Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Using the Earth's magnetic field to hunt for axions and dark photons
Dark matter's existence is all but certain—astronomers believe it makes up about a quarter of the universe's total energy content—yet its true identity has elud...
Inflated confidence may not give children a learning advantage after all
Young children often overestimate what they can do. That overconfidence may help them approach challenges without fear, but it can also get them into trouble. C...
How hydrogen can be produced from bio-based formic acid in a continuous process
With annual production of around 1 million metric tons (1.1 million tons), formic acid is one of the most important basic chemicals and is used, among other thi...
Runaway supermassive black hole RBH-1 offers new way to reconstruct ancient merger
Black holes are fascinating regions in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, even light, can escape them. The largest known black holes, called superma...
Electric field reverses phonon chirality and spin direction in ferroelectric crystal
Chiral phonons are groups of atoms that move in a circular direction when excited by an energy source, such as heat. As the phonons move through a material, the...
Unprecedented biomass loss in Europe's forests since 2018
Using satellite data, researchers at TUM have identified an unprecedented loss of aboveground biomass in Europe's forests since 2018. Unlike previous studies th...
Whole-genome sequencing reveals that Japanese and Ryukyu wild boars share a common ancestor
The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is widely distributed across Eurasia and has also colonized the Japanese archipelago, where two subspecies are recognized: the Japane...
'Little red dots' may be pulsating monster stars that created early-universe black holes
Astronomers have speculated about the mysterious "little red dots" seen through the James Webb Space Telescope's images of the early universe: They could be gal...
Astronomers catch 'Hatchling' quasar breaking out of its dusty cocoon
Using observations from multiple powerful telescopes, a team of astronomers studied a red quasar nicknamed "the Hatchling" at redshift 3.7. They may have identi...
Zoo education strengthens people's connection to nature
Zoos offer people the opportunity to experience animals and engage with the natural world. Alongside recreation, they also play important roles in species conse...
Neanderthal growth hormone receptor increases muscle mass in people today, study shows
Neanderthals were generally more strongly built than most people living today. Their bones show signs of large muscles, and they had characteristic features suc...
Two origins of life: Free-living cells may have emerged twice as bacteria and archaea diverged
How and where did the first forms of life arise? These are the main questions driving research at the Institute of Molecular Evolution at Heinrich Heine Univers...