Physicists discover first “black hole triple”
System observed 8,000 light-years away may be the first direct evidence of “gentle” black hole formation.
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Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins
The quasars appear to have few cosmic neighbors, raising questions about how they first emerged more than 13 billion years ago.
Solar-powered desalination system requires no extra batteries
Because it doesn’t need expensive energy storage for times without sunshine, the technology could provide communities with drinking water at low costs.
An interstellar instrument takes a final bow
The Plasma Science Experiment aboard NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft turns off after 47 years and 15 billion miles.
Helping robots zero in on the objects that matter
A new method called Clio enables robots to quickly map a scene and identify the items they need to complete a given set of tasks.
Mars’ missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight
A new study shows Mars’ early thick atmosphere could be locked up in the planet’s clay surface.
Study evaluates impacts of summer heat in U.S. prison environments
MIT researchers identify facility-level factors that could worsen heat impacts for incarcerated people.
Engineers 3D print sturdy glass bricks for building structures
The interlocking bricks, which can be repurposed many times over, can withstand similar pressures as their concrete counterparts.
A wobble from Mars could be sign of dark matter, MIT study finds
Watching for changes in the Red Planet’s orbit over time could be new way to detect passing dark matter.
Study: Early dark energy could resolve cosmology’s two biggest puzzles
In the universe’s first billion years, this brief and mysterious force could have produced more bright galaxies than theory predicts.
Atoms on the edge
Physicists capture images of ultracold atoms flowing freely, without friction, in an exotic “edge state.”
Study: Rocks from Mars’ Jezero Crater, which likely predate life on Earth, contain signs of water
The presence of organic matter is inconclusive, but the rocks could be scientists’ best chance at finding remnants of ancient Martian life.
Scientists pin down the origins of the moon’s tenuous atmosphere
The barely-there lunar atmosphere is likely the product of meteorite impacts over billions of years, a new study finds.
Scientists find a human “fingerprint” in the upper troposphere’s increasing ozone
Knowing where to look for this signal will help researchers identify specific sources of the potent greenhouse gas.
A recipe for zero-emissions fuel: Soda cans, seawater, and caffeine
MIT engineers have developed a fast and sustainable method for producing hydrogen fuel using aluminum, saltwater, and coffee grounds.