Astronomers have discovered a huge filament of hot gas bridging four galaxy clusters. At 10 times as massive as our galaxy, the thread could contain some of the universe’s ‘missing’ matter, addressing a decades-long mystery.

Excitons--bound pairs of electrons and holes created by light--are key to the optoelectronic behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). However, because excitons are confined to extremely small regions and exist for only fleeting moments, it has been extremely challenging to directly observe their behavior using conventional measurement techniques.

In this study, we overcame that challenge by using an ultrafast infrared near-field optical microscope that focuses femtosecond infrared laser pulses down to the nanoscale. This advanced approach allowed us to visualize where excitons are generated and decay inside CNTs in real space and real time.

Our observations revealed that nanoscale variations in the local environment--such as subtle lattice distortions within individual CNTs or interactions with neighboring CNTs--can significantly affect exciton generation and relaxation dynamics.

These insights into local exciton dynamics pave the way for precise control of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale, offering new opportunities for the development of advanced optoelectronic devices and quantum technologies based on carbon nanotube platforms.

SAN ANTONIO — June 18, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute collaborated with Yale University to summarize the scientific community’s notable progress advancing the understanding of the formation and evolution of the inner rocky planets, the so-called terrestrial planets. Their Nature Review journal paper focuses on late accretion’s role in the long-term evolution of terrestrial planets, including their distinct geophysical and chemical properties as well as their potential habitability.

Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture Vol. 27 No. 2 explores the healing power of philosophy through diverse perspectives—ranging from ancient Stoic and Socratic traditions to modern reflections on public space and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue includes articles on the philosophical roots of counseling, medieval Arab efforts to calculate Earth’s circumference, and the overlooked impact of architecture on mental well-being. It also features a call for dialogue between science and religion, a special lecture on Aristotle’s views on women and Greek tragedy, and a review of Florangel Rosario Braid’s inspiring autobiography. Together, these works illuminate how philosophy can expose and ease the sources of human suffering by expanding our capacity for reflection, dialogue, and ethical action.

The European Research Council has awarded ERC Advanced grants to three researchers from the University of Groningen (the Netherlands). The grands will be used to set up long-term and ground-breaking research projects.

The SETI Institute announced today a strategic collaboration with SkyMapper, the world’s leading decentralized global astronomy and space science network. Together, they plan to deliver continuous, real-time astronomical data to scientists, educators and enthusiasts worldwide.

This network will enable telescope users and sky-observing stations, including the SETI Institute’s LaserSETI, CAMS, and Unistellar programs to receive realtime observation requests from researchers and contribute their data back into a secure, globally accessible database. SkyMapper’s blockchain-based verification will ensure data integrity and transparency for all submitted data.

In addition, SkyMapper will provide SETI Institute access to its database for research, algorithm training and scientific studies, enabling SETI Institute scientists to advance their work in astronomy and space science through advanced data analysis and processing.