Scientists have come up with an ingenious plan to protect our planet Earth from dangerous solar storms. They want to spray chemicals around the rock we call home. This, they suggest, could help deflect the brunt of the Sun's dangerous charged particles. The ambitious plan was developed by a team of researchers from Boston University and the University of Michigan, and the research was published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2025SW004846">Space Weather</a>.<h2>Solar storms and Earth</h2>For decades, humanity's strategy for dealing with dangerous solar storms has been simple: predict them and prepare for the fallout. But the new scientific proposal suggests that future generations may be able to do something far more ambitious: actively strengthen Earth's natural defences before space weather strikes. But how would it happen? All we know.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-trump-s-america-more-babies-behind-bars-than-ever-before-report-reveals-horrifying-10-fold-rise-in-ice-detentions-of-infants-1781070307893">More babies behind bars than ever before? Report reveals 10-fold surge in ICE detentions under Trump</a><h2>Enter StormWall</h2>A team led by Brian Walsh of Boston University and consisting of D. T. Welling and Z. Huang of the University of Michigan has unveiled a concept called StormWall, a planetary-scale defence system designed to reinforce Earth's magnetosphere, the invisible magnetic shield that protects the planet from charged particles emitted by the Sun.The idea, detailed through computer simulations, aims to reduce the impact of severe geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites, GPS navigation, communications networks and power grids. According to the researchers, the system could cut the intensity of a major solar storm by more than half.The threat stems from a process known as magnetic reconnection. During powerful solar eruptions, magnetic fields carried by the solar wind can temporarily link with Earth's magnetic field, creating a pathway through which vast amounts of solar energy enter near-Earth space. The resulting geomagnetic storms have the potential to cause widespread technological disruptions. StormWall seeks to interfere with that process.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-the-tower-of-babel-and-why-did-pope-leo-warn-about-it-while-talking-about-ai-wion-decodes-1779790151646">Pope Leo warns humanity risks repeating ancient mistake: What is the Tower of Babel and what does it have to do with AI?</a><h2>But how will StormWall do that?</h2>According to research published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2025SW004846">Space Weather</a>, scientists have proposed sending a fleet of six spacecraft to geosynchronous orbit. This fleet would make up the StormWall.When a dangerous solar storm is detected, the satellites would release specially selected materials such as barium, lithium, sodium or calcium. Once exposed to sunlight, the material would become ionised, creating a cloud of plasma.That artificial plasma would drift toward the sun-facing edge of the magnetosphere, effectively thickening the boundary that separates Earth from the incoming solar wind. By adding mass to this region, researchers believe the efficiency of magnetic reconnection could be significantly reduced.<h2>Have they tested it?</h2>To test the concept, the team simulated the powerful Mother's Day geomagnetic storm of May 2024. Their results suggested that while StormWall would not eliminate a storm entirely, it could reduce its strength by more than 50 per cent.The proposal remains theoretical and would require substantial investment. The spacecraft would collectively have to carry material equivalent to roughly a dozen oil trucks, and each deployment would be a one-time use. "If you built it, if it was deployed, it would help all people on the planet," said lead researcher Walsh in a statement. "You couldn't make it in a way that helped only one country, one group of satellites."

Researchers from Boston University have proposed StormWall, a spacecraft-based system that would release ionised materials into space to strengthen Earth's magnetosphere and reduce the impact of solar storms.

Scientists have come up with an ingenious plan to protect our planet Earth from dangerous solar storms. They want to spray chemicals around the rock we call home. This, they suggest, could help deflect the brunt of the Sun's dangerous charged particles. The ambitious plan was developed by a team of researchers from Boston University and the University of Michigan, and the research was published in Space Weather. Solar storms and Earth For decades, humanity's strategy for dealing with dangerous solar storms has been simple: predict them and prepare for the fallout. But the new scientific proposal suggests that future generations may be able to do something far more ambitious: actively strengthen Earth's natural defences before space weather strikes. But how would it happen? All we know. Also read | More babies behind bars than ever before? Report reveals 10-fold surge in ICE detentions under Trump Enter StormWall A team led by Brian Walsh of Boston University and consisting of D. T. Welling and Z. Huang of the University of Michigan has unveiled a concept called StormWall, a planetary-scale defence system designed to reinforce Earth's magnetosphere, the invisible magnetic shield that protects the planet from charged particles emitted by the Sun. The idea, detailed through computer simulations, aims to reduce the impact of severe geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites, GPS navigation, communications networks and power grids. According to the researchers, the system could cut the intensity of a major solar storm by more than half. The threat stems from a process known as magnetic reconnection. During powerful solar eruptions, magnetic fields carried by the solar wind can temporarily link with Earth's magnetic field, creating a pathway through which vast amounts of solar energy enter near-Earth space. The resulting geomagnetic storms have the potential to cause widespread technological disruptions. StormWall seeks to interfere with that process. Also read | Pope Leo warns humanity risks repeating ancient mistake: What is the Tower of Babel and what does it have to do with AI? But how will StormWall do that? According to research published in Space Weather, scientists have proposed sending a fleet of six spacecraft to geosynchronous orbit. This fleet would make up the StormWall. When a dangerous solar storm is detected, the satellites would release specially selected materials such as barium, lithium, sodium or calcium. Once exposed to sunlight, the material would become ionised, creating a cloud of plasma. That artificial plasma would drift toward the sun-facing edge of the magnetosphere, effectively thickening the boundary that separates Earth from the incoming solar wind. By adding mass to this region, researchers believe the efficiency of magnetic reconnection could be significantly reduced. Have they tested it? To test the concept, the team simulated the powerful Mother's Day geomagnetic storm of May 2024. Their results suggested that while StormWall would not eliminate a storm entirely, it could reduce its strength by more than 50 per cent. The proposal remains theoretical and would require substantial investment. The spacecraft would collectively have to carry material equivalent to roughly a dozen oil trucks, and each deployment would be a one-time use. "If you built it, if it was deployed, it would help all people on the planet," said lead researcher Walsh in a statement. "You couldn't make it in a way that helped only one country, one group of satellites."

What if humanity could weaken a solar storm before it strikes Earth? Scientists have unveiled StormWall, a radical proposal involving six spacecraft that would ‘spray’ chemicals around Earth to reduce the impact of dangerous space weather. Here's how it would work.

Could chemicals sprayed around Earth stop dangerous solar storms? New study suggests it might

