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Gravitational wave analysis confirms theory of merging black holes

Ten years after scientists first detected gravitational waves emerging from two colliding black holes, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, a research team that includes Columbia astronomy professor Maximiliano Isi, has recorded a signal from a nearly identical black hole collision.

Improvements in the allowed the researchers to see the black holes almost four times as clearly as they could a decade ago, and to confirm two important predictions: That merging black holes only ever grow or remain stable in size—as the late physicist Stephen Hawking predicted—and that, when disturbed, they ring like a bell, as predicted by Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

“This unprecedentedly clear signal of the black hole merger known as GW250114 puts to the test some of our most important conjectures about black holes and gravitational waves,” Isi said.

Color-changing strip enables affordable nanoplastic analysis using ordinary microscope

A joint team from the University of Stuttgart in Germany and the University of Melbourne in Australia has developed a new method for the straightforward analysis of tiny nanoplastic particles in environmental samples. One needs only an ordinary optical microscope and a newly developed test strip—the optical sieve. The research results have now been published in Nature Photonics.

“The test strip can serve as a simple analysis tool in environmental and health research,” explains Prof. Harald Giessen, Head of the 4th Physics Institute of the University of Stuttgart. “In the near future, we will be working toward analyzing concentrations directly on site. But our new method could also be used to test blood or tissue for nanoplastic particles.”

Plastic waste is one of the central and acute global problems of the 21st century. It not only pollutes oceans, rivers, and beaches but has also been detected in living organisms in the form of microplastics. Until now, environmental scientists have focused their attention on larger plastic residues.

“1,800 Miles Beneath Africa”: South Atlantic Anomaly Weakens Earth’s Magnetic Shield While Splitting Into Two Dangerous Lobes

The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is an area of scientific fascination and concern. This region, characterized by a weakened magnetic field over South America

Galimedix starts phase 2 fundraise after oral Alzheimer’s candidate clears safety test

Maryland-based biotech Galimedix Therapeutics is ready to take a big swing on its oral Alzheimer’s disease candidate after no serious adverse events were reported and the small molecule successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier in a phase 1 trial.

The first-ever clinical trial for GAL-101 tested single and multiple ascending doses of the asset in more than 100 healthy volunteers, Galimedix reported in a Sept. 12 release. The company is now initiating fundraising for a phase 2 trial.

Mini microscope enables real-time 3D brain imaging in freely moving mice

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have created a miniaturized microscope for real-time, high-resolution, noninvasive imaging of brain activity in mice. The device is a significant step toward revolutionizing how neuroscientists study the brain.

“What we are doing is creating technology to image brain activity in freely moving and behaving mice to open up the behavior paradigm,” said Weijian Yang, professor of electrical and computer engineering. “The goal is to create a device capable of enabling research into brain activity and behavior in mice in real time—to see how brain activity drives behavior or perception.”

The microscope will advance insights into how the brain works, which is expected to benefit human health by empowering the development of new and improved therapeutic strategies for brain disorders.

For the First Time in 40 Years, Panama’s Ocean Lifeline Has Vanished

Panama’s seasonal upwelling collapsed in 2025, linked to reduced winds. The event signals risks for fisheries and climate-sensitive ocean processes. The annual phenomenon of upwelling in the Gulf of Panama failed to occur in 2025 for the first time on record. A team of scientists from the Smithso

Scientists develop ‘full-spectrum’ 6G chip that could transfer data at 100 gigabits per second — 10,000 times faster than 5G

But now, researchers have integrated the entire wireless spectrum covering nine radio-frequency (RF) bands — from 0.5 to 110 GHz — into a chip measuring just 0.07 by 0.43 inches (1.7 by 11 millimeters).

The new chip is also capable of achieving a data transmission rate of more than 100 gigabits per second, including on low bands used in rural areas, where speeds can be notoriously slow. Communication also remained stable across the entire spectrum, the researchers found. They revealed their research in a study published Aug. 27 in the journal Nature.

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