Earth's 'boring billion years' created the conditions for complex life, study reveals

A study led by researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Adelaide has revealed how the breakup of an ancient supercontinent 1.5 billion years ago transformed Earth's surface environments, paving the way for the emergence of complex life.


"Our approach shows how plate tectonics has helped shape the habitability of the Earth," lead author Professor Dietmar Müller said. "It provides a new way to think about how tectonics, climate and life co-evolved through deep time."

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Dwarf galaxies tip the scales in favor of dark matter over modified gravity

An international team of researchers led by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has shed light on a decades-long debate about why galaxies spin faster than expected—and whether this behavior is caused by invisible dark matter or by a collapse of gravity on cosmic scales.


Led by the AIP in collaboration with the University of Surrey, the University of Bath, Nanjing University in China, the University of Porto in Portugal, Leiden University in the Netherlands, and Lund University in Sweden, the study analyzed stellar velocity data from 12 of the smallest and faintest galaxies in the universe to put rival theories to the test.

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Exploring how dark matter alters electron-capture supernovae and the birth of neutron stars

Artist impressions of a super-asymptotic giant branch star (left) and its core (right) made up of oxygen (O), neon (Ne), and magnesium (Mg). 

A super-asymptotic giant branch star is the end state of stars in a mass range of around 8–10 solar masses, whose core is pressure supported 

by electrons (e-). When the core becomes dense enough, neon and magnesium start to eat up electrons (so called electron-capture reactions), 

reducing the core pressure and inducing an electron capture supernova explosion. 

Credit: S. Wilkinson; Las Cumbres Observatory (lco.global/news/a-new-type-of-supernova-illuminates-an-old-mystery/)

Electron-capture supernovae (ECSNe) are stellar explosions that occur in stars with initial masses around 8–10 times that of the sun. These stars develop oxygen-neon-magnesium cores, which become unstable when electrons are captured by neon and magnesium nuclei.


The resulting loss of electron pressure triggers core collapse, leading to a supernova explosion and the formation of a neutron star—an extremely dense star composed mostly of neutrons.

Researchers at INFN-Pisa and the University of Pisa recently carried out a study aimed at shedding new light on how a hypothetical type of dark matter, called asymmetric dark matter (ADM), could influence the collapse of the ECSN progenitor cores and the subsequent formation of neutron stars.

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Nanobots play 'follow the leader' by chasing chemical trails in microfluidic device

Researchers at Penn State demonstrate the first steps in the design of tiny particles that can perform specialized tasks, such as targeted delivery of drugs or other cargo.

A group of tiny particles followed "breadcrumbs" left behind by a different group of particles in new experiments demonstrating the first steps in creating intelligent communicating systems involving active particles—sometimes called nanobots—that perform specialized tasks. 

The experiment was possible thanks to a new microfluidic tool developed by researchers at Penn State that allowed them to observe the particles for far longer than had been previously possible.

The extended time allowed the team to watch as one group of particles followed a chemical gradient while creating a different chemical gradient in its wake, which was followed by the second group of particles.

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Proposed approach could bridge gap between general relativity and quantum mechanics

A circulating fluxon–antifluxon pair in coupled annular Josephson junctions behaves as a detector. The pair decays due to Unruh-induced fluctuations, and the resulting event is observed as a voltage jump. By measuring the distribution of the corresponding switching currents, the Unruh effect can be detected. 

Credit: Haruna Katayama and Noriyuki Hatakenaka, Hiroshima University

Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a realistic, highly sensitive method to detect the Unruh effect—a long-predicted phenomenon at the crossroads of relativity and quantum theory. Their novel approach opens new possibilities for exploring fundamental physics and for developing advanced technologies.


The work is published in Physical Review Letters on July 23, 2025.

The Fulling-Davies-Unruh effect, or simply the Unruh effect, is a striking theoretical prediction at the profound intersection of Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Quantum Theory.

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3D-printed micro ion traps could solve quantum tech's miniaturization problem

The existing bottleneck in efficiently miniaturizing components for quantum computers could be eased with the help of 3D printing.


Quantum computers tackle massive computational challenges by harnessing the power of countless tiny parts working seamlessly together. Trapped ion technology, where charged particles like ions are trapped by manipulating the electromagnetic fields, is one such component.


Current microfabrication techniques fall short when it comes to producing the complex electrode structures with optimal ion confinement suitable for quantum operations.

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Quantum researchers observe real-time switching of magnet in heart of single atom

Researchers from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have been able to see the magnetic nucleus of an atom switch back and forth in real time. They read out the nuclear
"spin" via the electrons in the same atom through the needle of a scanning tunneling microscope.

To their surprise, the spin remained stable for several seconds, offering prospects for enhanced control of the magnetic nucleus. The research, published in Nature Communications, is a step forward for quantum sensing at the atomic scale.

A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) consists of an atomically sharp needle that can "feel" single atoms on a surface and make images with atomic resolution.

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A low-cost protocol enables preparation of magic states and fault-tolerant universal quantum computation

Unfolding of the X-type stabilizer group of the quantum Hadamard Reed-Muller code

Quantum computers, systems that perform computations leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could outperform classical computers in some optimization and information processing tasks. As these systems are highly influenced by noise, however, they need to integrate strategies that will minimize the errors they produce.