Scientists at Mass General Brigham have discovered that the thymus, a small immune system organ which is believed to lose its relevance after childhood, likely plays a significant role in adult health. Two new studies have revealed that adults with healthier thymuses are expected to live longer and are less likely to develop serious diseases. In addition, they also suggested that thymic health might influence how well cancer patients respond to immunotherapy. The findings were published in the issue of "Nature and challenge decades of assumptions about the thymus". The results suggested that the organ remains significant throughout adulthood and could eventually assist in preventing diseases, strategies and decisions of cancer treatment. "The thymus has been overlooked for decades and may be a missing piece in explaining why people age differently, and why cancer treatments fail in some patients," said Hugo Aerts, PhD, corresponding author on the papers and director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) Program at Mass General Brigham. "Our findings suggest thymic health deserves much more attention and may open new avenues for understanding how to protect the immune system as we age."<h3>How thymus function in our body?</h3>The chest-located thymus trains disease-fighting T cells; however, its post-puberty shrinkage leads scientists to assume it plays a minimal role in adult health. Consequently, large population studies historically ignored the organ. While past research linked T cell diversity to ageing and fading immunity, those studies were small and limited to blood samples. Breaking this trend, a new, broader study analysed data from over 25,000 adults in a national lung cancer screening trial, alongside more than 2,500 healthy participants from the long-running Framingham Heart Study to better understand the organ's long-term health impact.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/would-you-eat-it-scientists-baked-bread-using-yeast-found-in-5-300-year-old-mummy-s-gut-1780485472041">Would you eat it? Scientists baked bread using yeast found in 5,300-year-old mummy's gut</a><h3>AI Reveals Links to Longevity and Disease Risk</h3>Using AI, the researchers measured the size, structure, and composition of the thymus to evaluate routine CT scans, creating a "thymic health" score. Researchers have also found that people with healthier thymus glands had markedly better long-term health outcomes. Those with higher thymic health scores were about 50% less likely to die from any cause, 63 per cent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, and 36 per cent less likely to develop lung cancer compared with those with poorer thymic health. The associations remained strong even after adjusting for age and other health factors. Scientists believe declining thymic health reduces T-cell diversity, weakening the immune system's ability to fight diseases. Chronic inflammation, smoking, and higher body weight were identified as key factors linked to poorer thymic health. In a separate study, after examining CT scans and clinical outcomes from over 1,200 cancer patients treated with immunotherapy, the team found that patients with healthier thymuses tended to respond better to treatment. They experienced about a 37 per cent lower risk of cancer progression and a 44 per cent lower risk of death, even after adjustment for differences in patients, tumours, and treatment approaches. These findings also underscore a potentially important role, along with previously underrecognised, for the thymus in finding how effectively modern cancer immunotherapies work.<h3>Scientists react to assessing thymic health</h3>Researchers caution that further studies are needed to confirm the findings, and the imaging method used to assess thymic health is not yet suitable for routine clinical use. While lifestyle factors were linked to thymic health, it remains unclear whether changing them can improve thymus function. Ongoing research is also examining whether incidental radiation exposure during lung cancer treatment affects thymic health and patient outcomes. "Improving our understanding and monitoring of thymic health could eventually help physicians better assess disease risk and guide treatment decisions," said Aerts.

Scientists at Mass General Brigham found that the thymus organ significantly impacts adult health. Studies show adults with healthier thymuses live longer, resist diseases better, and respond more effectively to cancer immunotherapy, reversing decades of medical assumptions.

Scientists at Mass General Brigham have discovered that the thymus, a small immune system organ which is believed to lose its relevance after childhood, likely plays a significant role in adult health. Two new studies have revealed that adults with healthier thymuses are expected to live longer and are less likely to develop serious diseases. In addition, they also suggested that thymic health might influence how well cancer patients respond to immunotherapy. The findings were published in the issue of "Nature and challenge decades of assumptions about the thymus". The results suggested that the organ remains significant throughout adulthood and could eventually assist in preventing diseases, strategies and decisions of cancer treatment. "The thymus has been overlooked for decades and may be a missing piece in explaining why people age differently, and why cancer treatments fail in some patients," said Hugo Aerts, PhD, corresponding author on the papers and director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) Program at Mass General Brigham. "Our findings suggest thymic health deserves much more attention and may open new avenues for understanding how to protect the immune system as we age." How thymus function in our body? The chest-located thymus trains disease-fighting T cells; however, its post-puberty shrinkage leads scientists to assume it plays a minimal role in adult health. Consequently, large population studies historically ignored the organ. While past research linked T cell diversity to ageing and fading immunity, those studies were small and limited to blood samples. Breaking this trend, a new, broader study analysed data from over 25,000 adults in a national lung cancer screening trial, alongside more than 2,500 healthy participants from the long-running Framingham Heart Study to better understand the organ's long-term health impact. Also read: Would you eat it? Scientists baked bread using yeast found in 5,300-year-old mummy's gut AI Reveals Links to Longevity and Disease Risk Using AI, the researchers measured the size, structure, and composition of the thymus to evaluate routine CT scans, creating a "thymic health" score. Researchers have also found that people with healthier thymus glands had markedly better long-term health outcomes. Those with higher thymic health scores were about 50% less likely to die from any cause, 63 per cent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, and 36 per cent less likely to develop lung cancer compared with those with poorer thymic health. The associations remained strong even after adjusting for age and other health factors. Scientists believe declining thymic health reduces T-cell diversity, weakening the immune system's ability to fight diseases. Chronic inflammation, smoking, and higher body weight were identified as key factors linked to poorer thymic health. In a separate study, after examining CT scans and clinical outcomes from over 1,200 cancer patients treated with immunotherapy, the team found that patients with healthier thymuses tended to respond better to treatment. They experienced about a 37 per cent lower risk of cancer progression and a 44 per cent lower risk of death, even after adjustment for differences in patients, tumours, and treatment approaches. These findings also underscore a potentially important role, along with previously underrecognised, for the thymus in finding how effectively modern cancer immunotherapies work. Scientists react to assessing thymic health Researchers caution that further studies are needed to confirm the findings, and the imaging method used to assess thymic health is not yet suitable for routine clinical use. While lifestyle factors were linked to thymic health, it remains unclear whether changing them can improve thymus function. Ongoing research is also examining whether incidental radiation exposure during lung cancer treatment affects thymic health and patient outcomes. "Improving our understanding and monitoring of thymic health could eventually help physicians better assess disease risk and guide treatment decisions," said Aerts.

Scientists at Mass General Brigham found that the thymus organ significantly impacts adult health. Studies show adults with healthier thymuses live longer, resist diseases better, and respond more effectively to cancer immunotherapy, reversing decades of medical assumptions. &nbsp;

Hidden system, big impact: THIS forgotten organ could predict how long you live, study finds

