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Imagine a device that can make an object appear to vanish—not from the human eye, but from an infrared camera. Researchers have developed a new 3D-printed thermal “invisibility cloak” that can hide objects from infrared sensors by controlling the way heat moves around them. Unlike earlier designs that worked only from certain directions or under limited conditions, the new device is designed to work around complex three-dimensional objects and from virtually any viewing direction. The breakthrough could open new possibilities in thermal management, electronics, sensing technology, and even defense. How can an object disappear from an infrared camera? Infrared cameras do not see objects in the same way our eyes do. Instead, they detect infrared radiation associated with temperature. A warm person, vehicle, drone, or electronic device therefore produces a recognizable thermal signature . The researchers wanted to solve a difficult problem: instead of simply blocking this heat, could th...

Black holes are some of the most mysterious objects in the universe. They have such strong gravity that nothing, not even light, can escape once it crosses the event horizon. For decades, scientists have studied black holes to understand how gravity behaves under extreme conditions. Modern observations have made black holes even more important in physics. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has produced images of the supermassive black holes M87* and Sagittarius A*. At the same time, the detection of gravitational waves by LIGO has allowed scientists to study black-hole mergers directly. These discoveries have provided strong evidence for black holes and have also raised important questions about what happens deep inside them. One of the biggest questions concerns the singularity at the center of a classical black hole. The Problem with Classical Black Holes The first exact black-hole solution was developed by Karl Schwarzschild in 1916. Later, scientists found more complicated solution...

Astronomers have made a remarkable discovery that could change our understanding of how giant black holes grew in the early universe. For the first time, scientists have found three actively feeding supermassive black holes inside a single distant galaxy . The galaxy, known as J0148-4214 , is located more than 12.5 billion light-years from Earth . Because its light has taken so long to reach us, astronomers are seeing this galaxy as it existed when the universe was only about 1.2 billion years old . The discovery was made by an international team led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) . Using observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) , the researchers identified three black holes that are actively pulling in surrounding matter. The findings, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics , provide an important new clue about how supermassive black holes became so large so quickly in the young universe. Three Black Holes in On...

Astronomers have discovered an extraordinary object in the early universe that may represent a completely new type of cosmic phenomenon. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers from MIT and other institutions have identified an incredibly bright red object that appears to have the size and appearance of a giant star—but produces an astonishing amount of energy. The object is so powerful that it shines about 100 billion times brighter than an ordinary star could produce through nuclear fusion . Yet its light also carries unusual features that make it look remarkably different from known galaxies, stars or black holes. The researchers believe they may have found something never observed before: a “black hole star.” A Star-Like Object With a Black Hole at Its Heart The newly identified object, officially named MoM-BH -1 *, was detected when astronomers were studying the universe as it existed only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. At first glance, it look...

Scientists in Finland have developed the world’s first cyclic heat engine that works inside a superconducting quantum circuit. The tiny device can use a small amount of heat from a quantum refrigerator and convert it into useful work. The breakthrough, achieved by researchers at Aalto University, could help make future quantum computers simpler, more affordable and easier to scale. In particular, it could reduce the huge number of microwave cables needed to connect thousands or even millions of quantum components. The challenge of building larger quantum computers Quantum computers use qubits , the basic units of quantum information. Unlike the bits in ordinary computers, qubits can exist in combinations of different states, allowing quantum computers to solve certain problems in ways that classical machines cannot. However, building a large quantum computer is extremely difficult. Finland’s Quantum Technology Strategy aims to develop a quantum computer with 1,000 logical qubits by 20...

Waste heat is everywhere. Factories, power plants, engines, electronic devices, and even natural environments release large amounts of heat that often goes unused. If this wasted energy could be efficiently converted into electricity, it could provide an important source of clean and sustainable power. A recent study by Choo and colleagues explores a promising way to achieve this goal. The researchers developed a new design strategy for thermoelectric power generation using copper selenide (Cu₂Se) and advanced 3D-printing technology . Their approach combines computer modelling with precise control over the material's shape and internal structure. The results show that changing the shape of thermoelectric materials can significantly improve their ability to produce electricity from heat. The Untapped Potential of Waste Heat Waste heat is one of the largest sources of unused energy in modern society. Industrial facilities, vehicles and power-generation systems can release substanti...

A simple bottle can teach us an important lesson about sound. Blow across the opening of a bottle and it produces a familiar humming tone. This everyday experiment demonstrates a scientific phenomenon known as Helmholtz resonance , in which air trapped inside a cavity vibrates at particular frequencies. Now, researchers at the MicroBioRobotic Systems (MICROBS) Lab at EPFL's School of Engineering have taken this basic principle much further. They have developed tiny hollow structures that can turn sound into motion, creating miniature machines that can move through water or even fly. The research, published in Science Advances , could open a new path toward extremely small robots that do not need conventional motors, gears or magnetic components. Turning Sound Into Thrust Helmholtz resonance happens when air inside a hollow space oscillates in response to sound or airflow. At certain frequencies, the movement becomes particularly strong, producing the characteristic sound we hear f...