Mar 6th, 2026 - There's a worrying problem with the ' Higgs field ' – the energy field that gives particles their mass. It seems to be dangerously close to having an inherent instability. In the absence of particles, the Higgs field has a background, non-zero 'vacuum energy'. Scientists have found that this may not be the absolute minimum energy of the Higgs field, however, but merely an energy 'trough' instead.  An analogy would be a ball rolling down a hill, but getting trapped in a crater on its way. The ball is stable in the crater, but hasn't attained its minimum energy by reaching the ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - It's one of the weirdest things in the ant world. In the hidden chambers of Japanese forests, a rebellion has been unfolding for decades. Scientists have now confirmed that one rare ant has broken almost every rule of ant society.  The species, Temnothorax kinomurai , doesn't bother with males. It doesn't even produce workers. Every single individual is a queen. Instead of building its own workforce, this ant invades the nests of others and turns the resident workers into unwilling caretakers. For more than 40 years, researchers suspected this species might operate in such an extreme ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Live Science Newsletter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - The dream of a hexagonal diamond can soon become a reality. This claim has been backed by a study published in Nature . In the study, researchers from China shared how a "millimeter-sized, phase-pure hexagonal diamond" can be synthesized by uniquely compressing graphite at elevated temperatures. This is not the first time experts have come up with methods of creating hexagonal diamonds, but this one seems to be the strongest of the lot to date. The team confirmed that the resultant product's structure was hexagonal with minimal defects, using X-rays and atomic-scale microscopes. The diamond ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - The neutral-atom quantum computing company, co-founded by Nobel laureate Alain Aspect, has announced a business combination with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II, with the deal expected to close in the second half of 2026. When Alain Aspect shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2022, the citation concerned experiments performed decades earlier, precise measurements of quantum entanglement that definitively showed that the universe operates according to principles that defy classical intuition. The science was old. The commercial applications were just beginning. Aspect co-founded Pasqal in ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - The 55 pilot whales, which had to be euthanised, had been following a female having a difficult birth, scientists believe The mass stranding and death of 55 whales on the Isle of Lewis in 2023 was caused by the mammals' loyalty to their pod, a report has concluded. It had been thought that the unusually large incident on Tràigh Mhòr beach, Tolsta, could have been caused by trauma, disease or acoustic disturbance from military or industrially generated noise. However, the report , from the Scottish government's Marine Directorate, cited "a convergence of biological, behavioural ... [Read More]

Mar 6th, 2026 - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel to shore Friday after the ship sought assistance while anchored outside the country's waters, as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a U.S. submarine. Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 204 sailors of the IRIS Bushehr were brought to the Welisara Naval Base near the capital, Colombo. They underwent border control procedures and medical tests, but none were found to have health issues. About 15 others have been left ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - Sri Lanka has taken control of an Iranian naval vessel off its coast, a day after the US sank an Iranian warship in the same waters, in an attack that killed at least 87 people. The vessel, the Irins Bushehr, had requested on Wednesday to dock at one of Sri Lanka's ports as one of its engines had malfunctioned. Some 208 members of the vessel have been evacuated. Sri Lanka allowed it to dock at a north-eastern port after hours of discussion, with its president saying they would "never hesitate to protect humanity". The South Asian country has stressed its neutrality, saying it would take no ... [Read More]