Scientists have discovered yeast which grown in the guts of a frozen mummy called Oetzi the Iceman for thousands of years. The grown yeast was used by scientists to make a tasty sourdough bread. Oezti died over 5,300 years ago, before the Egyptian pyramids were built, when he was moving aimlessly through the Alps on the border of Austria and Italy, after he was killed by an arrow in the back. His body remained trapped in ice for thousands of years until two German hikers discovered the naturally mummified remains in 1991 in the northern Italian region of South Tyrol. Since its recovery, the mummy has been well-preserved at a constant temperature of minus six degrees Celsius, matching the conditions of its original icy resting place. The exceptional state of preservation has enabled researchers to gain unique insights into prehistoric human life through the study of Oetzi, often referred to as the Iceman. In their latest findings, published on Wednesday in the journal Microbiome, a team of researchers based in Italy reported evidence that both ancient and contemporary microorganisms remain active within the frozen remains. "What we didn't expect to find was yeast," lead study author Mohamed Sarhan of the Eurac Research institute in the Italian city of Bolzano told AFP. The study identified four species of cold-adapted yeasts in samples taken from Ötzi's intestines, skin and the brownish meltwater produced when parts of the mummy were temporarily thawed for examination. Because these yeasts are typically found only in extremely cold environments, such as Antarctica, researchers believe they entered the body after Oetzi's death. Genetic analysis showed levels of DNA degradation similar to those found in the original gut microbes, suggesting the yeasts colonised the remains relatively soon after death, according to the researchers. "These yeasts have accompanied Oetzi on his long journey through the millennia," study co-author Frank Maixner said in a statement. Later, the scientists have reproduced the gut yeast in a fridge. "If you tell anyone you have yeast, they immediately ask: Can we use it for bread?" Sarhan said. So they tried to make a sourdough loaf. "Initially, it didn't work," the microbiologist admitted. After three months of continuous effort, "we had a very, very good sourdough," Sarhan claimed with a laugh. When asked about the scientists' consideration over the use of yeast to brew beer, he responded, "It's on the list."&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/ancient-humans-had-a-mining-factory-in-the-mountains-7-000-years-ago-for-5-000-years-1780474673699">Ancient humans had a mining factory in the mountains 7,000 years ago, for 5,000 years</a><h3>Yeast breaks down chemicals&nbsp;</h3>The research also highlighted potentially significant practical applications for the yeast. After Oetzi's discovery in 1991, the mummy was initially handled like a conventional human body, and a chemical known as phenol was applied to prevent fungal growth. Researchers found that the cold-adapted yeast was capable of breaking down phenol, raising the possibility that it could one day be used to help clean up environments contaminated by the chemical. The same bacterium has also been identified in 3,000-year-old human faeces preserved in a salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria, one of the few other sources available for studying ancient human gut microbiomes. Researchers noted that both Ötzi and the Bronze Age miners are believed to have consumed diets rich in fibre and whole grains, unlike many people today. The same bacterium has also been identified in 3,000-year-old human faeces preserved in a salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria, one of the few other sources available for studying ancient human gut microbiomes. Researchers noted that both Ötzi and the Bronze Age miners are believed to have consumed diets rich in fibre and whole grains, unlike many people today. The study concluded that the Iceman should not be viewed as a biologically static "time capsule" but rather as a dynamic ecosystem hosting a variety of microbial life. However, researchers cautioned that it remains unclear whether the newly identified yeast poses any risk to the preservation of the mummy and said further investigation is needed.&nbsp;

Scientists have revived ancient yeast found in the remains of Oetzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy discovered in the Alps, and used it to bake sourdough bread. Researchers say the cold-loving yeast could also help break down pollutants, offering insights into both ancient life.

Scientists have discovered yeast which grown in the guts of a frozen mummy called Oetzi the Iceman for thousands of years. The grown yeast was used by scientists to make a tasty sourdough bread. Oezti died over 5,300 years ago, before the Egyptian pyramids were built, when he was moving aimlessly through the Alps on the border of Austria and Italy, after he was killed by an arrow in the back. His body remained trapped in ice for thousands of years until two German hikers discovered the naturally mummified remains in 1991 in the northern Italian region of South Tyrol. Since its recovery, the mummy has been well-preserved at a constant temperature of minus six degrees Celsius, matching the conditions of its original icy resting place. The exceptional state of preservation has enabled researchers to gain unique insights into prehistoric human life through the study of Oetzi, often referred to as the Iceman. In their latest findings, published on Wednesday in the journal Microbiome, a team of researchers based in Italy reported evidence that both ancient and contemporary microorganisms remain active within the frozen remains. "What we didn't expect to find was yeast," lead study author Mohamed Sarhan of the Eurac Research institute in the Italian city of Bolzano told AFP. The study identified four species of cold-adapted yeasts in samples taken from Ötzi's intestines, skin and the brownish meltwater produced when parts of the mummy were temporarily thawed for examination. Because these yeasts are typically found only in extremely cold environments, such as Antarctica, researchers believe they entered the body after Oetzi's death. Genetic analysis showed levels of DNA degradation similar to those found in the original gut microbes, suggesting the yeasts colonised the remains relatively soon after death, according to the researchers. "These yeasts have accompanied Oetzi on his long journey through the millennia," study co-author Frank Maixner said in a statement. Later, the scientists have reproduced the gut yeast in a fridge. "If you tell anyone you have yeast, they immediately ask: Can we use it for bread?" Sarhan said. So they tried to make a sourdough loaf. "Initially, it didn't work," the microbiologist admitted. After three months of continuous effort, "we had a very, very good sourdough," Sarhan claimed with a laugh. When asked about the scientists' consideration over the use of yeast to brew beer, he responded, "It's on the list." Also read: Ancient humans had a mining factory in the mountains 7,000 years ago, for 5,000 years Yeast breaks down chemicals The research also highlighted potentially significant practical applications for the yeast. After Oetzi's discovery in 1991, the mummy was initially handled like a conventional human body, and a chemical known as phenol was applied to prevent fungal growth. Researchers found that the cold-adapted yeast was capable of breaking down phenol, raising the possibility that it could one day be used to help clean up environments contaminated by the chemical. The same bacterium has also been identified in 3,000-year-old human faeces preserved in a salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria, one of the few other sources available for studying ancient human gut microbiomes. Researchers noted that both Ötzi and the Bronze Age miners are believed to have consumed diets rich in fibre and whole grains, unlike many people today. The same bacterium has also been identified in 3,000-year-old human faeces preserved in a salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria, one of the few other sources available for studying ancient human gut microbiomes. Researchers noted that both Ötzi and the Bronze Age miners are believed to have consumed diets rich in fibre and whole grains, unlike many people today. The study concluded that the Iceman should not be viewed as a biologically static "time capsule" but rather as a dynamic ecosystem hosting a variety of microbial life. However, researchers cautioned that it remains unclear whether the newly identified yeast poses any risk to the preservation of the mummy and said further investigation is needed.

Scientists have revived ancient yeast found in the remains of Oetzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy discovered in the Alps, and used it to bake sourdough bread. Researchers say the cold-loving yeast could also help break down pollutants, offering insights into both ancient life.

Would you eat it? Scientists baked bread using yeast found in 5,300-year-old mummy's gut

Exploring the sweeping policy shifts that finally protect military aviators from professional ruin when officially reporting encounters with unidentified anomalies.

'Ending stigma': The new protocols for military pilots reporting UFO encounters

The UAP tracking effort is going global as the United States shares the May 22 declassified telemetry with the 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance.

A global intelligence effort: How US is sharing the new UFO data with international allies

Explore the strategic, bureaucratic, and scientific reasons why the government completely abandoned the term UFO for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.

Why 'UFO' is dead? The strategic reason government exclusively uses 'UAP' in new declassified files

Declassified UAP reports expose a complex jurisdictional nightmare between the military and the FAA when tracking anomalous objects across civilian airspace.

Who owns the airspace? The jurisdictional nightmare hidden in the declassified UFO files

An analysis of how defense analysts use multi-modality sensor cross-referencing to rule out radar spoofing and prove the UAPs are physical objects.

Electronic warfare or physical craft? How the military proves the May 22 UFOs are real

A strictly scientific breakdown of why the lack of thermal exhaust in the May 22 UAP infrared videos completely baffles aerospace engineers and physicists.

'No heat, no exhaust': Scientific anomaly at the heart of military's new infrared UFO footage

While the public watches the videos, defense analysts are studying the six declassified PDF reports to understand the military's strict bureaucratic handling of UAPs.

Forget videos! Here's why experts are obsessing over the 6 declassified PDFs in latest UFO files

The initial UAP data release drew over 1 billion hits. A deep dive into the massive digital infrastructure required to host the world's most anticipated declassified files.

'1 billion hits': How government's servers handled unprecedented traffic of the UFO declassification

Civilian astrophysicists and data scientists finally have access to raw military telemetry, opening the door for rigorous open-source peer review of the UAP phenomenon.

