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In an awe-inspiring leap through space and time, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected the light of a galaxy that existed just 280 million years after the Big Bang —the most distant galaxy ever observed. This breathtaking discovery, led by astronomer Rohan Naidu and his team at the MIT Kavli Institute , pushes the boundaries of what we know about the early universe and the formation of the first galaxies. Named MoM-z14 , this ancient galaxy sits at a redshift of z = 14.4 , meaning its light has been traveling for over 13.4 billion years. It has now reached us thanks to the unparalleled power of the JWST, a space telescope specifically designed to peer deep into the infrared universe. This discovery is not only a record-breaker, but also a revelation—offering rare clues about how galaxies like our own Milky Way may have formed. Let’s explore why this finding matters, how the JWST made it possible, and what MoM-z14 is telling us about the universe’s mysterious beginnin...

Astronomers have just made a discovery so vast and mysterious that it's rewriting what we know about the universe. Scientists have found the largest-ever cloud of energetic particles around a massive galaxy cluster—spanning nearly 20 million light-years across. That’s about 20 times the size of our entire Milky Way galaxy . This mind-blowing finding challenges long-standing theories about how particles in space get energized and stay active over billions of years. The discovery was made around a distant galaxy cluster named PLCK G287.0+32.9 , located 5 billion light-years away from Earth. Scientists shared this breakthrough at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS 2025) in Anchorage, Alaska. The research, led by Dr. Kamlesh Rajpurohit from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian , offers new insight into how energy moves through the largest structures in the universe. This new composite image made with X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Obser...

Have you ever felt anxious just by seeing something that reminds you of a bad experience—even if it didn’t harm you directly? For example, a child stung by a wasp might start fearing the wasp’s nest, even though the nest itself never hurt her. This kind of response is called emotional inference —and for the first time, scientists have uncovered how our brain makes this happen. Researchers Xiaowei Gu and Joshua Johansen at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have made a significant discovery. They identified how certain brain circuits in rats allow them to "infer" emotions from past experiences, much like humans do. Their research, recently published in the prestigious journal Nature , provides the first clear explanation of how our brains build internal emotional models —a key part of higher-order thinking. Let’s break down this fascinating study. Cartoon showing an example of how inferred emotions are learned. A child often watches wasps fly in and out of their ne...

In a groundbreaking development for the future of energy storage, researchers from the University of California San Diego and the University of Chicago have successfully created a new form of a material called lithium phosphorus oxynitride , or LiPON , that enables lithium metal batteries to function without the need for any external pressure. This innovative approach could significantly boost the performance, safety, and efficiency of solid-state batteries, which are critical for powering next-generation electronic devices, wearables, and electric vehicles. Their work, recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Nanotechnology , marks a major milestone in battery science. The researchers engineered a new free-standing form of LiPON , making it easier to study and unlocking exciting new applications in solid-state battery design. In this article, we’ll explore what this breakthrough means, why it matters, and how it could reshape the future of portable power. What Is LiPON...

Rubber has been part of human innovation for thousands of years, serving everything from the soles of our shoes to the tires that keep our cars moving. But one persistent weakness has always limited its performance— crack growth under repeated stress . Now, scientists in the United States have changed the game. In a groundbreaking study led by Professor Zhigang Suo at Harvard University, researchers have developed a new kind of rubber that is not only 10 times stronger but also four times more resistant to cracking during repeated stretching. This breakthrough doesn’t just improve rubber’s strength—it redefines its potential in real-world applications. The Problem with Traditional Rubber Before diving into the science, let’s understand the challenge. Natural rubber, sourced from the Hevea brasiliensis tree, is known for its flexibility and durability. However, it tends to crack over time , especially when stretched repeatedly. This problem limits the lifespan of products made...

Black holes are some of the most mysterious and fascinating objects in the universe. They’re known for having such strong gravity that nothing — not even light — can escape from them. But what if black holes aren’t totally black? Thanks to the famous physicist Stephen Hawking, we know that black holes actually give off tiny amounts of energy, now called Hawking radiation . This radiation slowly makes the black hole lose mass and may even cause it to vanish over billions of years. But where does this radiation come from? And what happens to the information that falls into a black hole? A new study by researchers led by Zhang tries to answer these questions by looking closely at Hawking radiation and quantum entanglement near black holes. Let’s break it all down. 🌌 What Is Hawking Radiation? According to quantum physics, even empty space isn't really empty. Tiny particles and their opposites (called "antiparticles") are always popping in and out of existence. Norm...

Virginia Tech researchers develop a breakthrough material that’s durable, reconfigurable, and could keep millions of devices out of landfills. The world is facing a growing crisis— electronic waste , or e-waste , is piling up at an alarming rate. From discarded smartphones to broken laptops and outdated tablets, billions of devices are thrown away every year. While electronics have revolutionized our lives, their rapid turnover has created a massive environmental burden. But a remarkable breakthrough from researchers at Virginia Tech may be the game-changer we need. A new kind of circuit board has been developed that is recyclable , self-healing , and reconfigurable —a material that could revolutionize how we deal with discarded electronics and drastically reduce the waste choking our planet. What’s So Special About This Circuit Board? Unlike traditional circuit boards, which are made from materials that are difficult or impossible to recycle , the new Virginia Tech invention ...