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Planet formation depends on when it happens: New model shows why

A new study led by UNLV scientists sheds light on how planets, including Earth, formed in our galaxy—and why the life and death of nearby stars are an important piece of the puzzle.

In a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, researchers at UNLV, in collaboration with scientists from the Open University of Israel, for the first time, modeled details about how the timing of planet formation in the history of the galaxy affects planetary composition and density. The paper is titled “Effect of Galactic Chemical Evolution on Exoplanet Properties.”

“Materials that go into making planets are formed inside of stars that have different lifetimes,” says Jason Steffen, associate professor with the UNLV Department of Physics and Astronomy and the paper’s lead author.

New simulation reveals how Earth’s magnetic field first sparked to life

Geophysicists have modeled how Earth’s magnetic field could form even when its core was fully liquid. By removing the effects of viscosity in their simulation, they revealed a self-sustaining dynamo that mirrors today’s mechanism. The results illuminate Earth’s early history, life’s origins, and the magnetism of other planets. Plus, it could help forecast future changes to our planet’s protective shield.

Brain Organoids Are Unlocking the Secrets of the Human Mind

Since Madeline Lancaster first created brain organoids back in 2013, they have become widely used for brain research around the world. But what exactly are they? Are they effectively miniature brains in dishes? Could implanting them in animals create super-smart mice? How close are we to crossing ethical lines? Michael Le Page visited Lancaster at her lab at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, to find out.

Learn more ➤ https://www.newscientist.com/article/.… ➤ https://bit.ly/NSYTSUBS Get more from New Scientist: Official website: https://bit.ly/NSYTHP Facebook: https://bit.ly/NSYTFB Twitter: https://bit.ly/NSYTTW Instagram: https://bit.ly/NSYTINSTA LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/NSYTLIN About New Scientist: New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human. New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/ 00:00 Introduction 00:54 Making the first brain organoid 01:52 What are brain organoids? 03:12 What makes our brains unique? 04:08 Modelling disease 07:01 Transplanting organoids into animals 10:41 Could we make full-sized brains? 13:19 Are brain organoids conscious? 15:21 Ethical guidelines.

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About New Scientist:
New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human.

New Scientist.

High-precision measurements reveal the energies of nuclear decays

Neutrinos are very common fundamental particles included in the Standard Model of particle physics. Measuring their properties allows for creating more accurate models of the birth of the universe, the life of stars and the interactions between fundamental particles. Some of the open questions include the absolute mass of the neutrino and whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles.

“The mass and the antiparticle nature of neutrinos can be studied by measuring the radioactive beta and double-beta decays of . There are likely some tens of suitable nuclei for such studies. The energy released in the decay, called the Q value, affects whether a nucleus can be used in the studies,” says Doctoral Researcher Jouni Ruotsalainen from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

The Door That Opens to Another Universe: The True Science Behind SCP-4357 “Slimelord”

What if a simple apartment door in Boston opened into another universe?
SCP-4357, also known as “Slimelord,” is one of the strangest and most human anomalies ever recorded — a hyperspatial discontinuity leading to a world of intelligent slug-like beings with philosophy, humor, and heartbreak.

In this speculative science essay, we explore what SCP-4357 means for physics, biology, and the idea of consciousness itself. How could life evolve intelligence in a sulfur-rich world? Why do these beings mirror human culture so closely? And what happens when curiosity crosses the line into exploitation?

Join us as we break down the science, ethics, and wonder behind one of the SCP Foundation’s most thought-provoking entries.

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🌌 Because somewhere out there, even the slugs have opinions on Kant.

The Nearest Alien Civilization Could Be 33,000 Light-Years Away

New research suggests that technological civilizations in the Milky Way are extremely rare, with the closest potentially 33,000 light-years away. According to new research presented at the EPSC–DPS2025 Joint Meeting in Helsinki, the nearest technological civilization in the Milky Way might be as

SCP-022 Explained: The Morgue That Breaks Science (Speculative Science Deep Dive)

SCP 22, known as The Morgue, is one of the most chilling and mysterious anomalies in the SCP Foundation archives. A simple hospital basement in Great Britain became the stage for an impossible phenomenon: cadavers rising without life, objects vanishing into nowhere, and a morgue that behaves less like a room and more like a machine.

In this speculative science deep dive, we explore SCP 22 through the lenses of biology, physics, and consciousness. Could these reanimated cadavers be powered by quantum vacuum energy? Is the morgue recycling entropy across dimensions? Or is it a misunderstood mechanism that uses humans as raw material for unknown purposes?

This essay-video blends science, philosophy, and horror to uncover the enigma of SCP 022.

If you enjoyed this video, leave a comment with your theory, subscribe for more speculative science essays, and share it with anyone who loves the SCP universe.

We Found a Loophole to Survive the End of the Universe

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Can we survive the heat death of the universe? One day, the last star will die, galaxies will dissolve, and black holes will evaporate. The universe becomes a cold, empty void where nothing happens.
Forever. But there might be a loophole that lets life keep going.

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Life on Mars? NASA discovers potential biosignatures in Martian mudstones

Data and images from NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover reveals that recently discovered rocks in Jezero crater are organic carbon bearing mudstones. The findings, detailed in a paper published in Nature, indicate that these mudstones experienced chemical processes that left behind colorful, enigmatic textures in the rock that represent potential biosignatures.

The paper, led by Joel Hurowitz, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University, builds upon ongoing research conducted with the rover since it landed in 2021 – work aimed at characterizing early Martian geological processes and collecting samples that may someday be returned to Earth.

Upon entering the Jezero crater’s western edge, Perseverance investigated distinctive mudstone outcrops of the Bright Angel formation. There, the Mars 2020 science team conducted a detailed geological, petrographic, and geochemical survey of these rocks and found traces of carbon matter along with minerals, namely ferrous iron phosphate and iron sulfide.

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