This week's science news featured some surprising innovations, including the development of a new type of quantum processor. Lasts 15x longer than what Google and IBM use.
Manufactured from the rare earth element tantalum, this processor is an important step toward stable quantum computing. But scientists must overcome significant challenges, including the processor's millisecond decoherence time and tantalum's extreme rarity.
Saying goodbye to Comet 3I/ATLAS
3I/ATLAS passed its closest approach to Earth this week and is now set to leave our cosmic neighborhood for good.
Since it was discovered in July, Comet 3I/AtlasThe way it zooms in behind the Sun has amazed astronomers and skywatchers alike. It got bright quickly, erupted as a cryovolcano and changed color many times While shedding the skin highly irradiated coma.
The comet, which can be up to several miles wide and up to 7 billion years old, is currently hurtling at 130,000 miles per hour (210,000 kilometers per hour) on its way out of the solar system.
But that doesn't mean this is the last we'll hear about this interstellar object, sparking feverish speculation surrounding it.incredibly suspicious) Alien origins. 3I/ATLAS is scheduled to leave the solar system after passing Pluto in 2029, giving scientists and spacecraft plenty of time to observe Pluto.
More space news
—NASA's Parker Solar Probe mapped the invisible part of the sun during its most active moments
—'We were surprised': Scientists using the James Webb telescope may have discovered the oldest supernova in the known universe
—Final data from groundbreaking cosmology telescope reveals 30 models of the universe were wrong
…Or should we say goodbye for now?
Or can we track 3I/ATLAS before it leaves the solar system? It may sound far-fetched, but some scientists are hoping to send a probe to the comet before it leaves.
Doing so will not only reveal further clues about how comets form, but also help us figure out whether we are alone in the universe, Live Science reveals in this fascinating Science Spotlight.
life's little mysteries
Turtles' bodies are protected by hard shells, which vary tremendously depending on the species. But how did these natural armors evolve in the first place? And can turtles really do it? hide one's head in one's shell?
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Puma eating penguin shows strange behavioral changes
Puma's strange behavior (puma conqueror) Monte León National Park in Argentina's Patagonia highlighted the surprising ramifications of conservation efforts this week. Mountain lions were driven out of the area by shepherds in the 20th century, but the apex predator returned when the national park was established in 2004.
So far typical, but scientists were surprised after a mountain lion targeted a colony of about 40,000 Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) took root in their absence. After eating the penguin, the mountain lions began to tolerate each other more than usual.
This new behavior suggests that restoring wild animals in altered habitats does more than just reset the clock, it creates entirely new behaviors and ecosystems.
More animal news
—Polar bears in southern Greenland are 'using jump genes to rapidly rewrite their DNA' to survive melting sea ice
—Scientists have finally decoded the vampire squid's giant genome, revealing the secret of its 'living fossil'
—Giant crocodile Cassius dies from sepsis after 40 years of latent infection ruptures from abscess, autopsy reveals
Also featured in this week's science news
—Research reveals that lava debris on the ocean floor acts as a carbon dioxide 'sponge'
—Brain scan reveals 'dial' to prevent getting lost
—Oldest evidence of father-daughter incest found in 3,700-year-old bones in Italy
—Research suggests the time of day you receive cancer treatment is important
science spotlight
Artificial intelligence models are making steady progress in deciphering increasingly difficult mathematical problems, but will they soon surpass humans in deciphering the most difficult unresolved conjectures, or is it just all the hype? Live Science spoke to some of the world's best mathematicians to find out.
something for the weekend
If you're looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best crosswords, skywatching guides and opinion articles published this week.
—Live Science Crossword Puzzle #23: Distance around the edge of a circle — 6 below [Crossword]
—2025 Urids meteor shower: When and where to see shooting stars on the longest night of the year [Skywatching]
—'This has rewritten our understanding of Roman concrete production': Abandoned Pompeii workshops reveal how to make self-healing concrete [Opinion]
Science in pictures
This week's science photos show one of the most powerful and longest-lasting cosmic explosions ever detected. A seven-hour explosion ripped from a dying star at 99% the speed of light.
The phenomenon, called GRB 250702B, is the longest-lasting gamma-ray burst ever recorded and could have been caused by a supernova explosion, a star torn apart by a black hole, or the merger of a black hole and a helium star.
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