Octopuses Are Increasingly Using Trash For Shelter, Harrowing Study Shows

Human waste has become so ubiquitous in the ocean, it’s becoming easier for octopuses to shelter in our trash than in seashells or coral. A systematic review of underwater photographs and videos from around the world has tallied 24 cephalopod species making their homes in marine litter.   For years, divers and scientists have observed … Read more

Sublime New Hubble Image Reveals a Thrilling Exchange Between Two Galaxies

The ongoing interaction between two galaxies 320 million light-years away has been captured in a gorgeous Hubble image. They’re collectively known as Arp 282 in Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, and they consist of a large barred spiral galaxy named NGC 169, about 140,000 light-years across, and a much smaller polar-ring galaxy named IC … Read more

Physicists Observe Incredible ‘Quantum Tornados’ Formed From Ultra-Cold Atoms

Scientists have observed a stunning demonstration of classic physics giving way to quantum behavior, manipulating a fluid of ultra-cold sodium atoms into a distinct tornado-like formation.   Particles behave differently on the quantum level, in part because at this point their interactions with each other hold more power over them than the energy from their movement. … Read more

Deep Conversations With Strangers Can Have Surprising Results, Study Shows

When we want to really connect with others, we usually limit ourselves to family and close friends. Opening up to a stranger would likely seem a daunting prospect to most of us – but it looks like our expectations may not always match reality.   New research suggests that people’s expectations about their interactions with strangers … Read more