https://scitechdaily.com/ Science, Space and Technology News 2026 Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:24:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-turned-empty-space-into-a-tool-for-superconductivity/ https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-turned-empty-space-into-a-tool-for-superconductivity/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2026 23:31:23 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=530261 Researchers used a specially designed cavity to strengthen quantum vacuum fluctuations and enhance superconductivity in a thin material. Empty space is not truly empty. Even a vacuum contains restless quantum fluctuations, and researchers have now shown for the first time that these normally subtle effects can be engineered to strengthen superconductivity. The work, led by [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-turned-empty-space-into-a-tool-for-superconductivity/feed/ 2 https://scitechdaily.com/mysterious-gamma-rays-reveal-hidden-magnetism-inside-atomic-nuclei/ https://scitechdaily.com/mysterious-gamma-rays-reveal-hidden-magnetism-inside-atomic-nuclei/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2026 22:56:04 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531833 Scientists have traced a decades-old gamma-ray mystery to hidden magnetic transitions inside atomic nuclei. For decades, nuclear physicists have faced a puzzling question: why do some atomic nuclei release far more low-energy gamma rays than expected? A new study led by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), with contributions from scientists at Lawrence Livermore [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/mysterious-gamma-rays-reveal-hidden-magnetism-inside-atomic-nuclei/feed/ 1 https://scitechdaily.com/the-physics-that-curves-a-ping-pong-ball-just-showed-up-in-quantum-light/ https://scitechdaily.com/the-physics-that-curves-a-ping-pong-ball-just-showed-up-in-quantum-light/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2026 22:21:17 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531302 Researchers have directly observed the optical Magnus effect for the first time, revealing a tiny shift in laser interactions that could affect the precise control of qubits in quantum computers. Anyone who has watched a spinning soccer ball curve around a defensive wall has seen what happens when spin changes an object’s path through the [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/the-physics-that-curves-a-ping-pong-ball-just-showed-up-in-quantum-light/feed/ 2 https://scitechdaily.com/why-your-immune-system-weakens-with-age-is-more-complicated-than-scientists-thought/ https://scitechdaily.com/why-your-immune-system-weakens-with-age-is-more-complicated-than-scientists-thought/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 19:06:40 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=530230 A new study reveals how aging changes the immune system in complex ways and identifies potential targets for healthier aging. Why does immunity weaken with age, and does that decline happen the same way throughout the body? Researchers at USC approached that question by looking across the body rather than focusing on a single organ. [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/why-your-immune-system-weakens-with-age-is-more-complicated-than-scientists-thought/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/nighttime-light-may-make-your-heart-thicker-and-stiffer/ https://scitechdaily.com/nighttime-light-may-make-your-heart-thicker-and-stiffer/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 18:31:04 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531823 Exposure to light at night may be linked to potentially harmful changes in the heart’s structure and performance, according to a study involving more than 11,000 people. The findings were published in the European Heart Journal on September 9. The research was led by Professor Lu Qi of Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. He said: [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/nighttime-light-may-make-your-heart-thicker-and-stiffer/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-a-potential-root-of-alzheimers-disease/ https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-a-potential-root-of-alzheimers-disease/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 17:56:54 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=530842 Alzheimer’s may begin to unravel the brain when a small group of neurons switches on a receptor it was never meant to use, triggering damage that spreads from synapses to memories. Alzheimer’s disease is often defined by amyloid plaques and tau tangles, but those hallmarks are part of a much wider breakdown. Neurons become overactive, [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-a-potential-root-of-alzheimers-disease/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-turn-sunlight-into-quantum-entanglement/ https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-turn-sunlight-into-quantum-entanglement/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:23:06 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531840 Scientists have turned ordinary sunlight into a source of quantum entanglement, opening a surprising path toward more energy-efficient quantum technology. Quantum technologies often depend on powerful lasers that consume significant amounts of energy. As these systems grow larger and more widespread, their energy requirements could become an increasingly important concern. Now, researchers have demonstrated that [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-turn-sunlight-into-quantum-entanglement/feed/ 1 https://scitechdaily.com/hubble-discovers-a-mysterious-10-sided-wave-forming-on-saturn/ https://scitechdaily.com/hubble-discovers-a-mysterious-10-sided-wave-forming-on-saturn/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:48:54 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531824 A giant 10-sided wave is emerging around Saturn’s south pole, giving scientists a rare chance to watch a planetary weather pattern take shape. