Physicists say they have found the strongest evidence yet for a glueball, a particle made entirely of force. Unlike ordinary particles, a glueball contains no matter. It is built only from gluons, the carriers of the strong nuclear force that hold atomic nuclei together. The candidate particle was spotted in data from high-energy particle collisions. Researchers compared the mass and decay patterns of an observed particle with theoretical predictions. If confirmed, the discovery would settle a decades-old question in physics and deepen our understanding of how matter holds together.
Astronomers have released the largest two-dimensional map of the universe ever created. The map charts nearly 4 billion stars, galaxies, and other objects across about 75% of the sky. It was built as part of the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which combined data from telescopes in the United States and Chile. The map is free to view online through the Legacy Survey Sky Viewer. Researchers say it could help scientists find gravitational lenses, supernovae, and new clues about dark matter and dark energy. The map also gives other telescopes a detailed guide for where to point. Astronomers called the release a milestone for public science, since anyone with an internet connection can now explore a large slice of the cosmos.
A total solar eclipse swept across Europe on August 12, the first to cross the continent in decades. Millions watched as the moon blocked the sun along a path that stretched from the Arctic toward the Mediterranean. Cities along the path filled with visitors, and eclipse glasses sold out in many places. Scientists used the rare moments of totality to study the sun's corona and its magnetic field, hoping to learn what triggers solar flares and storms that can disrupt satellites and power grids. Observers in remote spots, such as cliffside islands, gained a few extra seconds of darkness. The next total eclipse visible from much of Europe will not come for years.
Astronomers using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii have detected small swirling plasma vortices on the surface of the sun for the first time. The whirlpool-like patterns, known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, appear at the edges of magnetic field concentrations in the photosphere. Researchers believe these vortices mix plasma and may transport energy into the sun's million-degree corona, helping explain why the outer atmosphere is far hotter than the surface. The team combined the highest-resolution images of the sun ever taken with computer simulations. The findings were published in the journal Nature on August 5, 2026.
Researchers trained an artificial intelligence model on large libraries of DNA and asked it to design viral genomes. Sixteen of the designs produced working viruses in the lab, creating pathogens not known to exist in nature. The team says the work could help scientists prepare for future outbreaks and speed up the discovery of treatments for drug-resistant bacteria. Some of the viruses created in the study infect bacteria rather than human cells. Safety experts are divided, with some praising the research and others warning about biosecurity risks. The study adds to a growing debate over AI's power to design biological agents. The researchers say they followed existing guidelines and shared the work with safety reviewers before publication.
Astronomers using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii have detected tiny plasma vortices on the sun's surface for the first time. The swirls, long suspected but never seen, could help explain how energy travels into the sun's million-degree corona. The telescope captured the highest-resolution image of the solar surface ever recorded, taken at a wavelength of 416 nanometers. The image shows deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine stripes linked to a process called Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The finding may shed light on why the corona is far hotter than the sun's surface.
Researchers in China have built a tiny nanoreactor that mimics living cells to produce hydrogen peroxide from sunlight and water. The hollow structure uses a light-trapping cavity and a proton-relay shell to drive the reaction with visible light alone. The team reports a production rate of 3.24 millimoles per gram of catalyst per hour and says a recyclable hydrogel version works steadily under outdoor sunlight. Hydrogen peroxide is widely used in bleaching, disinfection and water treatment. The work, from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, points toward cleaner chemical manufacturing without fossil fuels.
NASA engineers have given Voyager 2 another year of life by turning off one of its science instruments and redirecting the saved power. The spacecraft, launched in 1977, is running low on electricity as its radioactive power source decays. The maneuver, which engineers called the 'Big Bang' because a failure could end the mission, succeeded after days of silence, and the probe is back in contact. Voyager 2 is more than 20 billion kilometers from Earth, exploring interstellar space. Its twin, Voyager 1, is in worse shape and may soon have to shut down more systems. The success raises hope that the 50-year-old mission can keep sending data for years to come.
NASA's Curiosity rover has found the largest patch of polygon-shaped ground fractures it has ever seen on Mars. The terrain lies in Valle Grande, a valley on the lower slopes of Mount Sharp inside Gale Crater. Polygon fractures form when wet ground dries and shrinks, and similar patterns appear in mud on Earth. The discovery adds to evidence that water once shaped this part of Mars and could help scientists understand how the planet's climate changed over billions of years. The rover team plans detailed studies of the site in the coming weeks. Curiosity has been exploring Gale Crater since 2012.
A specially engineered chewing gum reduced HPV levels in the mouth by up to 93 percent and nearly eliminated two bacteria linked to head and neck cancer, according to a new study. The gum contains a plant protein that traps the virus and harmful bacteria, which are then swallowed and destroyed in the stomach. Unlike mouthwashes, the treatment left beneficial mouth bacteria untouched. Most HPV infections clear on their own, but persistent infections can lead to cancers of the throat, mouth, and cervix. Researchers said the gum could offer a low-cost option for people already infected, especially where vaccines are hard to get. Larger trials are needed before the gum reaches the market.