Mar 17th, 2026 - Reading time 3 minutes This summer, the world's most powerful particle collider will go into hibernation. But before that, it's delivering some last-minute discoveries: the common proton's weightier sibling. In a statement today, CERN's Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) Collaboration—the Swiss institution's specialty unit in matter-antimatter research —announced the discovery of an entirely new particle, a heavy proton-like particle with two charm quarks. Compared to an ordinary proton, the particle, named Xi-cc-plus, is about four times heavier and very unstable, lasting ... [Read More]

Mar 17th, 2026 - By A bright yellow spider as large as a human hand is rapidly spreading across the United States. It spins golden webs between power lines, atop stoplights, and even over gas station pumps — but should you be worried? Let's explore. The Joro spider, or , is native to Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan and is also found in other parts of Asia. It was first spotted in the U.S. in 2013 in northern Georgia, according to University of Georgia researchers. Since then, it has spread across the Southeast and is now pushing past Mississippi. According to Joro Watch , the spiders have been seen in ... [Read More]

Mar 17th, 2026 - From Viking heritage to the birth of Denmark and its conversion to Christianity, a trip from Jutland to Zealand reveals a wealth of history 4-MIN READ Once upon a time, there was a Viking king. He prayed to Thor, Odin and Freya, and ruled over a land that did not have an official name in the year 950. Being imaginative as well as influential, he commissioned a stone ‌to celebrate his centre of power in Jelling. It was inscribed in runes, translating to "King Gorm made these runes in honour of his wife Thyra, the pride of Denmark". With this sentence on the Great Jelling Stone, he not ... [Read More]

Mar 17th, 2026 - The UK government has committed to investing £1bn over the next four years to enable the country to win the race to deliver quantum computing at scale . The funding is made up of over £500m dedicated to helping quantum computing companies scale and develop uses for the technology in areas such as pharmaceuticals, financial services and energy. Over £400m of the overall funding is targeted to support breakthroughs in sensing and navigation, and the skills and infrastructure needed to bring these technologies to market. Dedicated funding of ... [Read More]

Mar 16th, 2026 - Quantum computing is no longer a technology of the future. Its ecosystem is being built now, and states that make meaningful investments early in quantum's mainstream development will reap the rewards. Quantum computing is an emerging class of advanced computing that complements classical supercomputers and AI accelerators, enabling new capabilities for certain scientific, industrial and national security applications when tightly integrated with high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. After years of being described as a distant research effort, quantum technologies are entering an ... [Read More]

Mar 16th, 2026 - It's far from clear if the weather is planning to cooperate, but spring arrives — technically, at least — Friday. The vernal equinox arrives on Friday, marking the start of the spring season for the Northern Hemisphere and the fall in the Southern Hemisphere. On the equator, the sun will be directly overhead at noon. Equinoxes are the only times when both the North and South poles are lit by sunshine at the same time. Equinoxes have been marked and celebrated around the world for centuries. In Japan, for example, Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday. At the Mayan site Chichen ... [Read More]

Mar 16th, 2026 - First of all, don't panic. The first warm days of spring don't just draw gardeners out into the sunshine. Snakes also come out of hibernation to enjoy the warmth, search for food, and find a mate. While they like to bask on a warm driveway, it's not uncommon to find them slithering through your garden or curled up under the shrubs in your flower beds. If you do see a snake in your garden , don't panic. Snakes tend to trigger fear. It's easy to see why when their bodies can take up the length of your flower bed and their camouflage keeps them well hidden. But these reptiles do have some ... [Read More]

Mar 16th, 2026 - Cambodia has reported a new human case of H5N1 bird flu in a woman, the country's second confirmed case so far this year. confirmed the case on Saturday in a 45-year-old woman from Ropai Village in Banteay Meanchey Province, near the Thailand border. She was hospitalized and is under close medical care. The woman told health officials she raised chickens and ducks and had handled some that died. Officials also said there were reports of dead chickens and ducks in the village. Officials are collecting samples from individuals who had contact with the patient. Close contacts are being treated ... [Read More]