In the vastness of the Universe, any new object with interesting properties can spur the search for similar objects, potentially establishing a new class of stars. In a paper published in Astronomy & Astrophysics and an arXiv preprint, researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) describe two stellar remnants that share five properties, including X-ray emission, despite being isolated objects. According to the team, these two remnants are sufficient to define a new class of stars.

A team led by Rutgers University researchers has developed a security system that could change how people log in to virtual and augmented reality platforms by eliminating passwords, personal identification numbers and eye scans and replacing them with something far more seamless.

The system, a software program called VitalID, is based on the team’s discovery of a new biometric: tiny vibrations generated by breathing and heartbeats that resonate through the skull in patterns unique to each person’s bone structure and facial tissues.

Some Arctic regions regain their “greenness” within a decade of a sudden permafrost collapse, while others can take a century or more to recover, researchers report.

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered a previously unknown system of internal “trade winds” that help cells rapidly move essential proteins to the front of the cell, reshaping how researchers understand cell migration, cancer spread and wound healing.

The discovery, published today in Nature Communications, reshapes what researchers thought they knew about how cells direct proteins to the right place at the right time.