Latest articles by Ben Turner
Scientists detect most massive black hole merger ever — and it birthed a monster 225 times as massive as the sun
New gravitational wave findings from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration report the discovery of the largest black hole merger ever. It could lead to evidence of an extremely rare type of black hole.
100 undiscovered galaxies may be orbiting the Milky Way, supercomputer simulations hint
Our Milky Way could have many more satellite galaxies than we've detected so far. They're just too faint to be seen.
Antarctic sea ice collapse linked to a mysterious spike in ocean salt
Satellite imagery has revealed a yet-to-be-explained rise in the Southern Ocean's salinity. It could be a key factor in the decline of the region's sea ice.
Scientist's cat helps discover a rare virus — yet again
Pepper the cat, whose owner works at the University of Florida, gathered a specimen containing a never-before-seen virus for the second time.
Echoes from the Big Bang suggest Earth is trapped inside a giant cosmic void, scientists claim
Astronomers claim to have found new evidence supporting a controversial observation that our galaxy is residing in an unusually sparse region in space. If it's correct, it could rewrite cosmology.
Melting glaciers could trigger volcanic eruptions around the globe, study finds
Glacial melt could increase volcanic activity in North America, New Zealand and Russia, spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Scientists transform pee into material fit for medical implants
A new method for chemically altering human urine could be used for producing medical implants and construction materials, scientists claim.
RFK's proposal to let bird flu spread through poultry could set us up for a pandemic, experts warn
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins have expressed interest in letting H5N1 outbreaks spread unchecked through U.S. poultry farms. Health experts warn it could lead to a new pandemic.
'A completely new phenomenon': Astronomers spot a planet causing its star to constantly explode
Astronomers have spotted an alien planet orbiting so closely to its home star, the planet's magnetic field is triggering massive solar flares to erupt. This is the first time a planet has been seen influencing its host star.
First-ever evidence of star 'double detonation' captured in stunning image
An explosion captured in a new image could help astronomers to better understand the "standard candles" at the center of a major cosmological mystery.
World's oldest rocks could shed light on how life emerged on Earth — and potentially beyond
The rocks could offer insight into Earth's primordial crust and the environment that gave birth to life.
Scientists discover rare planet at the edge of the Milky Way using space-time phenomenon predicted by Einstein
Using gravitational microlensing, scientists have discovered a rare, large planet at the edge of the Milky Way. The planet is only the third to be found on the outskirts of our galaxy's dense central bulge.
James Webb telescope discovers its first planet — a Saturn-size 'shepherd' still glowing red hot from its formation
Nestled inside a planetary ring 110 light-years from Earth, a planet spotted by the James Webb telescope is the lightest exoplanet ever detected.
Humanity could be just 3 years away from crossing a dire climate threshold, report warns
Record carbon emissions mean that the planet's carbon budget could be exceeded in as little as three years, according to a new report.
DARPA smashes wireless power record, beaming energy more than 5 miles away — and uses it to make popcorn
The feat has significant applications for military purposes and space-based solar power.
SpaceX's Starship explodes on Texas launch pad in 'catastrophic failure' during routine test
SpaceX's Starship 36 underwent a "catastrophic failure" on the stand at its Texas launch site, but the latest setback is unlikely to dent the company's ambitions.
Advanced AI reasoning models generate up to 50 times more carbon dioxide than common LLMs
Asking AI reasoning models questions in areas such as algebra or philosophy caused carbon dioxide emissions to spike significantly.
'People thought this couldn't be done': Scientists observe light of 'cosmic dawn' with a telescope on Earth for the first time ever
For the first time, astronomers have used a ground-based telescope to observe polarized microwave light from the universe's earliest epoch. Their observations could give them a better understanding of how the universe evolved.
Cutting-edge AI models from OpenAI and DeepSeek undergo 'complete collapse' when problems get too difficult, study reveals
A new study by Apple has ignited controversy in the AI field by showing how reasoning models undergo 'complete accuracy collapse' when overloaded with complex problems.
AI analysis suggests Dead Sea Scrolls are older than scientists thought, but not all experts are convinced
An AI analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include texts from the Hebrew Bible, could mean they were composed earlier than experts thought.
Elon Musk threatens to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft after Trump feud. What does it mean for the US space industry?
A war of words between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump could lead to significant fallout for U.S.-led space exploration.
'Meth is what makes you able to do your job': AI can push you to relapse if you're struggling with addiction, study finds
In rare cases where users are vulnerable to psychological manipulation, chatbots consistently learn the best ways to exploit them, a new study has revealed.
Long, dark 'streaks' spotted on Mars aren't what scientists thought
A set of dark streaks that regularly wind across the Martian surface are more likely to be formed by dust and wind than by water, a new artificial intelligence analysis has revealed.
