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New technique enables LIGO to peer farther into the distant universe

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a new way to help gravitational-wave observatories see farther into the universe by solving one of their biggest challenges: tiny heat-induced distortions in the massive mirrors at the heart of the detectors.

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Black hole jet may be stirring gas cloud containing early ‘red potato’ galaxy

A black hole may be stirring a “pot” of gas containing a neighboring galaxy in the early universe, according to a new study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics that used observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The galaxy slowly being “cooked” is named MQN01 J004131.9-493704, but astronomers have nicknamed it the “red potato” because of its appearance in images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

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US-India satellite delivers data, reveals ‘hummingbird’ in Antarctica

As of July 20, the public can access data from the two powerful radar instruments aboard the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite. Teams in the United States and India will release files processed from the satellite’s L-band and S-band radars on an ongoing basis, helping researchers and other users track the movement of Earth’s land and ice masses, monitor changes in ecosystems like forests and wetlands and respond to natural hazards such as landslides and earthquakes.

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New simulation challenges leading explanation for why galaxies stop forming stars

For decades, astronomers have cast galaxy mergers as the universe’s ultimate relationship drama: two galaxies collide, chaos erupts, black holes awaken and star formation comes to a screeching halt. Upending this long-held belief, new research from Florida International University suggests most galaxies don’t “die” in spectacular cosmic pileups after all.

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Jellyfish nebula may be the scene of two stars going supernova

The star that formed the Jellyfish nebula may have had a partner star that exploded 100,000 years earlier, according to international researchers, who say that this may be the first known discovery of a binary star system in which both stars have gone supernova.

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Two-color lasers aim electron currents through semiconductor with no electric field

Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a device that enables them to control the flow of electrons through a semiconductor using only laser light—no electrical power source required. The device was built to explore fundamental physics and realize a previously unobserved behavior, but it could also open doors for new applications in areas that bridge optics and electronics, including sensing, imaging and telecommunications.

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Quantum sensing microscope illuminates transistor design

Artificial intelligence faces an energy crisis stemming from a physical traffic jam inside modern computer chips. Processors must continually shuffle data, such as the billions of parameters in complex models, between separate computing and memory nodes. This traffic jam, known as the “von Neumann bottleneck,” hinders the speed and energy efficiency of advanced processors.

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BWC: Conn. officer shoots man to stop him from mercilessly beating father with baseball bat

The Meriden Police officer had to fire nearly 20 rounds before the suspect stopped the ultimately fatal attack

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Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit targeting Minn. immigration laws

Chief U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud rejected the DOJ’s claims that Minnesota’s laws unfairly target federal agents and inhibit them from carrying out immigration work

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New radio-burst method helps locate universe’s missing ordinary matter

Stars and galaxies make up much of the universe’s ordinary, observable matter. But for decades, scientists have wrestled with a cosmic conflict: There should be much more.

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A new compact instrument enables high-fidelity measurements of energetic particles on CubeSats

A team of NASA-sponsored scientists and engineers has developed a novel approach to observing high-energy particles in the near-Earth space environment, incorporating miniaturized sensors into a compact, multiview particle-detection instrument unlike any before it.

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Antarctic 12-m Terahertz Telescope project to uncover hidden galaxy formation

A new simulation study suggests that the Antarctic 12-m Terahertz Telescope (ATT12), a next-generation facility led by University of Tsukuba, could uncover between 1 and 10 million dusty star-forming galaxies throughout cosmic history.

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Frozen fiber couples light and sound 1,000 times more strongly than standard glass fibers

Researchers have developed a new type of optical fiber by freezing a glass capillary filled with liquid. It guides light and sound waves simultaneously and enables highly efficient coupling between them. The high coupling strength lowers the energy consumption of photonic neuromorphic computing schemes and quantum signal processing applications by several orders of magnitude.

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When a SpaceX rocket crashes into the moon, scientists will be watching

On Aug. 5, 2026, an abandoned piece of space junk is predicted to crash into the moon near a spot called Einstein Crater. Astronomers will be watching because the collision and aftermath may be visible from Earth.

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BWC: Texas SWAT officer shoots through windshield after suspect opens fire during warrant service

As a San Antonio SWAT unit arrived at a house for a warrant service, the subject of the warrant waited in his parked vehicle to fire shots at them; one officer and the suspect were injured

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