Scientists find an explanation for odd-ball, water-rich exoplanets: They make their own water

Scientists find an explanation for oddball, water-rich exoplanets: they make their own water
Laser-heated diamond-anvil cell experiments on silicate melts in a hydrogen medium. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09630-7

As more and more exoplanets are discovered throughout the galaxy, scientists find some that defy explanation—at least for awhile. A new study, published in Nature, describes a process that might explain why a large portion of exoplanets have water on their surface, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Water where it shouldn’t be
A particular category of exoplanets that are between the size of Earth and Neptune, referred to as “sub-Neptunes,” generally have a rocky core, which is surrounded by an envelope of either hydrogen or water...

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Bisphenol A causes sex-specific changes in metabolism and the immune system, study reveals

Close-up of a can of crushed tomatoes being opened.

Even small amounts of bisphenol A can lead to long-term health effects. When researchers studied adult rats exposed in the fetal stage, they found that females had developed a more masculine and males a more feminine gene expression pattern. This led to females progressing towards a cancer-like state, while males progressed towards metabolic syndrome, which can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Bisphenol A is a synthetic chemical with estrogen-like properties that is commonly used in food packaging materials. The substance is banned in many products, but is still present in some packaging. Levels of bisphenol A in people’s bodies are often above levels considered safe, with previous research showing that the substance can cause adverse health effects.

Females masc...

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Artificial neurons replicate biological function for improved computer chips

Artificial neurons developed by USC team replicate biological function for improved computer chips
An integrated spiking artificial neuron, with rich neuron functionality, single-transistor footprints, and low energy consumption for neuromorphic computing systems, can be created by stacking one diffusive memristor and one resistor on top of a transistor. The photograph on the cover shows the chip of an array of these integrated neurons, which are fabricated in the university’s cleanroom and have an active region of around 4 μm2 for each neuron. Credit: The Yang Lab at USC

Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Advanced Computing have developed artificial neurons that replicate the complex electrochemical behavior of biological brain cells.

The innovation, documented in Nature Electronics, is a leap forward in neuromorphic computing technology...

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The Red Spider Nebula, caught by Webb

The Red Spider Nebula, caught by Webb
A large planetary nebula. The nebula’s central star is hidden by a blotchy pinkish cloud of dust. A strong red light radiates from this area, illuminating the nearby dust. Two large loops extend diagonally away from the center, formed of thin ridges of molecular gas, here colored blue. They stretch out to the corners of the view. A huge number of bright, whitish stars cover the background, also easily visible through the thin dust layers. Credit: European Space Agency

This new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month features a cosmic creepy-crawly called NGC6537—the Red Spider Nebula. Using its Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam), Webb has revealed never-before-seen details in this picturesque planetary nebula with a rich backdrop of thousands of stars.

Planetary ne...

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