Friday, August 14, 2026

Newsdesk — page 7 | CountOn2 News

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Newsdesk

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Technology

This tiny gold crystal could bring quantum technology out of the deep freeze

Scientists have created the first quantum material that can sort and transport different quantum states of light at room temperature, potentially removing the need for bulky, ultra-cold refrigeration systems. Built from a gold film carved with hundreds of microscopic structures, the ultrathin “metacrystal” acts like a filter that directs different kinds of quantum light along separate paths while preserving the information they carry.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20266 min read

Technology

UCLA scientists discover how to guide heat like light at room temperature

Scientists have demonstrated that heat can move through a crystal in focused, wave-like rays at room temperature instead of spreading randomly. The breakthrough could make it possible to route heat around sensitive parts of next-generation chips and quantum devices.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20263 min read

Technology

The key to colonizing Mars may be hidden inside asteroids

Metal-rich asteroids could one day become hardware stores for Mars, supplying the materials needed to build and repair a growing colony. A new analysis shows that carefully selected asteroids may be reachable with current spacecraft technology. Some could even provide the ingredients for making rocket fuel in space, dramatically reducing the burden of hauling supplies from Earth.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20263 min read

Technology

Scientists tracked 12 people in Antarctica for 10 months—what happened could shape future Mars missions

A ten-month Antarctic experiment found that astronauts may struggle not only with loneliness but also with spending too much time around the same people. Frequent contact was linked to greater tension and mistrust, while the crew increasingly divided into cultural and language-based groups.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20262 min read

Technology

New fuel cell breakthrough could help power energy-hungry data centers

A new nanostructured carbon design lets fuel-cell catalysts use tiny amounts of platinum while remaining remarkably stable and efficient. The breakthrough could help hydrogen fuel cells become a more practical way to power data centers, vehicles, and other energy-intensive technologies.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20265 min read

Technology

Sunlight creates quantum entanglement once thought to require lasers

Scientists have generated quantum entanglement directly from sunlight, potentially offering a lower-energy alternative to the lasers normally used in quantum technology. Their outdoor experiment produced entangled photons with about 94% similarity to an ideal state. The result could pave the way for simpler quantum satellites, secure communications, and more energy-efficient quantum computing.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20264 min read

Technology

Meteorite that smashed through a New Jersey roof reveals clues to life’s origins

A rare meteorite that crashed through a New Jersey roof contains evidence of ancient salty fluids, organic compounds, and amino acids from a primitive asteroid. Its pristine chemistry could offer new clues about how space rocks helped supply early Earth with some of the ingredients needed for life.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20265 min read

Technology

Chemists set electrons free and break a decades-old chemistry barrier

Chemists have developed a catalyst that breaks a long-standing rule governing which molecules receive electrons during chemical reactions. By releasing electrons directly into solution, the technique could unlock reactions—and potentially useful new molecules—that were previously out of reach.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20263 min read

Technology

The sun is covered in tiny whirlpools we’ve never seen before

Scientists have discovered incredibly tiny plasma whirlpools swirling across the Sun’s surface, some just 20 kilometers wide. These previously invisible vortices may twist magnetic fields and help build up the energy released in small solar eruptions called nanoflares. They may also help magnetic fields spread through the Sun’s atmosphere far faster than current models can explain.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20264 min read

Technology

Cassini reveals a surprising twist in Saturn’s magnetic shield

Cassini data has revealed a surprising twist in Saturn’s magnetic shield: the planet’s rapid rotation appears to drag a key opening in its magnetosphere far toward the afternoon side instead of keeping it near noon, as happens on Earth. The finding confirms that giant planets like Saturn operate under a fundamentally different magnetic regime, where fast spin and charged material from moons such as Enceladus can overpower the Sun’s influence.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20263 min read

Technology

Voyager 2 was running out of power. NASA just bought it more time

NASA engineers have found a clever way to squeeze more life out of Voyager 2, nearly half a century after it left Earth. In an operation nicknamed the “Big Bang,” the team simultaneously shut down certain power-hungry hardware and switched to lower-power alternatives while keeping the spacecraft warm enough to survive.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20261 min read

Technology

A 0.42-nanometer breakthrough could push transistors beyond silicon

Atomically thin semiconductors could enable dramatically smaller and more efficient chips, but a stubborn problem at the boundary between materials has limited their performance. Researchers have now engineered that atomic interface to protect electron flow while still allowing extremely thin insulating layers. The resulting transistors delivered an unusually strong combination of electrical control and performance.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20265 min read

Technology

The sun will vanish over Europe in a rare total solar eclipse: Watch live

A total solar eclipse will plunge parts of Europe into darkness on August 12, 2026, with Spain offering some of the best views. ESA will livestream the spectacle from the Javalambre Observatory, combining telescope feeds, drone footage, and expert commentary. At 20:31 CEST, the observatory will experience 1 minute and 21 seconds of totality, revealing the Sun’s normally hidden outer atmosphere.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20263 min read

Technology

NASA’s moon base is taking shape with 20+ lunar landings planned

NASA is assembling the foundations of a future Moon Base through a wave of robotic missions and powerful new commercial landers. More than 20 landings are planned through 2029, testing everything from precision landings and lunar communications to rovers, power systems, and technology that can survive the Moon’s extreme conditions. Upcoming missions could also make history by exploring the Moon’s far side and a mysterious magnetic lunar swirl. Each landing brings NASA closer to a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20266 min read

Technology

Scientists discover a hidden switch inside silver nanocatalysts

Silver nanocatalysts have been found to switch where they perform their most important reactions depending on whether a solid oxide cell is making electricity or hydrogen. The discovery could enable smarter catalyst designs that boost clean power generation while making green hydrogen more energy-efficient.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20265 min read

Technology

Ordinary WiFi can now identify you with near-perfect accuracy

Ordinary WiFi networks could quietly become powerful surveillance tools, allowing people to be identified without cameras, special sensors, or even carrying a connected device. Researchers showed that unencrypted signals routinely exchanged between WiFi devices and routers can be used to create radio-based images of people and recognize them within seconds. In tests involving 197 participants, the system identified individuals with nearly 100% accuracy, even from different angles and regardless of how they walked.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20263 min read

Technology

“Cannot be explained” – New super steel stuns scientists

Scientists have created an unusually corrosion-resistant stainless steel that could replace costly titanium components used to produce green hydrogen. The breakthrough could reduce structural material costs by roughly 40 times and make seawater-based hydrogen production far more economical.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20265 min read

Technology

Black holes older than the Big Bang could explain dark matter

Some black holes roaming the Universe today may actually be older than the Big Bang. A new cosmic “bounce” model suggests the Universe expanded from an earlier contracting phase, allowing ancient black holes to survive the transition as cosmic fossils. These relics could potentially explain dark matter and why surprisingly massive objects appeared so early in cosmic history.

NewsdeskAug 13, 20265 min read