Category Science

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NASA’s Perseverance Records First-Ever Mini-Lightning on Mars

NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured the first confirmed mini-lightning sparks in Mars’ dusty atmosphere. Using its sensitive microphone, the rover recorded 55 tiny electrical discharges during dust storms over two Martian years. These sparks generate reactive chemicals that can break down organic molecules, affecting future life-detection efforts. The discovery...

Indian Team Finds 53 Massive Quasars Blasting Jets Millions of Light-Years Long

Astronomers in India have identified 53 previously unknown giant radio quasars powered by supermassive black holes, each releasing enormous plasma jets reaching up to 7.2 million light-years—nearly 50 times the Milky Way’s diameter. Using GMRT data, the team expanded the catalog of known giant quasars and offered valuable clues about how black holes grow, merge, a...

Scientists Warn Southern Ocean Could ‘Burp’ Stored Heat, Delaying Global Cooling for 100 Years

New modelling suggests the Southern Ocean could one day release the vast heat it has stored from greenhouse gas pollution. If CO₂ levels were pushed to net-negative, deep convection may trigger a sudden “thermal burp” that warms the planet for decades. Though idealised, the study shows how Antarctica’s surrounding seas could shape long-term climate outcomes.

James Webb Space Telescope Finds Unexpected Ultraviolet Radiation Around Young Protostars

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected unexpected ultraviolet radiation around five young protostars in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. Since infant stars are not expected to emit UV light, the finding challenges long-standing star-formation models. Researchers ruled out external illumination from nearby stars, concluding the UV must originate w...

Does ‘laziness’ start in the brain?

Understanding the surprising mechanism behind apathy can help unlock scientific ways to boost your motivation

We all know people with very different levels of motivation. Some will go the extra mile in any endeavour. Others just can’t be bothered to put the effort in. We might think of them as lazy – happiest on the sofa, rather than planning their latest project. What’s behind this variation? Most of us would probably attribute it to a mixture of temperament, circumstances, upbringing or even values.

But research in neuroscience and in patients with brain disorders is challenging these assumptions by revealing the brain mechanisms that underlie motivation. When these systems become dysfunctional, people who were once highly motivated can become pathologically apathetic. Whereas previously they might have been curious, highly engaged and productive – at work, in their social lives and in their creative thinking – they can suddenly seem like the opposite.

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