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For centuries, scientists have tried to answer one of the biggest questions in science: What is everything around us really made of? From the stars in the sky to the human body, everything is built from atoms. But even after decades of research, the tiny particles inside atoms still hold many secrets. Now, scientists are preparing to unlock those mysteries with one of the most advanced scientific machines ever built—the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) . Currently under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, this groundbreaking facility will allow researchers to look deeper inside protons and atomic nuclei than ever before. Its goal is to create the most detailed three-dimensional images of the building blocks of matter and explain how they give rise to nearly 99% of the visible mass in the universe . A New Era in Particle Physics The Electron-Ion Collider is unlike any previous particle accelerator. Instead of smashing two heavy particles together, it will fire high...

As cities grow taller and climate change brings stronger storms and more extreme weather, engineers face a major challenge: how to make skyscrapers safer without using huge amounts of steel and concrete. Traditionally, tall buildings are designed to be as rigid as possible so they can resist strong winds and earthquakes. But making buildings stronger often means making them heavier, more expensive, and less environmentally friendly. Now, researchers from Imperial College London and global engineering firm Arup have developed an innovative solution that completely changes this way of thinking. Instead of trying to stop a building from moving, their new design allows controlled movement and uses the building's own weight to reduce swaying during high winds and earthquakes. Inspired by the centuries-old design of traditional Japanese pagodas, this breakthrough could make future skyscrapers safer, more comfortable, cheaper to build, and far more sustainable. Why Tall Buildings Move ...

Imagine a drone that can roll across the ground like a small vehicle, jump over obstacles, and then take off into the sky—all using just a single motor. It may sound like science fiction, but researchers have now developed exactly that. This innovative drone combines three different ways of moving into one lightweight and efficient design, making it capable of traveling through places where ordinary drones would struggle. Most modern drones are designed only for flight. While they are excellent at reaching high places quickly, they often face problems when flying continuously. Flying consumes a lot of energy, and obstacles such as walls, rocks, trees, or uneven terrain can make navigation difficult. To solve these challenges, engineers have been developing multimodal drones —machines that can move in more than one way. However, there has always been one major problem. Most multimodal drones require several motors and complicated mechanical systems to switch between driving, walking, ju...

Imagine a tiny medical implant that can monitor your heart or brain without bulky wires, metal electrodes, or painful tissue damage. That future may be closer than ever. Researchers from the UNSW School of Biomedical Engineering have developed a groundbreaking flexible optical sensor called an optrode that converts the body's electrical signals directly into light signals. Unlike traditional implants that rely on rigid materials and electrical wiring, this new technology is soft, flexible, and designed to move naturally with the body's organs. Early animal studies have shown excellent results, including a remarkable 98.4% cell viability rate , suggesting that the device is safe and compatible with living tissue. The research, published in npj Flexible Electronics , could lead to a new generation of safer, more accurate, and long-lasting medical implants for monitoring the heart, brain, muscles, and other organs. Why Current Medical Implants Have Problems Doctors often need t...

 Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets outside our Solar System, known as exoplanets . Some of these worlds are small and rocky like Earth, while others are huge gas planets larger than Jupiter. One of the biggest questions scientists want to answer is how these planets change over time and whether they slowly lose their atmospheres. To study this, researchers often look at helium , the second most common element in the universe after hydrogen. Helium acts like a natural marker that helps scientists see whether a planet's atmosphere is escaping into space. However, observations have created a mystery. Some planets show strong helium signals, while others appear to have very little helium. For years, many scientists believed this meant those planets had already lost much of their original atmosphere. Now, a new study by Gkouvelis and Pozuelos suggests something surprising. Their research shows that a planet may still have plenty of helium deep inside its atmosphere, even...

Imagine wearing a glove that makes lifting heavy objects easier or a lightweight robotic suit that helps people regain movement after an injury. These futuristic ideas depend on one important technology: artificial muscles . Scientists around the world have been working to create materials that can move like real muscles while remaining lightweight, flexible, and energy-efficient. Now, researchers led by Maki Hiraoka have developed a new type of coiled fibre actuator that could bring these technologies much closer to everyday use. Their design uses a common plastic material called linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and delivers impressive performance while operating at much lower temperatures than previous fibre actuators. The new invention could lead to more practical wearable devices, soft robots, medical equipment, and assistive technologies. What Is a Fibre Actuator? A fibre actuator is a special material that behaves somewhat like a muscle. When heated or electrically pow...

Dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in science. We know it exists because its gravity affects galaxies, stars, and the expansion of the universe. But no one knows exactly what dark matter is made of. It cannot be seen because it does not give off, reflect, or absorb light. Even though dark matter makes up about 27% of the universe , scientists have never directly detected its particles. Now, a new study by astrophysicist Ilídio Lopes suggests something fascinating. Dark matter may be able to form a completely new type of compact star called a quantum dark fermion star . These strange objects could look almost exactly like neutron stars or even black holes, making them extremely difficult to identify. If they really exist, future telescopes and gravitational-wave detectors may finally help scientists uncover the true nature of dark matter. Why Scientists Believe Dark Matter Exists Although we cannot see dark matter, we can see its effects. For example, galaxies rotate much fast...