Elephant Island is an icy sight from orbit photo of the day for Oct. 19, 2026 - Space

Stanford researchers recently revealed how a seemingly physics-defying wireless communication technology works. The new technology, called thermal noise communication, harnesses background static that normally is the bane of radio, cellular, and other wireless signals. In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team showed how a transmitter could deliver data to a receiver without any actively produced signal by manipulating tiny oscillations in voltage. The findings describe how the system works at a fundamental level, opening the door to improving the communication mode and determining real-world applications for it. "We've built a system that others could very easily implement," said senior author Zerina Kapetanovic, an assistant professor of electrical engineering. A physics mysteryIn her previous research at the University of Washington, Kapetanovic studied agricultural sensing technologies, which inspired her to pursue low-power modes of relaying data like soil moisture levels.

One new study shows how much the moon has diminished over time.

Off the coast of a Japanese island so far west that it’s actually closer to Taiwan, it’s possible to see hundreds of hammerhead sharks battling ripping currents around 35 metres deep. That is, if you’re a very experienced diver visiting between November and early May. But not everyone comes for the scalloped hammerheads. Some divers visit this remote destination to swim through the inky blue waters past mysterious blocks of towering rock that look like they could have been plonked there by a giant playing with Lego.

Would you prefer to back a man or a woman pitching a business idea? A new study by the University of Portsmouth published in the British Journal of Management suggests that, when it comes to potential crowdfunding investors, the answer may depend less on who is pitching and more on what they are selling. Researchers surveyed 4,500 members of the U. K. public to explore what might influence their decisions if they were considering investing in a business through equity crowdfunding, where people buy a stake in a company in return for their money.