Astronomy

To make quantum computers more efficient and reliable, some of their basic components must be constantly reused – several quantum computer designs can now do just that

Tracking down black holes at the center of dwarf galaxies has proven difficult. In part that is because they have a tendency to “wander” and are not located at the galaxy’s center. There are plenty of galaxies that might contain such a black hole, but so far we’ve had insufficient data to confirm their existence. A new paper from Megan Sturm of Montana State University and her colleagues analyzed additional data from Chandra and Hubble on a set of 12 potential Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) galaxy candidates. They were only able to confirm three, which highlights the difficulty in isolating these massive wanderers.

The sun’s current 11-year activity cycle has already peaked—but extreme outbursts from our star may still be in store

Melatonin supplements have become a ubiquitous sleep aid, but research shows that benefits are modest, and the heart health effects of long-term use are unknown

The lovable Star Wars droid is helping to shed light on why some bird species are better at mimicking sounds than others

As holiday feasts and stress approach, an expert explains how to keep your gut healthy without skipping the stuffing.

Researchers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have confirmed an actively growing supermassive black hole within a galaxy just 570 million years after the Big Bang. Part of a class of small, very distant galaxies that have mystified astronomers, CANUCS-LRD-z8.6 represents a vital piece of this puzzle and challenges existing theories about the formation of galaxies and black holes in the early Universe. The discovery connects early black holes with the luminous quasars we observe today.

An experiment 180 years ago first demonstrated a connection between light and electromagnetism – but the link is deeper than we thought

An experiment 180 years ago first demonstrated a connection between light and electromagnetism – but the link is deeper than we thought

An experiment 180 years ago first demonstrated a connection between light and electromagnetism – but the link is deeper than we thought

Few cosmic vistas can excite the imagination like

What are those colorful rings around the Moon?

Rather than being a recent cultural development, kissing may have been practised by other early humans like Neanderthals and our ape ancestors

Rather than being a recent cultural development, kissing may have been practised by other early humans like Neanderthals and our ape ancestors

To be fair, all scientific models are in some sense wrong

Galaxies grow massive through mergers with other galaxies. Massive galaxies like the Milky Way and Andromeda not only merge with other large galaxies, they also absorb their much smaller satellite dwarf galaxies. But these smaller galaxies can become quenched long before they're absorbed, and new research examines this process at Andromeda (M31).

If you enjoyed Beth Gardiner’s feature about big oil’s bet on plastics, here are more books curated by Scientific American

NGC 1068, a relatively nearby spiral galaxy, appears in this image released on July 23, 2025.

A comprehensive UN report has found that cities and towns are home to 81 per cent of the world’s population, much more than previously thought

A comprehensive UN report has found that cities and towns are home to 81 per cent of the world’s population, much more than previously thought