Planet nine mystery deepens as new discovery challenges hidden planet theory
Is there a massive undiscovered planet on the outer reaches of the Solar System? The idea has been around since before the discovery of Pluto in the 1930s. Labelled as…
Astronomers finally solve Saturn’s decades-long spin mystery
For years, Saturn appeared to be doing something impossible. Measurements suggested the giant planet’s rotation rate was changing over time, as if Saturn were somehow speeding up or slowing down.…
DNA solves 250-year-old mystery of the Seychelles’ lost crocodiles
For more than 250 years, stories from early explorers described crocodiles as a common sight along the shores of the Seychelles. But after permanent settlers arrived in 1770, the island…
Scientists finally solve mystery of strange “golden orb” found 2 miles deep
A strange object known as the “golden orb” puzzled scientists and captured public attention after it was collected during a 2023 NOAA expedition. More than two years later, researchers have…
Supercomputers just solved a 50-year-old mystery about giant stars
Recent advances in supercomputing have allowed scientists to tackle a long-standing question in astronomy. Researchers have been trying to understand why the chemical makeup at the surface of red giant…
Ancient DNA solves 12,000-year-old mystery of rare genetic growth disorder
An international team led by the University of Vienna and Liège University Hospital Centre has uncovered genetic changes linked to a rare inherited growth disorder in two people who lived…
Scientists are closing in on the Universe’s biggest mystery
Scientists have learned a great deal about the universe, yet that knowledge represents only a small fraction of the full picture. Roughly 95% of the cosmos is made up of…
The 98% mystery: Scientists just cracked the code on “junk DNA” linked to Alzheimer’s
When people picture DNA, they often imagine a set of genes that shape our physical traits, influence behavior, and help keep our cells and organs functioning. But genes make up…
A quantum mystery that stumped scientists for decades is solved
A global research team led by Rice University physicist Pengcheng Dai has verified the presence of emergent photons and fractionalized spin excitations in an unusual quantum spin liquid. Reported in…
New cosmic lens measurements deepen the Hubble tension mystery
Cosmologists are grappling with a major unresolved puzzle: they do not all agree on how fast the universe is expanding, and solving this puzzle could point to new physics. To…