pounds to the black bear’s average of 90 to 500 pounds. Despite her large stature (and award-winning butt), a mother bear in Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska named Volverine instantly turned around when she noticed a female brown bear named Bullseye standing right behind her. The U.S. Forest Service team at Tongass National Forest has awarded her the 2026 Nope Award for her quick turn away from Bullseye.  “It took a minute for Volverine to notice Bullseye the brown bear standing right behind her, but when she saw, she said, ‘Nope!’” the rangers write. Bullseye is a five-year-old brown bear who is known for dark circles around her eyes, and dark brown fur mixed into her blonde coat. And if you are keeping score at home, this is Volverine’s second award this season. She also won the 2026 Big & Beautiful Award for her beautiful bulky body. Meet the bears of Anan Creek The rangers at Tongass National Forest are currently awarding the Anan Bear Awards to the 39…

Photosynthesis is fundamental to life on Earth, allowing plants and microalgae to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into organic compounds. However, this essential process is highly vulnerable to heat. As global temperatures rise and heat waves become more frequent, declining photosynthetic efficiency threatens agricultural productivity and the large-scale cultivation of microalgae for biofuels and other valuable products.