'Raw data': How university scientists are analysing 51 new UFO videos

Superpowers and private companies are racing to claim lunar territory and mine Helium-3 in the trillion-dollar Space Race 2.0.

'Trillion-Dollar Moon': Why superpowers are suddenly racing to claim lunar territory in 2026

Newly assified UAP files reveal near-misses and airspace breaches, raising concerns about the safety of commercial flights.

Are commercial flights at risk? What the new UFO files reveal about near-misses in the sky

The Department of War is using advanced AI to analyze the PURSUE database, finding hidden patterns and predicting future UAP encounters.

How government is using advanced AI to hunt for UFO patterns in new PURSUE database

Physics-defying UFO videos have the Pentagon terrified of a massive technology gap. Is it alien tech, or a leapfrog advancement by adversaries?

'Technology Gap': Why Pentagon is terrified of the physics behind the new UAP videos

The original size and mass of the Milky Way galaxy have always driven scientists to search for evidence of the galaxies it consumed to determine its history and evolution. To determine those puzzles of the galaxy, astronomers have identified a group of metal-poor stars located unusually close to the galactic disk, according to a study published in May in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Researchers are studying these stars because they are located near the Milky Way’s galactic disk, a huge rotating region that contains many of the Milky Way’s stars, as the earliest stars in the universe were mainly made of hydrogen and helium. Over time, they created heavier elements in their cores before exploding and unleashing, helping in enriching future generations of stars. Stars with very low amounts of heavy elements, known as metal-poor stars, are usually linked to ancient dwarf galaxies. Scientists believe the Milky Way may have absorbed many such smaller galaxies over billions of years as it grew larger. The discovery of these ancient metal-poor stars near the galactic disk suggests that the Milky Way may have swallowed a large galaxy early in its history, leaving behind hidden traces inside our galaxy today. Cara Battersby, an associate professor of physics at the University of Connecticut who was not involved in the study, said astronomers work like detectives trying to uncover the origins of the universe. She added that very metal-poor stars are an important clue in understanding how galaxies formed and evolved. “VMP stars have been around for billions of years, holding within them clues to the formation of the Universe’s earliest generations of stars,” Battersby wrote in an email. She added that studying the metal-poor stars’ composition and motion can open up the details about the conditions and dynamics of the early universe.<h3>Inside the disk of the Milky Way</h3>Researchers' search for metal-poor stars in the Milky Way has always centred around the galaxy’s stellar halo, which is quite large and has a round diffuse cloud that surrounds the galactic disk. Several scientists think that evidence of more ancient mergers could be discovered deeper inside the disk of the Milky Way. Meanwhile, an author, Dr Federico Sestito, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hertfordshire’s Centre for Astrophysics Research in England, said that a huge amount of young, metal-rich stars, as well as a plethora of dust, crowded within the galactic disk, has made it very hard to track metal-poor stars. Davide Sestito and his team discovered 20 metal-poor stars located unexpectedly close to the galactic disk using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia telescope. The observatory tracked the movement and composition of nearly 2 billion stars in the Milky Way between July 2014 and January 2025. The researchers later used a high-resolution spectrograph at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Maunakea in Hawaii to study these stars in greater detail.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/spacex-launches-upgraded-starship-v3-on-debut-test-flight-loses-booster-on-return-1779491563837">SpaceX launches upgraded Starship V3 on debut test flight; loses booster on return</a> Although scientists have not been able to determine the stars’ exact ages, their chemical makeup indicates they are more than 10 billion years old, according to Sestito. All 20 stars are located around 7,000 light-years from our solar system and share similar chemical properties, suggesting they likely originated from the same metal-poor dwarf galaxy, the study said. The Milky Way stretches nearly 100,000 light-years and contains an estimated 100 to 400 billion stars, according to NASA. Scientists believe the galaxy gradually expanded over the past 12 billion years by merging with smaller dwarf galaxies. However, its original size and mass remain unknown, prompting researchers to search for traces of ancient galaxies absorbed during its evolution.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The discovery of these ancient metal-poor stars near the galactic disk suggests that the Milky Way may have swallowed a large galaxy early in its history, leaving behind hidden traces inside our galaxy today.

The original size and mass of the Milky Way galaxy have always driven scientists to search for evidence of the galaxies it consumed to determine its history and evolution. To determine those puzzles of the galaxy, astronomers have identified a group of metal-poor stars located unusually close to the galactic disk, according to a study published in May in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Researchers are studying these stars because they are located near the Milky Way’s galactic disk, a huge rotating region that contains many of the Milky Way’s stars, as the earliest stars in the universe were mainly made of hydrogen and helium. Over time, they created heavier elements in their cores before exploding and unleashing, helping in enriching future generations of stars. Stars with very low amounts of heavy elements, known as metal-poor stars, are usually linked to ancient dwarf galaxies. Scientists believe the Milky Way may have absorbed many such smaller galaxies over billions of years as it grew larger. The discovery of these ancient metal-poor stars near the galactic disk suggests that the Milky Way may have swallowed a large galaxy early in its history, leaving behind hidden traces inside our galaxy today. Cara Battersby, an associate professor of physics at the University of Connecticut who was not involved in the study, said astronomers work like detectives trying to uncover the origins of the universe. She added that very metal-poor stars are an important clue in understanding how galaxies formed and evolved. “VMP stars have been around for billions of years, holding within them clues to the formation of the Universe’s earliest generations of stars,” Battersby wrote in an email. She added that studying the metal-poor stars’ composition and motion can open up the details about the conditions and dynamics of the early universe. Inside the disk of the Milky Way Researchers' search for metal-poor stars in the Milky Way has always centred around the galaxy’s stellar halo, which is quite large and has a round diffuse cloud that surrounds the galactic disk. Several scientists think that evidence of more ancient mergers could be discovered deeper inside the disk of the Milky Way. Meanwhile, an author, Dr Federico Sestito, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hertfordshire’s Centre for Astrophysics Research in England, said that a huge amount of young, metal-rich stars, as well as a plethora of dust, crowded within the galactic disk, has made it very hard to track metal-poor stars. Davide Sestito and his team discovered 20 metal-poor stars located unexpectedly close to the galactic disk using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia telescope. The observatory tracked the movement and composition of nearly 2 billion stars in the Milky Way between July 2014 and January 2025. The researchers later used a high-resolution spectrograph at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Maunakea in Hawaii to study these stars in greater detail. Also read: SpaceX launches upgraded Starship V3 on debut test flight; loses booster on return Although scientists have not been able to determine the stars’ exact ages, their chemical makeup indicates they are more than 10 billion years old, according to Sestito. All 20 stars are located around 7,000 light-years from our solar system and share similar chemical properties, suggesting they likely originated from the same metal-poor dwarf galaxy, the study said. The Milky Way stretches nearly 100,000 light-years and contains an estimated 100 to 400 billion stars, according to NASA. Scientists believe the galaxy gradually expanded over the past 12 billion years by merging with smaller dwarf galaxies. However, its original size and mass remain unknown, prompting researchers to search for traces of ancient galaxies absorbed during its evolution.

The discovery of these ancient metal-poor stars near the galactic disk suggests that the Milky Way may have swallowed a large galaxy early in its history, leaving behind hidden traces inside our galaxy today.

Did Milky Way secretly swallow another galaxy? Ancient stars hint at lost star system

A new study suggests ancient stochastic gravitational waves from the early universe may have generated low-mass fermions that later evolved into dark matter. This offers a fresh explanation for one of the biggest mysteries, linking cosmic ripples to unseen matter shaping the universe.