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has detected a huge, evolving atmospheric wave with 10 sides wrapped around Saturn’s south pole. It is the first time scientists have seen a large, regular-sided jet pattern [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/hubble-discovers-a-mysterious-10-sided-wave-forming-on-saturn/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-the-moon-may-have-formed-in-just-five-hours/ https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-the-moon-may-have-formed-in-just-five-hours/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:13:49 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531842 The Moon may have emerged largely intact within hours of the colossal impact that shaped its birth. Earth has an unusually large moon for a planet of its size and position in the solar system, yet scientists still do not fully understand how that companion came to exist. Now, researchers from the Southwest Research Institute [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-the-moon-may-have-formed-in-just-five-hours/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/brazilian-tree-compounds-fight-covid-19-on-multiple-fronts/ https://scitechdaily.com/brazilian-tree-compounds-fight-covid-19-on-multiple-fronts/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:16:47 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531825 Scientists found compounds in a Brazilian tree that hit SARS-CoV-2 on multiple fronts, revealing a promising new lead in the search for COVID-19 treatments. Researchers have found that galloylquinic acids extracted from the leaves of Copaifera lucens Dwyer, a tree native to Brazil and found mainly in the Atlantic Forest, can act against SARS-CoV-2 in [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/brazilian-tree-compounds-fight-covid-19-on-multiple-fronts/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-reveal-who-really-benefits-from-a-heart-calcium-scan/ https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-reveal-who-really-benefits-from-a-heart-calcium-scan/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:41:02 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531403 A popular heart scan may be unnecessary for many patients but valuable for those whose risk is difficult to judge. Coronary artery calcium scanning has become an increasingly accessible way to refine estimates of heart attack and stroke risk. Yet a Northwestern Medicine study involving more than 6,000 adults suggests the quick, relatively inexpensive test [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-reveal-who-really-benefits-from-a-heart-calcium-scan/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/what-really-disappears-when-you-lose-weight-on-glp-1-drugs/ https://scitechdaily.com/what-really-disappears-when-you-lose-weight-on-glp-1-drugs/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:06:41 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=530268 Most weight lost with GLP-1 obesity drugs came from fat, while relative muscle mass was largely preserved. GLP-1 obesity drugs can lead to substantial weight loss, but an important question is what the body is actually losing. New research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) suggests that 80-85% of weight lost during treatment [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/what-really-disappears-when-you-lose-weight-on-glp-1-drugs/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/nickel-catalysts-dont-work-the-way-scientists-thought/ https://scitechdaily.com/nickel-catalysts-dont-work-the-way-scientists-thought/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:58:13 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531732 A hidden atomic structure formed on nickel oxide could enable powerful methane catalysts that use 10 times less nickel. Producing syngas efficiently from methane could become easier with a better understanding of what actually drives the reaction at the atomic level. Partial oxidation of methane (POM) is considered a promising industrial method for making syngas, [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/nickel-catalysts-dont-work-the-way-scientists-thought/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/a-material-just-a-few-atoms-thick-reveals-strange-new-magnetism/ https://scitechdaily.com/a-material-just-a-few-atoms-thick-reveals-strange-new-magnetism/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:23:17 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531749 A material once thought to be nonmagnetic may reveal a hidden magnetic side when made just a few atomic layers thick. A newly proposed class of magnetism known as altermagnetism could open new possibilities for making computer memory smaller and more efficient. Now, researchers have found evidence that ruthenium dioxide, a quantum material long debated [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/a-material-just-a-few-atoms-thick-reveals-strange-new-magnetism/feed/ 7 https://scitechdaily.com/a-quantum-computer-could-make-electron-microscopes-far-more-powerful/ https://scitechdaily.com/a-quantum-computer-could-make-electron-microscopes-far-more-powerful/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2026 23:48:11 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531205 A new invention could significantly improve electron microscopy by integrating a small quantum computer directly into the microscope. For delicate samples such as individual proteins, electron microscopy faces a fundamental tradeoff. Producing a clearer image generally requires sending more electrons through the specimen, but increasing the dose also raises the risk of damaging the very [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/a-quantum-computer-could-make-electron-microscopes-far-more-powerful/feed/ 3 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-rain-can-damage-paint-with-tiny-electrical-lightning/ https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-rain-can-damage-paint-with-tiny-electrical-lightning/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:42:29 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531734 Charged raindrops may damage paint with tiny electrical discharges that act like microscopic lightning. Weather gradually wears down painted and coated surfaces, something anyone who has had to repaint a fence has probably seen firsthand. The same problem affects far larger structures as well. Landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-rain-can-damage-paint-with-tiny-electrical-lightning/feed/ 