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Researchers solved the mystery of how soft lithium dendrites crack the hard ceramic inside solid-state batteries, triggering short circuits. The breakthrough could help engineers build safer, longer-lasting batteries for smartphones, electric vehicles, and other electronics.
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Scientists have identified new clues that could help astronomers spot one of the most famous hypothetical alien megastructures: a Dyson sphere. The study finds that red dwarfs and white dwarfs are the most promising stars to examine, since advanced civilizations could potentially build energy-harvesting swarms around them more easily. These objects would stand out by glowing in infrared light instead of visible light, lacking the dusty signatures of ordinary stars, and possibly flickering in unusual ways.
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A planet with one side permanently roasting and the other frozen in endless darkness might still have a chance of supporting life. Researchers found that heat inside a tidally locked exoplanet could circulate in a stable, continuous loop, helping moderate temperatures in certain regions. Their laboratory model suggests these worlds may be more hospitable than previously thought, despite their extreme surface conditions.
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A naturally occurring bacterium from amphibian intestines completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice with a single treatment by both attacking cancer cells and activating the immune system. The findings point to a promising new type of cancer therapy that could one day work against many solid tumors.
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Mount Etna has long puzzled geologists because it doesn't fit any of the three classic ways volcanoes are thought to form. A new study suggests it may instead be fueled by ancient pockets of magma that are pushed upward through cracks created by shifting tectonic plates. If confirmed, Etna could belong to a rare fourth category of volcano, revealing that much larger volcanoes can form through processes previously associated only with small submarine eruptions.