How early-universe gravitational waves may have formed dark matter: New study reveals surprising link

A new study revealed that dark matter does not exist in the universe, and it is around 27 billion years old. The study has challenged long-held ideas about the universe by proposing a model that does not require dark matter or dark energy, two concepts that have dominated modern cosmology for decades. An earlier study indicated that the universe is a mix of ordinary matter and two invisible components called dark matter and dark energy. The finding was discovered by Rajendra Gupta, a physics professor at the University of Ottawa, who has proposed a model that aims to explain the universe without dark matter or dark energy. He argued that familiar assumptions might be holding back progress. “The study’s findings confirm that our previous work (“JWST early universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology”) about the age of the universe being 26.7 billion years has allowed us to discover that the universe does not require dark matter to exist,” explains Gupta. Rajendra Gupta combines two ideas in his model: covarying coupling constants (CCC) and “tired light” (TL). The CCC concept questions whether fundamental constants, such as the strength of forces or the speed of light, might vary over time or across space, which could significantly alter our understanding of cosmic evolution, according to The Earth.com. The tired light theory offers an alternative explanation for redshift, suggesting that light from distant galaxies loses energy as it travels, causing it to shift toward the red end of the spectrum, rather than this effect being solely due to the expansion of the universe. Together, the CCC+TL framework aims to explain observed cosmic signals.<h3>Is dark matter real?</h3>The concept of dark matter emerged from observational anomalies rather than theory alone. In the 1930s, astronomer Fritz Zwicky observed that galaxy clusters were moving in ways that could not be explained by the mass visible to the telescope. Later findings indicated that galaxies rotate faster than expected at their edges than expected, suggesting the presence of additional unseen influence of gravity. Evidence from Gravitational lensing further supports the idea that there is more mass than what is directly observable. According to the standard cosmological model, dark matter is believed to account for roughly 27 per cent of the universe, while ordinary matter makes up less than 5 per cent. The remainder is attributed to dark energy, a theoretical force thought to be responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. This framework also places the universe’s age at around 13.8 billion years.<h3>Redshifts and cosmic observations</h3>A key focus of the study is redshift, the phenomenon where light stretches to longer wavelengths as it travels. The analysis compares galaxy distributions at lower redshifts with those from the early universe at higher redshifts. It suggests that these observations can be explained using the CCC+TL model, without the need to include dark matter in the calculations. “There are several papers that question the existence of dark matter, but mine is the first one, to my knowledge, that eliminates its cosmological existence while being consistent with key cosmological observations that we have had time to confirm,” Gupta concluded.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/why-donald-trump-supporters-back-him-according-to-science-1776240467586">For Trump supporters, delulu is the only solulu - Science reveals why they back him, no matter what</a>&nbsp;

The finding was discovered by Rajendra Gupta, a physics professor at the University of Ottawa, who has proposed a model that aims to explain the universe without dark matter or dark energy.

A new study revealed that dark matter does not exist in the universe, and it is around 27 billion years old. The study has challenged long-held ideas about the universe by proposing a model that does not require dark matter or dark energy, two concepts that have dominated modern cosmology for decades. An earlier study indicated that the universe is a mix of ordinary matter and two invisible components called dark matter and dark energy. The finding was discovered by Rajendra Gupta, a physics professor at the University of Ottawa, who has proposed a model that aims to explain the universe without dark matter or dark energy. He argued that familiar assumptions might be holding back progress. “The study’s findings confirm that our previous work (“JWST early universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology”) about the age of the universe being 26.7 billion years has allowed us to discover that the universe does not require dark matter to exist,” explains Gupta. Rajendra Gupta combines two ideas in his model: covarying coupling constants (CCC) and “tired light” (TL). The CCC concept questions whether fundamental constants, such as the strength of forces or the speed of light, might vary over time or across space, which could significantly alter our understanding of cosmic evolution, according to The Earth.com. The tired light theory offers an alternative explanation for redshift, suggesting that light from distant galaxies loses energy as it travels, causing it to shift toward the red end of the spectrum, rather than this effect being solely due to the expansion of the universe. Together, the CCC+TL framework aims to explain observed cosmic signals. Is dark matter real? The concept of dark matter emerged from observational anomalies rather than theory alone. In the 1930s, astronomer Fritz Zwicky observed that galaxy clusters were moving in ways that could not be explained by the mass visible to the telescope. Later findings indicated that galaxies rotate faster than expected at their edges than expected, suggesting the presence of additional unseen influence of gravity. Evidence from Gravitational lensing further supports the idea that there is more mass than what is directly observable. According to the standard cosmological model, dark matter is believed to account for roughly 27 per cent of the universe, while ordinary matter makes up less than 5 per cent. The remainder is attributed to dark energy, a theoretical force thought to be responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. This framework also places the universe’s age at around 13.8 billion years. Redshifts and cosmic observations A key focus of the study is redshift, the phenomenon where light stretches to longer wavelengths as it travels. The analysis compares galaxy distributions at lower redshifts with those from the early universe at higher redshifts. It suggests that these observations can be explained using the CCC+TL model, without the need to include dark matter in the calculations. “There are several papers that question the existence of dark matter, but mine is the first one, to my knowledge, that eliminates its cosmological existence while being consistent with key cosmological observations that we have had time to confirm,” Gupta concluded. Also read: For Trump supporters, delulu is the only solulu - Science reveals why they back him, no matter what

The finding was discovered by Rajendra Gupta, a physics professor at the University of Ottawa, who has proposed a model that aims to explain the universe without dark matter or dark energy.

Dark matter doesn’t exist? New study challenges foundations & age of the universe

Scientists have recorded dark spots inside a light wave that seem to be moving much faster than light itself. Even though they appear to be in a quicker motion, they carry no energy or information, and hence, nothing really happens. These dark spots inside a complex light wave are formed when some points go completely dark, because the wave cancels itself out. So there is no light, only darkness. Scientists have known about them for a long time. A study published in Nature states that they have been filmed for the first time. Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology collaborated with others from Harvard, Stanford, MIT and other institutions to track these dark points. An electron microscope that can capture events lasting just three femtoseconds, or three quadrillionths of a second, was used to see them passing through a special material. Their work confirmed a long-held belief that what we believe to be darkness can outrun the light surrounding it.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chaos-heat-and-a-star-that-went-bonkers-scientists-see-major-collision-between-two-planets-1773668599698">Chaos, heat and a star that went bonkers: Scientists see major collision between two planets</a>&nbsp;Known as phase singularities, they appear at the exact point where a light wave’s amplitude drops to zero, leaving its phase undefined. The light vanishes into darkness, while the surrounding phase wraps smoothly through a full 360° rotation around the void. These dark points come in two types, based on the spin direction of the phase. One has a positive charge, the other a negative. They can only disappear if they meet each other. As they move closer, they speed up, and right before they collide and vanish, their speed is expected to shoot toward infinity. This extreme behaviour had been theorised before, but it hadn’t been directly measured until now.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earth-days-are-getting-longer-it-has-not-happened-in-3-6-million-years-1773408587727">Earth days are getting longer. It has not happened in 3.6 million years</a><h2>Watching dark points inside light</h2>“Phase singularities do not carry energy or information and thus can ‘move’ superluminally without breaking causality,” the authors write. What we think is faster than light, is just “a pure kinematic property of the evolving phase landscape.” But witnessing these dark points needs special conditions. Scientists identified hexagonal boron nitride, a two-dimensional crystal that supports a special class of light-matter waves called hyperbolic phonon polaritons, as the ideal material. Inside it, the waves travel more than 100 times slower than light in a vacuum, and this is what sends the dark points racing. The spacing of dark points matched existing theories, as they mirrored the distance patterns found among molecules in a liquid.

