César Tomé is the editor of Mapping Ignorance.
Breakthrough reveals single photon shape for first time In a groundbreaking study, scientists have visualized the shape of a single photon for the first time, a development that could transform material science and quantum physics. “The geometry and optical properties of the environment have profound consequences for how photons are emitted, including defining the photons’ […]
Young exoplanet offers insights into planetary formation TIDYE-1 b, a newly discovered exoplanet orbiting the young star IRAS 04125+2902, offers a glimpse into early planetary development. Situated 520 light-years from Earth, this planet is wrapped in a protoplanetary disk and is expected to evolve into a sub-Neptune. Full Story: Astronomy Human Cell Atlas makes progress […]
Immigrating birds adapt quickly through social learning Great tits demonstrate social learning by adopting new behaviors from resident birds when they immigrate to a new environment. Researchers used puzzle boxes to show that 80% of immigrant birds quickly adopted the resident birds’ methods for obtaining food, underscoring the importance of social learning in animal behaviour […]
Fast radio bursts linked to massive galaxies Scientists have discovered that fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are more likely to originate in massive, metal-rich galaxies, suggesting that these cosmic phenomena may be linked to the formation of magnetars through stellar mergers. The study in Nature used the Deep Synoptic Array-110 to analyze the origins of […]
Black holes may contribute to universe’s expansion Astronomers proposed a link between black holes and dark energy, potentially explaining the universe’s expansion, according to a study in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, though researchers said that further observations are needed to confirm the connection. “The two phenomena were consistent with each other — […]
Tardigrade genetics offer clues to radiation protection Researchers have identified a new species of tardigrade, Hypsibius henanensis, which offers insights into the mechanisms behind these creatures’ resistance to radiation. The study reveals that certain genes become highly active when exposed to radiation, aiding in DNA repair and protection, a discovery which could have applications in […]
The evolution of human starch digestion A gene that allows modern human mouths to break down starch into sugar likely mutated hundreds of thousands of years ago, say two papers that track the evolution of the salivary amylase gene AMY1 in great detail. A study in Science estimates AMY1’s first duplication was 800,000 years ago […]
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot oscillates in time-lapse images Jupiter’s Great Red Spot squeezes in and out as its movement speeds and slows, surprising scientists with its oscillating size. The paper puts together time-lapse footage of three months of observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, and the insights could provide cosmic context for Earth’s hurricanes. Full […]
Storms’ mysterious gamma rays may trigger lightning Surging flashes of gamma rays emanating from tropical thunderstorms may initiate lightning strikes, a group of physicists writes in a pair of papers in Nature that describe a never-before-seen type of gamma radiation as well as two rarely observed kinds. They write about data, collected from instruments on […]
One-electron carbon bond observed for first time Chemists have observed for the first time covalent bonds between two carbon atoms with only one electron, a bonding behavior that deepens the understanding of chemical bonds. “We aim to clarify what a covalent bond is — specifically, at what point does a bond qualify as covalent, and […]