Dying stars may create mini universes instead of black holes, study suggests

Dying stars may create mini universes instead of black holes, study suggests A new theoretical study from Goethe University Frankfurt proposes that collapsing massive stars could give birth to tiny universes filled with dark energy, forming exotic objects called gravastars instead of black holes with singularities and event horizons. 1

New exploding immune cells discovered in flatworms Researchers at Stanford have identified 'ruptoblasts' in planarian flatworms — immune cells that destroy nearby threats by violently self-destructing in seconds. The finding in Cell reveals an ancient defense mechanism previously unknown to science. 2

Human evolution was gradual, not a sudden revolution, study argues A review in Quaternary Science Reviews by archaeologist Huw S. Groucutt contends that modern human traits emerged gradually across Africa over tens of millennia, contradicting the long-held 'Human Revolution' theory of a sudden cognitive leap around 50,000 years ago. 3

Stellar 'Rosetta Stone' may decode mysterious long-period radio signals Australian scientists report in Nature Astronomy that the system ASKAP J1745−5051 — a white dwarf and red dwarf in close orbit — may be the source of long-period radio transients, offering a key to interpreting these puzzling galactic signals. 4

Silver nanoparticles enable ultra-precise DNA cutting and joining Researchers from Nagoya and Gifu Universities have developed a silver nanoparticle-based method for DNA splicing that achieves dramatically higher precision than traditional restriction enzymes, published in Nucleic Acids Research. 5

New discovery adds twist to the hunt for Planet Nine Ongoing observations of Kuiper Belt objects continue to fuel the Planet Nine hypothesis, but a recent analysis shows that the evidence may allow for alternative explanations, keeping the mystery of a potential ninth planet unresolved. 6

Complete fruit fly nervous system map reveals behavior is decentralized Harvard and Princeton scientists published the first complete brain-to-body connectome of an adult fruit fly in Nature, showing that complex behaviors arise from distributed neural circuits rather than a single central command center. 7

AI learns universe's rules but struggles to spot new physics A study in JCAP shows that transfer learning can speed up cosmological simulations, but AI models may become too reliant on existing ΛCDM training, making it harder for them to recognize genuinely novel physical phenomena. 8

Hidden brain signal predicts social behavior seconds before action Researchers at Hebrew University discovered a brain-wide 'pre-decision state' in zebrafish that reliably predicts when an individual will approach another, revealing how the brain prepares for social interaction before any movement occurs. 9

New catalyst triples CO₂-to-methanol fuel production Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers report in Chem a catalyst design that spatially separates reaction steps, achieving methanol yields three times higher than commercial catalysts by avoiding the long-standing trade-off between speed and selectivity. 10

Passive 3D-printed panels could eliminate 6G signal dead zones Engineers at Aalto University have developed metacrystal panels that redirect radio waves using no power or electronics, offering a low-cost way to improve indoor wireless coverage for future 6G networks. 11

Record-breaking crystal bends light more than any natural material Researchers report in Nano Letters that molybdenum oxychloride (MoOCl₂) exhibits extreme optical anisotropy — switching from mirror-like to glass-like when rotated — and the strongest light-bending effect ever measured in a natural material, promising ultrathin optical devices. 12

Millions of exoplanets could form near active supermassive black holes A new study suggests that the harsh environment around active supermassive black holes may actually foster planet formation on a massive scale, potentially birthing millions of exoplanets in galactic nuclei. 13