Light carries darkness, which sounds contradictory but is actually true. Scientists have known about dark points inside light for a long time, yet they have only now been able to record them. A new study published in Nature details the experiment.

Scientists have recorded dark spots inside a light wave that seem to be moving much faster than light itself. Even though they appear to be in a quicker motion, they carry no energy or information, and hence, nothing really happens. These dark spots inside a complex light wave are formed when some points go completely dark, because the wave cancels itself out. So there is no light, only darkness. Scientists have known about them for a long time. A study published in Nature states that they have been filmed for the first time. Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology collaborated with others from Harvard, Stanford, MIT and other institutions to track these dark points. An electron microscope that can capture events lasting just three femtoseconds, or three quadrillionths of a second, was used to see them passing through a special material. Their work confirmed a long-held belief that what we believe to be darkness can outrun the light surrounding it. Also Read: Chaos, heat and a star that went bonkers: Scientists see major collision between two planets Known as phase singularities, they appear at the exact point where a light wave’s amplitude drops to zero, leaving its phase undefined. The light vanishes into darkness, while the surrounding phase wraps smoothly through a full 360° rotation around the void. These dark points come in two types, based on the spin direction of the phase. One has a positive charge, the other a negative. They can only disappear if they meet each other. As they move closer, they speed up, and right before they collide and vanish, their speed is expected to shoot toward infinity. This extreme behaviour had been theorised before, but it hadn’t been directly measured until now. Also Read: Earth days are getting longer. It has not happened in 3.6 million years Watching dark points inside light “Phase singularities do not carry energy or information and thus can ‘move’ superluminally without breaking causality,” the authors write. What we think is faster than light, is just “a pure kinematic property of the evolving phase landscape.” But witnessing these dark points needs special conditions. Scientists identified hexagonal boron nitride, a two-dimensional crystal that supports a special class of light-matter waves called hyperbolic phonon polaritons, as the ideal material. Inside it, the waves travel more than 100 times slower than light in a vacuum, and this is what sends the dark points racing. The spacing of dark points matched existing theories, as they mirrored the distance patterns found among molecules in a liquid.

Light carries darkness, which sounds contradictory but is actually true. Scientists have known about dark points inside light for a long time, yet they have only now been able to record them. A new study published in Nature details the experiment.

Scientists see darkness inside light for the first time, and it moves even faster

Researchers in their new study have detected Caffeine, cocaine, and painkillers, among other drugs, in the blood of sharks swimming near the coast of the Bahamas. The team led by biologist Natascha Wosnick found after analysing blood samples from 85 sharks near Eleuthera Island. Out of these, nearly one-third have tested positive for caffeine, anti-inflammatory drugs like acetaminophen and diclofenac, and in one case, cocaine.&nbsp;"This represents the first report concerning contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) and potentially associated physiological responses in sharks from The Bahamas, pointing to the urgent need to address marine pollution in ecosystems often perceived as pristine," the study published in the journal Environmental Pollution confirmed.<h3>Are divers the main culprit?</h3>A biologist with the Federal University of Parana, identified as Wosnick, said the traces of the drug could reach marine environments through water currents carrying sewage or other water. However, he suggested that divers are the most likely source of sharks being exposed to these substances. Most of the sharks studied were found near an inactive fish farm that is frequently visited by divers. “It's mostly because people are going there, peeing in the water and dumping their sewage in the water,” Wosnick said, ScienceNews reported. "They bite things to investigate and end up exposed [to substances]," added Wosnick. In addition to detecting pharmaceuticals and cocaine, researchers observed changes in the sharks’ metabolic markers. While it is still uncertain whether these changes are harmful, they could potentially influence the animals’ behaviour. "The very limited information on how CECs interact with the unique physiology and detoxification systems of elasmobranchs (sharks) represents a major barrier to assessing ecological risks and population-level impacts, hindering the development of effective conservation strategies for this already high-at-risk group," the study authors stated.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/meat-blood-milk-and-almost-no-water-mutation-that-helped-kenyan-tribe-survive-for-centuries-1773986257798">Meat, blood, milk, and almost no water: Scientists find what helped Kenyan tribe survive on extreme diet for centuries</a>

A biologist with the Federal University of Parana said the traces of the drug could reach marine environments through water currents carrying sewage or other water. However, he suggested that divers are the most likely source of sharks being exposed to these substances. 

Researchers in their new study have detected Caffeine, cocaine, and painkillers, among other drugs, in the blood of sharks swimming near the coast of the Bahamas. The team led by biologist Natascha Wosnick found after analysing blood samples from 85 sharks near Eleuthera Island. Out of these, nearly one-third have tested positive for caffeine, anti-inflammatory drugs like acetaminophen and diclofenac, and in one case, cocaine. "This represents the first report concerning contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) and potentially associated physiological responses in sharks from The Bahamas, pointing to the urgent need to address marine pollution in ecosystems often perceived as pristine," the study published in the journal Environmental Pollution confirmed. Are divers the main culprit? A biologist with the Federal University of Parana, identified as Wosnick, said the traces of the drug could reach marine environments through water currents carrying sewage or other water. However, he suggested that divers are the most likely source of sharks being exposed to these substances. Most of the sharks studied were found near an inactive fish farm that is frequently visited by divers. “It's mostly because people are going there, peeing in the water and dumping their sewage in the water,” Wosnick said, ScienceNews reported. "They bite things to investigate and end up exposed [to substances]," added Wosnick. In addition to detecting pharmaceuticals and cocaine, researchers observed changes in the sharks’ metabolic markers. While it is still uncertain whether these changes are harmful, they could potentially influence the animals’ behaviour. "The very limited information on how CECs interact with the unique physiology and detoxification systems of elasmobranchs (sharks) represents a major barrier to assessing ecological risks and population-level impacts, hindering the development of effective conservation strategies for this already high-at-risk group," the study authors stated. Also read: Meat, blood, milk, and almost no water: Scientists find what helped Kenyan tribe survive on extreme diet for centuries

A biologist with the Federal University of Parana said the traces of the drug could reach marine environments through water currents carrying sewage or other water. However, he suggested that divers are the most likely source of sharks being exposed to these substances.&nbsp;

What’s in water? Sharks near Bahamas found with Cocaine & Caffeine in blood, study reveals

