The Breakthrough Prize, launched by Silicon Valley leaders in 2012, awarded three Bay Area scientists for groundbreaking work in mathematics and physics. The ceremony, dubbed the “Oscars of Science, ” highlighted researchers who tackled long‑standing mysteries in their fields. UC Berkeley phys
Scientists have developed a faster way to spot dangerous drugs at crime scenes. Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), like meth and ecstasy, are a big problem worldwide. They harm people's health and create safety risks. Finding these drugs in messy samples is tricky. Crime scene samples often contain
Long before streaming existed, sci-fi was split into two camps. One side dreamed of hopeful futures like Star Trek, where people solved problems together under the stars. The other side laughed at those same dreams through shows like Futurama, which pointed out how silly it was to believe humans wou
Scientists are turning the idea of living forever into a real project. The focus is on “longevity, ” or ways to slow down the body’s natural decline. One big belief is that aging is like software bugs in our DNA, not a broken machine. Because of this, researchers can try to fix the code wit
Cyrano de Bergerac, a French writer of the 1600s, imagined rockets long before scientists or filmmakers did. In his 1657 story about a journey to the Moon, he described a machine that could lift a person into space by attaching fireworks to it. Although the idea was fanciful, he also tried to explai
The idea that studying the universe could make people think more about God isn’t new, but it is surprising. When a scientist reads about how the cosmos works, many find that their spiritual ideas grow wider instead of shrinking. One thinker in the past decade read a book that linked the story of
Brentwood High School is rolling out a fresh lineup of courses that blend modern technology with practical life skills. The new classes include AI Foundations, Intro to Computer Science, Music Theory, Digital Art II, and an updated Personal Finance course. The goal is to keep students interested whi
Roger Butlin devoted his life to unraveling how species arise and change. He began his work by questioning long‑held ideas about natural selection, looking for ways to test evolutionary theories with real data. His studies showed that small genetic differences can lead to big changes in how or
Parents often feel powerless when their children demand more screen time, but a new approach shows that limits are both doable and beneficial. Recent research points out that devices are built to hook us; the brain’s dopamine system, originally meant for survival needs, now pushes us toward endless
When a spellcaster throws a Fireball underwater, the game usually makes it look cool—but reality is way messier. Water doesn’t just put out fire; it turns superheated steam into a rapid explosion. Every cup of water turned to vapor suddenly takes up 1600 times more space, creating a mini shockwave s
