Our universe is filled with galaxies, in all directions as far as our instruments can see. Some researchers estimate that there are as many as 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. At first glance, these galaxies might appear to be randomly scattered across space, but they’re not. Careful mapping has shown that they are distributed across the surfaces of giant cosmic “bubbles” up to several hundred million light-years across. Inside these bubbles, few galaxies are found, so those regions are called cosmic voids. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will allow us to measure these voids with new precision, which can tell us about the history of the universe’s expansion.

“Roman’s ability to obse...

Scientists have discovered a way to efficiently transfer electrical current through specific materials at room temperature, a finding that could revolutionize superconductivity and reshape energy preservation and generation.

The paper is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

The much-sought-after breakthrough hinges on applying high pressure to certain materials, forcing their electrons closer together and unlocking extraordinary electronic behaviors.

“Our research explores how electrons interact inside solid materials—interactions that give rise to remarkable phenomena such as high-temperature superconductivity and charge-density waves (CDWs),” said Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiez, associate professor of physics at the University of Sharjah.

“These effects are impo...

Theobromine is found in cocoa and, to a lesser extent, coffee. It is chemically similar to caffeine but does not have such a pronounced stimulant effect.

A new study, published in the journal Aging, measured levels of this compound in people’s blood.

They found that those with the highest levels had epigenetic markers associated with slower biological aging.

But what is theobromine?
Theobromine is a bioactive phytochemical, meaning that it comes from a plant, and it can influence human physiology.

The primary sources of theobromine in the human diet are chocolate and, to a lesser extent, coffee.

This compound is a major component of cocoa beans, comprising around 3.3% by weight. It is molecularly similar to caffeine and shares some of its effects.

However, experts c...

Rocky planets like our Earth may be far more common than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances. It suggests that when our solar system formed, a nearby supernova (the massive explosion of a star near the end of its life) bathed it in cosmic rays containing the radioactive ingredients to make rocky, dry worlds. This mechanism could be ubiquitous across the galaxy.

Earth-like planets are thought to form from planetesimals (objects made of rock and ice) that were dried out early in the solar system’s history...