A research team at KAIST, which included an active duty Army Major, aim to develop a quicker and more dependable method to control bleeding instantly, a leading cause of death in emergencies. Their effort resulted in a next-generation powder-based hemostatic agent that can stop bleeding within a second when sprayed directly onto a wound, potentially saving lives on the battlefield.&nbsp;On December 29th, KAIST said a joint team led by Professor Steve Park of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Sangyong Jon from the Department of Biological Sciences had developed a powder-based hemostatic agent, which rapidly forms a strong hydrogel barrier. Once applied to an injured part of the body, it transforms in about one second, immediately sealing the injury.&nbsp;Developed with real battlefield conditions in mind, the technology benefits from the Army Major’s direct involvement to ensure practical usability. The agent hardens instantly even in extreme environments such as combat zones or disaster sites and remains stable during storage, allowing rapid deployment in emergency care, according to a report in SciTechDaily.&nbsp;PhD candidate Kyusoon Park (Army Major), who participated in the research, said, “The core of modern warfare is minimising the loss of human life,” and added, “I started the research with a sense of mission to save even one more soldier.” He continued, “I hope this technology will be used as a life-saving technology in both national defence and private medical fields.”&nbsp;A patch-type hemostatic products often used as medicine to treat deep or irregular wounds because of its flat shape. It is also sensitive to heat and moisture, limiting its storage and use in demanding settings.<h3>‘AGCL powder’</h3>To overcome these issues, the KAIST team came up with the hemostatic agent in the form of powder that can be applied to wounds of any shape and sizes as well as deep or uneven. A single formulation can also be utilised in a wide range of injury types, which can improve flexibility in emergency care.&nbsp;The ‘AGCL powder’, which has been developed possess a structure in combination of biocompatible natural materials that include Alginate and Gellan Gum (which react with calcium for ultra-fast gelation and physical sealing) as well as Chitosan (which bonds with blood components to enhance chemical and biological hemostasis). It works in the body after reacting with cations such as calcium in the blood in order to turn into a gel state in one second, quickly sealing the wound.&nbsp;AGCL powder is made entirely from natural materials and is safe for use with blood, with tests showing a hemolysis rate below 3 per cent, cell viability above 99 per cent, and antibacterial effectiveness of 99.9 per cent. In surgical liver injury trials, it significantly reduced blood loss and shortened the time needed to stop bleeding compared to existing commercial hemostatic agents. Liver function returned to normal within two weeks after surgery, and no signs of systemic toxicity were detected.&nbsp;While the technology was developed primarily for national defence applications, it holds strong promise for broader use in emergency medicine, including disaster response, developing regions and underserved healthcare settings. The innovation is also seen as a notable example of defence-driven science successfully transitioning to civilian use, with applications ranging from battlefield emergency care to internal surgical bleeding control. &nbsp;

Developed with real battlefield conditions in mind, the technology benefits from the Army Major’s direct involvement to ensure practical usability. The agent hardens instantly, even in extreme environments such as combat zones or disaster sites and remains stable during storage.

A research team at KAIST, which included an active duty Army Major, aim to develop a quicker and more dependable method to control bleeding instantly, a leading cause of death in emergencies. Their effort resulted in a next-generation powder-based hemostatic agent that can stop bleeding within a second when sprayed directly onto a wound, potentially saving lives on the battlefield. On December 29th, KAIST said a joint team led by Professor Steve Park of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Sangyong Jon from the Department of Biological Sciences had developed a powder-based hemostatic agent, which rapidly forms a strong hydrogel barrier. Once applied to an injured part of the body, it transforms in about one second, immediately sealing the injury. Developed with real battlefield conditions in mind, the technology benefits from the Army Major’s direct involvement to ensure practical usability. The agent hardens instantly even in extreme environments such as combat zones or disaster sites and remains stable during storage, allowing rapid deployment in emergency care, according to a report in SciTechDaily. PhD candidate Kyusoon Park (Army Major), who participated in the research, said, “The core of modern warfare is minimising the loss of human life,” and added, “I started the research with a sense of mission to save even one more soldier.” He continued, “I hope this technology will be used as a life-saving technology in both national defence and private medical fields.” A patch-type hemostatic products often used as medicine to treat deep or irregular wounds because of its flat shape. It is also sensitive to heat and moisture, limiting its storage and use in demanding settings. ‘AGCL powder’ To overcome these issues, the KAIST team came up with the hemostatic agent in the form of powder that can be applied to wounds of any shape and sizes as well as deep or uneven. A single formulation can also be utilised in a wide range of injury types, which can improve flexibility in emergency care. The ‘AGCL powder’, which has been developed possess a structure in combination of biocompatible natural materials that include Alginate and Gellan Gum (which react with calcium for ultra-fast gelation and physical sealing) as well as Chitosan (which bonds with blood components to enhance chemical and biological hemostasis). It works in the body after reacting with cations such as calcium in the blood in order to turn into a gel state in one second, quickly sealing the wound. AGCL powder is made entirely from natural materials and is safe for use with blood, with tests showing a hemolysis rate below 3 per cent, cell viability above 99 per cent, and antibacterial effectiveness of 99.9 per cent. In surgical liver injury trials, it significantly reduced blood loss and shortened the time needed to stop bleeding compared to existing commercial hemostatic agents. Liver function returned to normal within two weeks after surgery, and no signs of systemic toxicity were detected. While the technology was developed primarily for national defence applications, it holds strong promise for broader use in emergency medicine, including disaster response, developing regions and underserved healthcare settings. The innovation is also seen as a notable example of defence-driven science successfully transitioning to civilian use, with applications ranging from battlefield emergency care to internal surgical bleeding control.

Developed with real battlefield conditions in mind, the technology benefits from the Army Major’s direct involvement to ensure practical usability. The agent hardens instantly, even in extreme environments such as combat zones or disaster sites and remains stable during storage.

Life saving medicine? Scientists develop spray-on powder that stops bleeding in one second, offers hope in war zones

Mites and ticks are often mistaken for insects. Actually, they belong to the broader category of ‘arachnids’, creatures with two body segments and eight legs. They range from invisible dust mites in homes to blood-feeding ticks on pets and in forests, making them among the most widespread organisms on the planet.&nbsp;While many species are harmless, others are parasites that cause diseases such as scabies, lumpy skin disease, and crop-damaging plant galls. Together, they impose a high cost on public health, livestock and agriculture. Scientists are now turning to genomics to better understand which species pose disease risk.<h3>What researcher said?</h3>A new genomic study led by Siddharth Kulkarni, a Ramanujan faculty member at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, together with three undergraduate students from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram, sheds light on how parasitism in mites and ticks evolved over deep time. The findings could help improve disease surveillance and control, particularly as climate change alters the spread of vectors.&nbsp;The research addresses a long-standing evolutionary question by tracing how parasitic traits emerged and diversified over more than 100 million years. The team analysed 90 arachnid genomes, the largest dataset of its kind, to reconstruct ancient relationships among mites, ticks and their relatives.&nbsp;Instead of focusing only on individual genes, the researchers studied how genes are arranged on chromosomes. “Think of it like a deck of cards. Over millions of years, the cards (genes) get shuffled. But if you find two different groups of mites that have the exact same hand of cards in the same order, you know they share a common ancestor,” Dr Kulkarni explained.&nbsp;The analysis indicated that mites and ticks belong to two separate evolutionary lineages that originated independently from separate ancestors: Acariformes (which includes most mites) and Parasitiformes (which includes ticks and the remaining mites).&nbsp;Dr Kulkarni further added that the finding is a vital move toward reconstructing the evolutionary relationships among arachnids — from camel spiders to marine horseshoe crabs — whose group have long remained unclear. Finding these relationships can help scientists to predict the spread of known infections and identify potential new vectors before outbreaks take place.

Dr Siddharth Kulkarni sheds light on how parasitism in mites and ticks evolved over deep time. The findings could help improve disease surveillance and control, particularly as climate change alters the spread of vectors.

