Hanan Kalaz

A strange fossil at the edge of the solar system just shook up Planet Nine theories

A tiny object far beyond Pluto, newly discovered by the Subaru Telescope, could reshape our understanding of the early Solar System. Named 2023 KQ14, this rare “sednoid” follows an unusual orbit that doesn’t match its known cousins—hinting at ancient celestial upheavals, and possibly even challenging the existence of the elusive Planet Nine. With a stable […]

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Astronomers just witnessed planets being born around a baby star 1300 light-years away

Astronomers have, for the first time, observed the very beginning of planet formation around a star beyond our Solar System. Using the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA, researchers detected hot minerals starting to solidify in the dusty disc surrounding a young star called HOPS-315, located 1300 light-years from Earth. These minerals mark the earliest

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NASA’s IXPE tracked a rare pulsar—and found an unexpected power source

Astronomers studying a rare neutron star system have uncovered a surprising source of powerful X-rays. Using NASA s IXPE telescope and data from other observatories, an international team found that the radiation doesn’t come from the star s surrounding disk of gas, as previously believed, but from a wild and turbulent pulsar wind. This fast-moving

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This tiny metal switches magnetism without magnets — and could power the future of electronics

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have made a promising breakthrough in memory technology by using a nickel-tungsten alloy called Ni₄W. This material shows powerful magnetic control properties that can significantly reduce energy use in electronic devices. Unlike conventional materials, Ni₄W allows for “field-free” switching—meaning it can flip magnetic states without external magnets—paving

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Lasers just unlocked a hidden side of gold, copper, and aluminum

Scientists have cracked a century-old physics mystery by detecting magnetic signals in non-magnetic metals using only light and a revamped laser technique. Previously undetectable, these faint magnetic “whispers” are now measurable, revealing hidden patterns of electron behavior. The breakthrough could revolutionize how we explore magnetism in everyday materials—without bulky instruments or wires—and may open new

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Why broken crystals are stronger

Crystals may seem flawless, but deep inside they contain tiny structural imperfections that dramatically influence their strength and behavior. Researchers from The University of Osaka have used the sophisticated math of differential geometry to reveal how these defects—like dislocations and disclinations—interact in elegant, unified ways. Their findings could help scientists engineer tougher, smarter materials by

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This laser implosion just created a magnetic field like a neutron star

A powerful new technique harnesses swirling plasma inside laser-blasted microtubes to produce record-breaking magnetic fields—rivaling those near neutron stars—all within a compact laboratory setup. This innovation promises to transform astrophysics, quantum research, and fusion energy experiments by unleashing megatesla-level forces using nothing more than targeted laser pulses and clever engineering.

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Chirality shock: Geneva chemists forge millennia-stable ‘mirror-proof’ drugs

Chemists at the University of Geneva and University of Pisa have crafted a novel family of chiral molecules whose mirror-image “handedness” remains rock-solid for tens of thousands of years. By swapping the usual carbon-bound arms for oxygen and nitrogen, they introduced an unprecedented stereogenic center and proved its extreme resilience through dynamic chromatography and quantum

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