1 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-solve-a-4000-year-old-mystery-about-britains-giant-standing-stones/ https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-solve-a-4000-year-old-mystery-about-britains-giant-standing-stones/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:07:31 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531733 Prehistoric builders in Britain went to extraordinary lengths to create one of the country’s most striking ancient monuments. New research shows they intentionally transported enormous stones weighing more than 25 tonnes for at least 18 kilometers (11 miles) before raising them as the famous Devil’s Arrows, Britain’s tallest surviving prehistoric stone row. A study led [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-solve-a-4000-year-old-mystery-about-britains-giant-standing-stones/feed/ 1 https://scitechdaily.com/a-25000-year-old-drug-habit-was-hidden-in-ancient-teeth/ https://scitechdaily.com/a-25000-year-old-drug-habit-was-hidden-in-ancient-teeth/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:32:28 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531738 Ancient teeth suggest humans were using psychoactive betel nuts 25,000 years ago, pushing the history of habitual drug use deep into the Ice Age. Archaeologists from Griffith University have found evidence suggesting that humans were using mind-altering substances far earlier than previously believed. The research team, led by Professor Adam Brumm of Griffith’s Australian Research [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/a-25000-year-old-drug-habit-was-hidden-in-ancient-teeth/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/ucla-scientists-develop-cancer-fighting-cells-that-tumors-struggle-to-escape/ https://scitechdaily.com/ucla-scientists-develop-cancer-fighting-cells-that-tumors-struggle-to-escape/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:21:27 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531740 UCLA scientists engineered ready-made T cells from cord blood stem cells that can hunt solid tumors even when cancer cells hide their main target. T cell receptor therapy, commonly called TCR therapy, is a form of cancer treatment that genetically modifies immune cells known as T cells so they can recognize and attack cancer more [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/ucla-scientists-develop-cancer-fighting-cells-that-tumors-struggle-to-escape/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/healthy-foods-like-spinach-may-worsen-gut-inflammation-in-ibd/ https://scitechdaily.com/healthy-foods-like-spinach-may-worsen-gut-inflammation-in-ibd/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:46:15 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531414 Some of the healthiest foods may quietly fuel gut inflammation in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The compound, called oxalate, is abundant in foods such as spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes. It is best known for contributing to certain kidney stones, but new research suggests that oxalate left inside the digestive tract may also [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/healthy-foods-like-spinach-may-worsen-gut-inflammation-in-ibd/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/could-a-decades-old-diabetes-drug-help-the-body-age-more-slowly/ https://scitechdaily.com/could-a-decades-old-diabetes-drug-help-the-body-age-more-slowly/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:11:02 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=530950 A familiar diabetes pill could hold the power to slow the biological forces that leave the body increasingly vulnerable to disease as it ages. What if a drug already prescribed to millions of people could do more than control blood sugar? For years, researchers have wondered whether metformin, one of the world’s most widely used [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/could-a-decades-old-diabetes-drug-help-the-body-age-more-slowly/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-say-the-universe-isnt-slowing-down-after-all/ https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-say-the-universe-isnt-slowing-down-after-all/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:42:32 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531750 The universe still appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate, despite a recent study that suggested it may have started slowing down. An international team of astrophysicists says the universe is still expanding at an accelerating rate, rejecting recent claims that cosmic expansion may have begun to slow. The researchers challenged a study published [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-say-the-universe-isnt-slowing-down-after-all/feed/ 3 https://scitechdaily.com/a-century-old-mystery-in-venuss-clouds-just-got-even-stranger/ https://scitechdaily.com/a-century-old-mystery-in-venuss-clouds-just-got-even-stranger/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:07:17 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=531315 A new model connects observations of Venus with the optical properties of the liquid inside its cloud droplets. Venus’s clouds look pale yellow from afar, but the liquid inside their droplets could be much darker than their appearance suggests. A new study has calculated how strongly that liquid would need to absorb light to explain [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/a-century-old-mystery-in-venuss-clouds-just-got-even-stranger/feed/ 0 https://scitechdaily.com/the-moon-may-be-hiding-a-100-million-year-record-of-exploding-stars/ https://scitechdaily.com/the-moon-may-be-hiding-a-100-million-year-record-of-exploding-stars/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:32:11 +0000 https://scitechdaily.com/?p=530209 A model of lunar soil mixing could help scientists reconstruct millions of years of supernova debris preserved on the Moon. When massive stars die, some end in supernova explosions that scatter newly forged material through space. Traces of those ancient blasts can eventually settle on nearby worlds, and a new study led by a University [...]]]> https://scitechdaily.com/the-moon-may-be-hiding-a-100-million-year-record-of-exploding-stars/feed/ 0