In late 2023, Wojciech Brylinski was analyzing data from the NA61/SHINE collaboration at CERN for his thesis when he noticed an unexpected anomaly—a strikingly large imbalance between charged and neutral kaons in argon–scandium collisions. He found that, instead of being produced in roughly equal numbers, charged kaons were produced 18.4% more often than neutral kaons. ... Read full Story
The Alaskan Volcano Observatory has shared new images of plumes of gas streaming out of Mount Spurr, which scientists suspect will erupt in the coming weeks or months. ... Read full Story
New data released by the EPA show that nearly half of people in the U.S. have drinking water contaminated by toxic “forever chemicals,” or PFAS ... Read full Story
Deep-sea fish adapt to some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. New research analyzing their evolution finds the same mutation across fish species that have evolved on separate timelines — alongside human-made pollutants contaminating the deep sea. ... Read full Story
Swarms of satellites launched by SpaceX and other companies are disrupting astronomical observations. Here's how scientists are coping ... Read full Story
A newly discovered plant found by a national park volunteer in the Texas desert is a small, fuzzy flower that pokes up between rocks. With its limited range, this species could be threatened by climate change. ... Read full Story
Scientists have developed an impossibly thin telescope lens that addresses a key astronomical challenge in a new study funded by NASA and DARPA. ... Read full Story
Lake Salda, in southwestern Turkey, bears a close resemblance to Mars' Jezero crater, which is currently being sampled by NASA's Perseverance rover. ... Read full Story
A bioengineer highlights the potential of low-intensity ultrasound for multiple uses, from enhanced drug delivery to the brain to combating cancer ... Read full Story
By going after Social Security, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education, Donald Trump is signaling his belief that having “good genes” means not having a disability ... Read full Story
We’re taking you inside MIT.nano, a clean laboratory facility that is critical to nanoscale research, from microelectronics to medical nanotechnology. ... Read full Story
A NASA map shows the regions across the Northern Hemisphere where this weekend's partial solar eclipse will be visible, how much of the sun will be blocked out, and what time the eclipse will hit its peak. ... Read full Story
After spotting pawprints for two weeks, a gamekeeper and photographer in Pakistan caught a rare glimpse of a family of four snow leopards. ... Read full Story
As fires burned in Los Angeles this year, newer toxin monitors found contaminants that aren’t measured by standard methods. Now scientists and officials are pushing for better detection ... Read full Story
How gravity causes a perfectly spherical ball to roll down an inclined plane is part of the elementary school physics canon. But the world is messier than a textbook. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2025 is:
cynosure \SYE-nuh-shur\ noun
A cynosure is a person or thing that attracts a lot of attention or interest. As a proper noun, Cynosure may refer to the North Star or its constellation Ursa Minor.
// He was the cynosure of all eyes as he walked into the room.
"Look at any picture of Kashmir and you'll understand why it is called heaven on earth. And Srinagar, framed by the majestic Zabarwan Mountains, is the cynosure of all travel itineraries, offering a mix of breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and spirituality." — Mallika Bhagat, Times Now (Mumbai, India), 17 Dec. 2024
Did you know?
Ancient mariners noted that all the stars in the heavens seemed to revolve around a particular star, and they relied on that star to guide their navigation. The constellation that this bright star appears in is known to English speakers today as Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, but the Ancient Greeks called it Kynósoura, a term that comes from a phrase meaning "dog's tail." Kynósoura passed into Latin and Middle French, becoming cynosure. When English speakers adopted the term in the 16th century, they used it as a name for both the constellation and the star (which is also known as the North Star or Polaris) and also to identify a guide of any kind. By the 17th century, cynosure was also being used figuratively for anything or anyone that, like the North Star, is the focus of attention or observation.