Jan 26th, 2026 - Solid-state batteries have significant advantages over lithium-ion batteries. Here's what stands in the way of mass production. Follow ZDNET:  Add us as a preferred source  on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways The other day, I reviewed a power bank with a solid-state battery at its core, rather than a lithium-ion battery. Solid-state batteries offer increased energy density, improved safety, and a longer lifespan. To demonstrate the improved safety profile, I opened the power bank and stabbed a screwdriver into a fully charged battery; apart from a few wisps of smoke, nothing happened. ... [Read More]

Jan 25th, 2026 - Using life-sized digital humans, researchers reveal how genital size subtly shapes attraction and rivalry, offering new insight into why human male anatomy is so evolutionarily distinctive. (A)  has the smallest values for penis size, height, and body shape (shoulder-to-hip ratio), Figure  (B)  has average values for each trait, and Figure  (C) has the largest values for each trait  Study: Experimental evidence that penis size, height, and body shape influence assessment of male sexual attractiveness and fighting ability in humans In a recent study published in the ... [Read More]

Jan 25th, 2026 - Inside the Largest Effort Ever to Save the Great Barrier Reef Australia is doing absolutely everything to protect its most iconic ecosystem—perhaps except the thing that matters most. Get your news from a source that's not owned and controlled by oligarchs. This story was originally published by   Vox and is reproduced here as part of the  Climate Desk   collaboration. "I just got a whiff," said Peter Harrison, a marine scientist, as he leaned over the edge of the boat and pointed his flashlight into the dark water. "It's really coming through now." It was shortly ... [Read More]

Jan 25th, 2026 - A thin, watery layer coating the surface of ice is what makes it slick. Despite a great deal of theorizing over the centuries, though, it isn't entirely clear why that layer forms. The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine . The reason we can gracefully glide on an ice-skating rink or clumsily slip on an icy sidewalk is that the surface of ice is coated by a thin watery layer. Scientists generally agree that this lubricating, liquidlike layer is what makes ice slippery. They disagree, though, about why the layer forms. Three main theories about the phenomenon have been ... [Read More]

Jan 25th, 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 Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Quick facts What it is: The Helix Nebula (also called NGC 7293 and Caldwell 63), a planetary nebula Where it is: 655 light-years away, in the constellation Aquarius When it was shared: Jan. 20, 2026 A spectacular new image of the Helix Nebula ... [Read More]

Jan 24th, 2026 - No Result View All Result No Result View All Result Motivation acts as a camera lens that shapes how memories form New research suggests that motivation acts less like a volume knob for effort and more like a camera lens that changes how the brain records events. A theoretical framework published in the Annual Review of Psychology proposes that distinct chemical signals in the brain create specific motivational "moods" that determine whether we remember the big picture or focused details. We often assume that being motivated simply means having the energy to pursue a goal. Psychologists have ... [Read More]

Jan 24th, 2026 - Rice University chemists replicated Thomas Edison's seminal experiment and found a surprising byproduct. Graphene is the thinnest material yet known, composed of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. That structure gives it many unusual properties that hold great promise for real-world applications: batteries, super capacitors, antennas, water filters, transistors, solar cells, and touchscreens, just to name a few. The physicists who first synthesized graphene in the lab won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics . But 19th century inventor Thomas Edison may have ... [Read More]

Jan 24th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Stonehenge rises from the plains of southern England and continues to puzzle scientists and visitors. One major question focuses on the origin of the bluestones, large rocks placed far from natural sources. One long-standing theory suggested thar massive ice sheets dragged stones across Britain during Ice Age periods. New research from Curtin University now offers strong scientific proof that human action, not moving ice, brought those stones to Stonehenge. Modern geological tools helped scientists test old ideas using evidence locked inside tiny mineral grains. The ... [Read More]