EverythingScience

Possible 'superkilonova' exploded not once but twice When the most massive stars reach the ends of their lives, they blow up in spectacular supernova explosions, which seed the universe with heavy elements such as carbon and iron. Another type of explosion—the kilonova—occurs when a pair of dense dead stars, called neutron stars, smash together, forging even heavier elements such as gold and uranium. Such heavy elements are among the basic building blocks of stars and planets. So far, only one kilonova has been unambiguously confirmed to date, a historic event known as GW170817, which took place in 2017. In that case, two neutron stars smashed together, sending ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves, as well as light waves across the cosmos. The cosmic blast was detected in gravitational waves by the National Science Foundation's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and its European partner, the Virgo gravitational-wave detector, and in light waves by dozens of ground-based and space telescopes around the world. Now, astronomers are reporting evidence for a possible second kilonova event, but the case is not closed. In fact, this situation is much more complex because the candidate kilonova, named AT2025ulz, is thought to have stemmed from a supernova blast that went off hours before, ultimately obscuring astronomers' view. Source:Phys.org @EverythingScience

After mass violence, trauma spreads socially. Here are three ways you can help reduce it Source:Phys.org @EverythingScience

ESA & Andrea Luck released some amazing images of Phobos and Mars taken by Mars Express. In one frame you can see the moon agains the Martian surface between the Tharsis volcanoes and Noctis Labyrinthus–Valles Marineris. The second shows it near the limb of the planet. flickr.com/photos/1922712… Source: @DJSnM @EverythingScience

2025 Rewind ⏪ A year of new Earth observation missions, ensuring continuity for existing ones, and celebrating 50 years of esa. Source: @ESA_EO @EverythingScience

ADHD Isn’t Just a Deficit: New Study Reveals Powerful Psychological Strengths A new international study reports that adults with ADHD who are aware of their personal strengths and use them regularly tend to experience higher well-being, better quality of life, and fewer mental health problems. Scientists from the University of Bath, King’s College London, and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands conducted the first large-scale investigation designed to measure psychological strengths in adults with ADHD. Published in Psychological Medicine, the study compared 200 adults with ADHD and 200 adults without ADHD, examining how strongly participants identified with 25 positive characteristics. These traits included creativity, humor, spontaneity, and hyperfocus, which researchers described as “things [they] do well or best.” Although ADHD is commonly linked to difficulties such as impulsivity, forgetfulness, and inattention, the findings point to a different perspective by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and making use of individual strengths. Luca Hargitai, lead researcher from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, said: “These exciting findings give us an indication of which positive qualities may be tied to ADHD and thus can be considered ADHD-related strengths. It can be really empowering to recognize that, while ADHD is associated with various difficulties, it does have several positive aspects.” Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience

Today is the December solstice at 15:03 GMT/16:03 CET. This eumetsat MTG‑I1 image from 19 Dec 2025, 06:00 GMT, shows Earth’s day–night terminator tilted near its annual maximum of about 23.5°. Source: @esa @EverythingScience

Why Do Cats And Dogs Eat Grass? Source:IFLScience @EverythingScience

In the rainforests of the Congo Basin, elephants push through the brush, forming a network of trails that lead them to vital food and water sources. Source: @NatGeo @EverythingScience

