Hanan Kalaz

Mojave lichen defies death rays—could life thrive on distant exoplanets?

Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.

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This triple-layer sunlight catalyst supercharges green hydrogen by 800%

Researchers in Sweden have developed a powerful new material that dramatically boosts the ability to create hydrogen fuel from water using sunlight, making the process eight times more effective than before. This breakthrough could be key to fueling heavy transport like ships and planes with clean, renewable energy.

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Artificial intelligence isn’t hurting workers—It might be helping

Despite widespread fears, early research suggests AI might actually be improving some aspects of work life. A major new study examining 20 years of worker data in Germany found no signs that AI exposure is hurting job satisfaction or mental health. In fact, there s evidence that it may be subtly improving physical health especially

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Quantum dice: Scientists harness true randomness from entangled photons

Scientists at NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder have created CURBy, a cutting-edge quantum randomness beacon that draws on the intrinsic unpredictability of quantum entanglement to produce true random numbers. Unlike traditional methods, CURBy is traceable, transparent, and verifiable thanks to quantum physics and blockchain-like protocols. This breakthrough has real-world applications ranging from cybersecurity

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Affordances in the brain: The human superpower AI hasn’t mastered

Scientists at the University of Amsterdam discovered that our brains automatically understand how we can move through different environments—whether it’s swimming in a lake or walking a path—without conscious thought. These “action possibilities,” or affordances, light up specific brain regions independently of what’s visually present. In contrast, AI models like ChatGPT still struggle with these

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What the Universe tried to hide: The 21-centimeter signal explained

Scientists are peering into the universe’s mysterious Cosmic Dawn using the faint whispers of hydrogen radio waves emitted over 13 billion years ago. These signals, particularly the elusive 21-centimeter signal, offer rare insights into the masses and behavior of the universe’s first stars—Population III stars—whose light we can’t see directly. With projects like REACH and

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Breakthrough magnet design could transform MRI and magnetic levitation

Two German physicists have reimagined how to create powerful and uniform magnetic fields using compact permanent magnets. By overcoming the limitations of the well-known Halbach array, which works only with infinitely long magnets, they engineered innovative 3D magnet arrangements that work in practical, finite-size setups. Their designs not only boost field strength but also enhance

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Quantum breakthrough: ‘Magic states’ now easier, faster, and way less noisy

Quantum computing just got a significant boost thanks to researchers at the University of Osaka, who developed a much more efficient way to create “magic states”—a key component for fault-tolerant quantum computers. By pioneering a low-level, or “level-zero,” distillation method, they dramatically reduced the number of qubits and computational resources needed, overcoming one of the

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