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Astronomers Spot Galaxy NGC 3640 With a Past of Consuming Smaller Galaxies
Recent observations of NGC 3640 reveal a history of merging with smaller galaxies. Located 88 million light-years away, the elliptical galaxy is suspected to be on a collision course with NGC 3641. The Very Large Telescope captured structural distortions, hinting at previous mergers. Researchers have identified ancient stars acting as fossil marker...
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New Study Challenges Great Filter Theory, Suggests Life Evolves with Planetary Changes
A recent study argues that intelligent life does not emerge by sheer luck but evolves when planetary conditions become suitable. Researchers challenge the "great filter" concept, suggesting that Earth's changing geobiology influenced when life arose rather than a series of improbable events. This perspective shifts the focus to how planetary enviro...
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Scientists Observe Rare Plastic Ice, A Hybrid Form of Ice and Water, Under Extreme Pressure and Heat
Researchers have observed plastic ice, a phase where water molecules rotate while staying in a solid structure. The discovery, made under extreme pressure and heat, could provide new insights into the composition of icy exoplanets and moons. The findings suggest plastic ice VII may have existed in Europa and Titan's interiors and could influence nu...
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New Study Suggests Intelligent Life May Be More Common Than Thought
A groundbreaking study challenges the long-held belief that intelligent life is rare, proposing that the emergence of complex life could be a natural outcome of planetary conditions. Researchers suggest that life evolves in response to planetary changes, rather than a series of improbable evolutionary leaps. This new model, led by experts in astrop...
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Human-Like Lifeforms Beyond Earth? New Study Says It's More Likely Than We Thought
The research proposes that the emergence of humanity on Earth was not as improbable as previously thought, potentially increasing the likelihood of intelligent life existing on other planets.
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Webb Telescope Unveils Hidden Process Behind Star Formation in Phoenix Cluster
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered the missing link in star formation within the Phoenix galaxy cluster. By mapping intermediate-temperature gas, researchers identified a crucial phase of cooling that was previously undetected. This discovery explains why the cluster’s supermassive black hole does not fully prevent star formation, ...
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Study Uncovers Evidence of Cannibalism in Ancient Europe 18,000 Years Ago
A study on 18,000-year-old human remains found in Maszycka Cave, Poland, has revealed strong evidence of cannibalism. Researchers discovered cut marks and skull fractures that indicate scalping, defleshing, and brain extraction. The findings suggest the practice was tied to warfare rather than survival, with human remains found alongside butchered ...
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69-Million-Year-Old Fossil Bird Skull in Antarctica Sheds Light on Waterfowl Evolution
Scientists have analysed a nearly complete fossilised bird skull found in Antarctica, dating back 69 million years. Identified as Vegavis iaai, the specimen is closely related to modern ducks and geese, with skull features supporting its classification as a waterfowl. Researchers suggest that its advanced vision and motor skills could have helped i...
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1.4 Million-Year-Old Jaw Identified as New Paranthropus Species in South Africa
A fossil jawbone discovered in South Africa, initially misclassified, has been identified as a new species, Paranthropus capensis. Using advanced 3D imaging, researchers found that the jaw’s structure and molars differed significantly from known Homo and Paranthropus species. The findings suggest that at least two Paranthropus species coexisted a...
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Ear Muscles Flex to Help Focus on Sounds, Study Reveals Evolutionary Link
A study reveals that tiny ear muscles flex when people focus on specific sounds in noisy environments. Once vital for movement in ancestral species, these muscles no longer serve a major function in modern humans but may hold potential for hearing aid advancements. Researchers observed that superior auricular muscles react to difficult listening ta...
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JWST Detects Unexpectedly Massive Black Holes in the Early Universe
A new study led by Jorryt Matthee of ISTA reveals that black holes in early galaxies were significantly more massive than expected. Using JWST data, researchers found that some black holes accounted for nearly 10% of their galaxy's stellar mass—far exceeding the 0.01% ratio seen in modern galaxies. The findings challenge existing growth models, s...
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New Cosmic Surveys Reveal Unexpected Clues About Universe’s Evolution
A new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics reveals a potential discrepancy in the expected clumpiness of cosmic structures. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analysed data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (...
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Researchers Spot Unusual, Overmassive Globular Clusters in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy FCC 224
A new study has uncovered an unexpected globular cluster system in FCC 224, an ultra-diffuse galaxy located in the Fornax cluster. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, researchers found that FCC 224 hosts luminous, overmassive globular clusters with unusual properties. The galaxy’s star clusters exhibit narro...
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AI Generates Fluorescent Protein That Nature Would Need 500 Million Years to Evolve
A new AI-generated fluorescent protein, esmGFP, has been developed, a process that would have taken nature 500 million years. Scientists used ESM3, an AI model trained on billions of natural protein sequences, to design a functional protein beyond evolutionary constraints. The development is expected to accelerate medical research, drug discovery, ...