Why Do Some Italians Live To 100? Turns Out, Centenarians Have More Hunter-Gatherer DNA Italians are known for their food, architecture, and longevity (among other things), with the Mediterranean diet often cited as a major contributor to an extensive lifespan. Yet new genetic research reveals that Italians who reach the age of 100 may in fact have their ancient hunter-gatherer DNA to thank. As in other southern European nations, the Italian population harbors genetic ancestry from multiple prehistoric groups, including Bronze Age herders from the Pontic-Caspian Steppes, Middle Eastern Neolithic farmers, and Mesolithic Western European Hunter-Gatherers (WHG). The latter of these replaced older European human populations following the Last Glacial Maximum, and is famously represented by a 14,000-year-old skeleton from Villabruna in Northern Italy. To find out how these ancient genetic influences shape longevity, researchers analyzed the genomes of 333 Italian centenarians and 690 healthy controls from around the country. They then compared these with 103 ancient genomes encapsulating the last 20,000 years of European genetic ancestry. Reporting their findings, the study authors write that their analyses “revealed a significant positive association between WHG ancestry and the centenarian status,” and that “centenarians [consistently] exhibited significantly higher WHG ancestry proportions compared to the baseline expectation.” Tellingly, no other ancient genetic ancestries displayed any associated with long life, and those over the age of 100 were found to carry a significantly higher number of WHG-related mutations than less durable individuals. Exactly what all this means, however, is open to interpretation, as lifespan is known to be shaped by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. Clearly, though, Western Hunter-Gatherer DNA appears to play a role in enabling some Italians to celebrate their 100th birthday. Source:IFLScience @EverythingScience

New quantum antenna reveals a hidden terahertz world A research team from the Faculty of Physics and the Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies at the Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw has introduced a new way to measure hard-to-detect terahertz signals using a "quantum antenna." In their work, the scientists applied an innovative radio wave detection setup based on Rydberg atoms that not only senses terahertz radiation, but also accurately calibrates a so-called frequency comb in this part of the spectrum. Until recently, the terahertz range was considered a blank area in the electromagnetic spectrum, and the method reported in the journal Optica opens the door to extremely sensitive spectroscopy and a new class of room-temperature quantum sensors. Terahertz (THz) radiation, being part of the electromagnetic spectrum, lies at the boundary of electronics and optics, positioned between microwaves (used, for example, in Wi-Fi) and infrared. Although it holds immense potential for applications that include inspecting packages without harmful X-rays, superspeed 6G communication, and spectroscopy and imaging of organic compounds, turning this potential into precise and sensitive measurements has been technically very difficult. In the past few years, scientists have made major strides in both generating and detecting terahertz radiation, yet until now they had not been able to measure a frequency comb in this region with the required precision. Source:ScienceDaily @EverythingScience

SPHEREx has completed its first all-sky map in 102 infrared colors! These images will help scientists understand “the big picture” of how the universe formed, how galaxies have changed over time, and how the key ingredients for life are distributed. The infrared observatory circles the Earth, taking 3600 images per day along one strip of the sky. As the planet moves around the Sun, SPHEREx's field of view shifts so that, in six months, the observatory creates a 360-degree mosaic that covers the entire sky, like this! Source: @NASAJPL @EverythingScience

Quantum Computing Breakthrough Shrinks Key Device to 100x Smaller Than a Human Hair Researchers have achieved an important step forward in quantum computing by developing a device so small that it is almost 100 times thinner than a human hair. The advance, reported in the journal Nature Communications, centers on a new type of optical phase modulator designed to precisely control lasers. This capability is critical for future quantum computers, which will rely on thousands or even millions of qubits—the basic units of quantum information—to perform complex calculations. A key part of the achievement is how the devices are made. Instead of relying on specialized, hand-built components, the researchers used scalable manufacturing methods similar to those behind the processors found in computers, phones, vehicles, and home appliances—virtually everything powered by electricity (even toasters). The work was led by Jake Freedman, an incoming PhD student in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, alongside Matt Eichenfield, a professor and the Karl Gustafson Endowed Chair in Quantum Engineering. They collaborated with researchers from Sandia National Laboratories, including co-senior author Nils Otterstrom, to create a device that combines an extremely small footprint with strong performance while remaining affordable to produce at large scale. The chip operates by generating microwave-frequency vibrations that oscillate billions of times per second, which are used to control laser light with exceptional accuracy. By harnessing these rapid vibrations, the device can precisely adjust the phase of a laser beam and generate new laser frequencies with high stability and efficiency. These capabilities are considered essential for advancing quantum computing, as well as emerging applications in quantum sensing and quantum networking. Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience