Physicists photograph supersolids; runaway black hole collision reconstructed

Physicists capture first direct images of a supersolid state of matter Researchers at ICFO in Barcelona photographed potassium-41 atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate forming crystal-like stripes that flow without friction, confirming a quantum state theorized since 1970. The direct images settle a long debate about whether spin-orbit-coupled condensates can host a real, compressible supersolid crystal. 1

Runaway black hole's origin traced to lopsided merger of supermassive black holes UC Santa Barbara and UT Austin researchers simulated hundreds of thousands of mergers to reconstruct the collision that kicked RBH-1 out of its galaxy at nearly 1,000 km/s, leaving a 202,000-light-year contrail of young stars. Published in Physical Review Letters, the work provides the first account of a recoil merger class predicted by general relativity and will aid next-generation gravitational-wave observatories. 2

Quantum heat waves observed at room temperature for the first time UCLA physicists directly observed phonon focusing — a quantum behavior where heat travels in ray-like packets — in boron arsenide at 300 K, a regime previously requiring ultra-low temperatures. The discovery could enable nanoscale heat management and room-temperature operation of quantum devices. 3

Direct diamond melting measurements resolve 20-year physics mystery Lawrence Livermore researchers shock-compressed diamond to pressures three times Earth's core and temperatures hotter than the Sun's surface, confirming it floats in liquid carbon and aligning experiments with quantum simulations. The results, published in Nature Physics, could boost inertial confinement fusion energy gain up to threefold and refine models of ice-giant interiors. 4

Yeast-based nanoparticle vaccine may end annual flu shots University of Michigan engineers developed a fast, inexpensive flu vaccine produced in baker's yeast; mouse studies suggest long-lasting protection against multiple strains. Presented at ACS Fall 2026, the approach could replace the slow, egg-based method that struggles to adapt to new mutants. 5

JWST finds early 'impossible' galaxies hide more low-mass stars than expected Leiden University's Chloe Cheng and colleagues used deep JWST spectra of nine massive galaxies to show several have 'bottom-heavy' stellar populations with far more faint red dwarfs than the Milky Way recipe predicts. The finding makes these surprisingly large early galaxies even harder to explain. 6

Fertile female mice cloned from male cells via Y-chromosome removal Japanese researchers used CRISPR to delete the Y chromosome (Y-CUT) from cloned male mouse embryos, producing fertile XO females that reproduced with genetically matched males. The technique, applied to Sertoli and blood cells, effectively turned one male genome into both sexes. 7

Neuron stimulation restores movement and motor learning in Huntington's mice An international team found that activating VIP neurons in the motor cortex recalibrated damaged circuits, improving behavioral symptoms and motor learning for days in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Reported in Nature, the work points to a new therapeutic target for the incurable neurodegenerative disease. 8

Lab-made DNA memristor stores data using 100 times less power than flash Penn State researchers combined synthetic DNA with a perovskite semiconductor to create a memory resistor that stores and processes information in the same place. Described in Advanced Functional Materials, the device could enable low-power, high-capacity memory. 9

Study links universe's 'little red dots' to earliest supermassive black holes A new Nature Astronomy paper coauthored by The Conversation suggests JWST's mysterious little red dots — compact, extremely distant objects — may be evidence of the earliest supermassive black holes. The finding could reveal how stars and galaxies formed in the universe's first billion years. 10

NAT10 enzyme's RNA-acetylation role in cancer proliferation uncovered Northwestern Medicine researchers used deep mutational scanning of 1,900 NAT10 mutants to show the enzyme's RNA acetylation activity drives tumor growth, resolving conflicting evidence. Published in Nature Communications, the finding establishes NAT10 as a promising therapeutic target for liver cancer and leukemia. 11