Mites and ticks are often mistaken for insects. Actually, they belong to the broader category of ‘arachnids’, creatures with two body segments and eight legs. They range from invisible dust mites in homes to blood-feeding ticks on pets and in forests, making them among the most widespread organisms on the planet. While many species are harmless, others are parasites that cause diseases such as scabies, lumpy skin disease, and crop-damaging plant galls. Together, they impose a high cost on public health, livestock and agriculture. Scientists are now turning to genomics to better understand which species pose disease risk. What researcher said? A new genomic study led by Siddharth Kulkarni, a Ramanujan faculty member at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, together with three undergraduate students from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram, sheds light on how parasitism in mites and ticks evolved over deep time. The findings could help improve disease surveillance and control, particularly as climate change alters the spread of vectors. The research addresses a long-standing evolutionary question by tracing how parasitic traits emerged and diversified over more than 100 million years. The team analysed 90 arachnid genomes, the largest dataset of its kind, to reconstruct ancient relationships among mites, ticks and their relatives. Instead of focusing only on individual genes, the researchers studied how genes are arranged on chromosomes. “Think of it like a deck of cards. Over millions of years, the cards (genes) get shuffled. But if you find two different groups of mites that have the exact same hand of cards in the same order, you know they share a common ancestor,” Dr Kulkarni explained. The analysis indicated that mites and ticks belong to two separate evolutionary lineages that originated independently from separate ancestors: Acariformes (which includes most mites) and Parasitiformes (which includes ticks and the remaining mites). Dr Kulkarni further added that the finding is a vital move toward reconstructing the evolutionary relationships among arachnids — from camel spiders to marine horseshoe crabs — whose group have long remained unclear. Finding these relationships can help scientists to predict the spread of known infections and identify potential new vectors before outbreaks take place.

Dr Siddharth Kulkarni sheds light on how parasitism in mites and ticks evolved over deep time. The findings could help improve disease surveillance and control, particularly as climate change alters the spread of vectors.

Invisible but found everywhere: How climate change is making mites, ticks bigger threat to human health

Stephen Hawking was a British theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author whose study and work on black holes and the universe made him one of the most recognisable figures in the field of science. He was born in Oxford to a medical family in 1942, where he studied physics at University College, Oxford (graduating in 1962), then pursued cosmology at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.&nbsp;At the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a result, he said that he will remain alive only for two years; however, Hawking defied the prognosis and stayed alive until 76, while gradually losing physical control. To stay alive, he used a speech synthesiser after losing his speech, voicing iconic lines like “women” in 2014.<h3>What were Hawking's greatest contributions to Science?</h3><h3>Singularities</h3>As per the report in the Space, Stephen Hawking made groundbreaking contributions to understanding gravity under extreme conditions, beginning with his work on singularities. Building on Roger Penrose’s proofs, Hawking demonstrated that singularities are not limited to black holes but also exist at the birth of the universe, showing that the Big Bang began from a point of infinite density.<h3>Black hole physics</h3>He then revolutionised black hole physics by discovering that black holes are not completely black. By combining general relativity with quantum mechanics, Hawking showed that black holes emit radiation, now known as Hawking radiation, causing them to slowly lose mass and eventually evaporate. This insight led him to develop the laws of black hole thermodynamics, revealing a deep connection between gravity, energy, heat and entropy.<h3>Cosmology</h3>In cosmology, Hawking played a crucial role in developing the theory of cosmic inflation. While Alan Guth first proposed rapid expansion in the early universe, Hawking helped turn inflation into a rigorous and testable framework. He also explored the earliest moments of the Big Bang, questioning whether the universe truly had a beginning and how quantum mechanics shapes its origin.<h3>Time travel</h3>Hawking extensively studied the nature of space-time, including wormholes and their physical feasibility. Recognising their implications for time travel, he proposed the chronology protection conjecture, arguing that the laws of physics prevent travel into the past. Although not focused on creating a single “theory of everything,” Hawking’s work on quantum gravity profoundly influenced the field. His ideas, especially on black holes and inflation, continue to guide efforts to unify quantum mechanics and gravity.&nbsp;He also collaborated on string theory, M‑theory and quantum gravity, consulted on films (Star Trek, The Simpsons) and advocated for space exploration, artificial intelligence risks and climate action. Awarded CBE (1982), Companion of Honour (1989), and Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009), he died at 76 in Cambridge.<h3>Hawking's Books​</h3>Hawking also popularised science through books: A Brief History of Time (1988) sold over 25 million copies, explaining cosmology accessibly; The Universe in a Nutshell (2001), A Briefer History of Time (2005), The Grand Design (2010) with Leonard Mlodinow, and Black Holes and Baby Universes (1993).

Hawking extensively studied the nature of space-time, including wormholes and their physical feasibility. Recognising their implications for time travel, he proposed the chronology protection conjecture, arguing that the laws of physics prevent travel into the past.

Stephen Hawking was a British theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author whose study and work on black holes and the universe made him one of the most recognisable figures in the field of science. He was born in Oxford to a medical family in 1942, where he studied physics at University College, Oxford (graduating in 1962), then pursued cosmology at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. At the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a result, he said that he will remain alive only for two years; however, Hawking defied the prognosis and stayed alive until 76, while gradually losing physical control. To stay alive, he used a speech synthesiser after losing his speech, voicing iconic lines like “women” in 2014. What were Hawking's greatest contributions to Science? Singularities As per the report in the Space, Stephen Hawking made groundbreaking contributions to understanding gravity under extreme conditions, beginning with his work on singularities. Building on Roger Penrose’s proofs, Hawking demonstrated that singularities are not limited to black holes but also exist at the birth of the universe, showing that the Big Bang began from a point of infinite density. Black hole physics He then revolutionised black hole physics by discovering that black holes are not completely black. By combining general relativity with quantum mechanics, Hawking showed that black holes emit radiation, now known as Hawking radiation, causing them to slowly lose mass and eventually evaporate. This insight led him to develop the laws of black hole thermodynamics, revealing a deep connection between gravity, energy, heat and entropy. Cosmology In cosmology, Hawking played a crucial role in developing the theory of cosmic inflation. While Alan Guth first proposed rapid expansion in the early universe, Hawking helped turn inflation into a rigorous and testable framework. He also explored the earliest moments of the Big Bang, questioning whether the universe truly had a beginning and how quantum mechanics shapes its origin. Time travel Hawking extensively studied the nature of space-time, including wormholes and their physical feasibility. Recognising their implications for time travel, he proposed the chronology protection conjecture, arguing that the laws of physics prevent travel into the past. Although not focused on creating a single “theory of everything,” Hawking’s work on quantum gravity profoundly influenced the field. His ideas, especially on black holes and inflation, continue to guide efforts to unify quantum mechanics and gravity. He also collaborated on string theory, M‑theory and quantum gravity, consulted on films (Star Trek, The Simpsons) and advocated for space exploration, artificial intelligence risks and climate action. Awarded CBE (1982), Companion of Honour (1989), and Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009), he died at 76 in Cambridge. Hawking's Books Hawking also popularised science through books: A Brief History of Time (1988) sold over 25 million copies, explaining cosmology accessibly; The Universe in a Nutshell (2001), A Briefer History of Time (2005), The Grand Design (2010) with Leonard Mlodinow, and Black Holes and Baby Universes (1993).

Hawking extensively studied the nature of space-time, including wormholes and their physical feasibility. Recognising their implications for time travel, he proposed the chronology protection conjecture, arguing that the laws of physics prevent travel into the past.

Who was Stephen Hawking? All about his life, books and greatest discoveries that reshaped modern Physics

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