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NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
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Astronomers Spot Galaxy NGC 3640 With a Past of Consuming Smaller Galaxies
Recent observations of NGC 3640 reveal a history of merging with smaller galaxies. Located 88 million light-years away, the elliptical galaxy is suspected to be on a collision course with NGC 3641. The Very Large Telescope captured structural distortions, hinting at previous mergers. Researchers have identified ancient stars acting as fossil marker...
-
New Study Challenges Great Filter Theory, Suggests Life Evolves with Planetary Changes
A recent study argues that intelligent life does not emerge by sheer luck but evolves when planetary conditions become suitable. Researchers challenge the "great filter" concept, suggesting that Earth's changing geobiology influenced when life arose rather than a series of improbable events. This perspective shifts the focus to how planetary enviro...
-
Scientists Observe Rare Plastic Ice, A Hybrid Form of Ice and Water, Under Extreme Pressure and Heat
Researchers have observed plastic ice, a phase where water molecules rotate while staying in a solid structure. The discovery, made under extreme pressure and heat, could provide new insights into the composition of icy exoplanets and moons. The findings suggest plastic ice VII may have existed in Europa and Titan's interiors and could influence nu...
-
New Study Suggests Intelligent Life May Be More Common Than Thought
A groundbreaking study challenges the long-held belief that intelligent life is rare, proposing that the emergence of complex life could be a natural outcome of planetary conditions. Researchers suggest that life evolves in response to planetary changes, rather than a series of improbable evolutionary leaps. This new model, led by experts in astrop...
-
Human-Like Lifeforms Beyond Earth? New Study Says It's More Likely Than We Thought
The research proposes that the emergence of humanity on Earth was not as improbable as previously thought, potentially increasing the likelihood of intelligent life existing on other planets.
-
Webb Telescope Unveils Hidden Process Behind Star Formation in Phoenix Cluster
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered the missing link in star formation within the Phoenix galaxy cluster. By mapping intermediate-temperature gas, researchers identified a crucial phase of cooling that was previously undetected. This discovery explains why the cluster’s supermassive black hole does not fully prevent star formation, ...
-
Study Uncovers Evidence of Cannibalism in Ancient Europe 18,000 Years Ago
A study on 18,000-year-old human remains found in Maszycka Cave, Poland, has revealed strong evidence of cannibalism. Researchers discovered cut marks and skull fractures that indicate scalping, defleshing, and brain extraction. The findings suggest the practice was tied to warfare rather than survival, with human remains found alongside butchered ...
-
69-Million-Year-Old Fossil Bird Skull in Antarctica Sheds Light on Waterfowl Evolution
Scientists have analysed a nearly complete fossilised bird skull found in Antarctica, dating back 69 million years. Identified as Vegavis iaai, the specimen is closely related to modern ducks and geese, with skull features supporting its classification as a waterfowl. Researchers suggest that its advanced vision and motor skills could have helped i...
-
1.4 Million-Year-Old Jaw Identified as New Paranthropus Species in South Africa
A fossil jawbone discovered in South Africa, initially misclassified, has been identified as a new species, Paranthropus capensis. Using advanced 3D imaging, researchers found that the jaw’s structure and molars differed significantly from known Homo and Paranthropus species. The findings suggest that at least two Paranthropus species coexisted a...
-
Ear Muscles Flex to Help Focus on Sounds, Study Reveals Evolutionary Link
A study reveals that tiny ear muscles flex when people focus on specific sounds in noisy environments. Once vital for movement in ancestral species, these muscles no longer serve a major function in modern humans but may hold potential for hearing aid advancements. Researchers observed that superior auricular muscles react to difficult listening ta...
-
JWST Detects Unexpectedly Massive Black Holes in the Early Universe
A new study led by Jorryt Matthee of ISTA reveals that black holes in early galaxies were significantly more massive than expected. Using JWST data, researchers found that some black holes accounted for nearly 10% of their galaxy's stellar mass—far exceeding the 0.01% ratio seen in modern galaxies. The findings challenge existing growth models, s...
-
New Cosmic Surveys Reveal Unexpected Clues About Universe’s Evolution
A new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics reveals a potential discrepancy in the expected clumpiness of cosmic structures. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analysed data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (...
-
Researchers Spot Unusual, Overmassive Globular Clusters in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy FCC 224
A new study has uncovered an unexpected globular cluster system in FCC 224, an ultra-diffuse galaxy located in the Fornax cluster. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, researchers found that FCC 224 hosts luminous, overmassive globular clusters with unusual properties. The galaxy’s star clusters exhibit narro...
-
AI Generates Fluorescent Protein That Nature Would Need 500 Million Years to Evolve
A new AI-generated fluorescent protein, esmGFP, has been developed, a process that would have taken nature 500 million years. Scientists used ESM3, an AI model trained on billions of natural protein sequences, to design a functional protein beyond evolutionary constraints. The development is expected to accelerate medical research, drug discovery, ...
-
NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