One proposed solution for enabling fault-tolerant quantum computing across a wide range of operations is known as magic state distillation. This approach consists of preparing special quantum states (i.e., magic states) that can then be used to perform a universal set of operations. This allows the construction of a universal quantum computer—a device that can reliably perform all operations necessary for implementing any quantum algorithm.

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Quantum Mechanics and New Particles

Amid the many mysteries of quantum physics, subatomic particles don't always follow the rules of the physical world. They can exist in two places at once, pass through solid barriers and even communicate across vast distances instantaneously. 

These behaviors may seem impossible, but in the quantum realm, scientists are exploring an array of properties once thought impossible.

In a new study, physicists at Brown University have now observed a novel class of quantum particles called fractional excitons, which behave in unexpected ways and could significantly expand scientists' understanding of the quantum realm.

"Our findings point toward an entirely new class of quantum particles that carry no overall charge but follow unique quantum statistics," said Jia Li, an associate professor of physics at Brown.    READ MORE...

Predicting Everything

A breakthrough in theoretical physics is an important step toward predicting the behavior of the fundamental matter of which our world is built. It can be used to calculate systems of enormous quantities of quantum particles, a feat thought impossible before.


The new University of Copenhagen research may prove of great importance for the design of quantum computers and could even be a map to superconductors that function at room temperature. The paper is published in the journal Physical Review X.

On the fringes of theoretical physics, Berislav Buca investigates the nearly impossible by way of "exotic" mathematics. His latest theory is no exception. By making it possible to calculate the dynamics, i.e., movements and interactions, of systems with enormous quantities of quantum particles, it has delivered something that had been written off in physics. An impossibility made possible.  READ MORE...

We Don't Have Free Will

After more than 40 years studying humans and other primates, Sapolsky has reached the conclusion that virtually all human behavior is as far beyond our conscious control as the convulsions of a seizure, the division of cells or the beating of our hearts.

This means accepting that a man who shoots into a crowd has no more control over his fate than the victims who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It means treating drunk drivers who barrel into pedestrians just like drivers who suffer a sudden heart attack and veer out of their lane.

"The world is really screwed up and made much, much more unfair by the fact that we reward people and punish people for things they have no control over," Sapolsky (left) said. "We've got no free will. Stop attributing stuff to us that isn't there."  READ MORE...

Tracing Earth's Path Through the Galaxy

"To see a world in a grain of sand," the opening sentence of the poem by William Blake, is an oft-used phrase that also captures some of what geologists do.




We observe the composition of mineral grains, smaller than the width of a human hair. Then, we extrapolate the chemical processes they suggest to ponder the construction of our planet itself.

Now, we've taken that minute attention to new heights, connecting tiny grains to Earth's place in the galactic environment.

Looking out to the universe
At an even larger scale, astrophysicists seek to understand the universe and our place in it. They use laws of physics to develop models that describe the orbits of astronomical objects.

Although we may think of the planet's surface as something shaped by processes entirely within Earth itself, our planet has undoubtedly felt the effects of its cosmic environment. This includes periodic changes in Earth's orbit, variations in the sun's output, gamma ray bursts, and of course meteorite impacts.

Just looking at the Moon and its pockmarked surface should remind us of that, given Earth is more than 80 times more massive than its gray satellite. In fact, recent work has pointed to the importance of meteorite impacts in the production of continental crust on Earth, helping to form buoyant "seeds" that floated on the outermost layer of our planet in its youth.

We and our international team of colleagues have now identified a rhythm in the production of this early continental crust, and the tempo points to a truly grand driving mechanism. This work has just been published in the journal Geology.  READ MORE...

Unknown Structure in Galaxy

                 Artist's impression of a giant galaxy with a high-energy jet. 

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

As a result of achieving high imaging dynamic range, a team of astronomers in Japan has discovered for the first time a faint radio emission covering a giant galaxy with an energetic black hole at its center. 

The radio emission is released from gas created directly by the central black hole. The team expects to understand how a black hole interacts with its host galaxy by applying the same technique to other quasars.

3C273, which lies at a distance of 2.4 billion light-years from Earth, is a quasar. A quasar is the nucleus of a galaxy believed to house a massive black hole at its center, which swallows its surrounding material, giving off enormous radiation. 

Contrary to its bland name, 3C273 is the first quasar ever discovered, the brightest, and the best studied. It is one of the most frequently observed sources with telescopes because it can be used as a standard of position in the sky: in other words, 3C273 is a radio lighthouse.

When you see a car's headlight, the dazzling brightness makes it challenging to see the darker surroundings. The same thing happens to telescopes when you observe bright objects. Dynamic range is the contrast between the most brilliant and darkest tones in an image. 

You need a high dynamic range to reveal both the bright and dark parts in a telescope's single shot. ALMA can regularly attain imaging dynamic ranges up to around 100, but commercially available digital cameras would typically have a dynamic range of several thousands. Radio telescopes aren't very good at seeing objects with significant contrast.  READ MORE...