The new light-based quantum computer Jiuzhang has achieved quantum supremacy
A new type of quantum computer has proven that it can reign supreme, too. A photonic quantum computer, which harnesses particles of light, or...
Ancient humans may have deliberately voyaged to Japan’s Ryukyu Islands
Long ago, ancient mariners successfully navigated a perilous ocean journey to arrive at Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, a new study suggests. Archaeological sites on six...
The ‘last mile’ for COVID-19 vaccines could be the biggest challenge yet
A race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine began almost the minute the coronavirus’s genetic makeup was revealed in January. Already, two companies have announced...
The U.K. is the first country to authorize a fully tested COVID-19 vaccine
The United Kingdom became the first country to approve a fully tested COVID-19 vaccine for its citizens on December 2 when it OK’d Pfizer’s...
A COVID-19 time capsule captures pandemic moments for future researchers
Imagine if, at the height of the 1918 flu pandemic, researchers studying how society was changing had captured the moment in a time capsule....
December’s stunning Geminid meteor shower is born from a humble asteroid
On Sunday night, December 13, countless meteors will shoot across the sky as space particles burn up in our atmosphere and meet a fiery...
Health care workers and long-term care residents should get COVID-19 vaccines first
Health care workers and long-term care facility residents should be at the head of the line when the first doses of vaccines against COVID-19...
China is about to collect the first moon rocks since the 1970s
For the first time in almost half a century, scientists are going to get their hands on new moon rocks. The Chinese space agency’s...
Astronomers spotted colliding neutron stars that may have formed a magnetar
A surprisingly bright cosmic blast might have marked the birth of a magnetar. If so, it would be the first time that astronomers have...
Long-lasting shots work better than daily pills to prevent HIV in at-risk women
Worldwide, nearly half of new HIV infections among adults in 2019 occurred in women. Yet a long list of obstacles has kept many women...
A new treatment could restore some mobility in people paralyzed by strokes 
What has Perseverance found in two years on Mars? 
This robot automatically tucks its limbs to squeeze through spaces 
Greta Thunberg’s new book urges the world to take climate action now