Science X

A new historical paper argues that Photograph 49, an X-ray diffraction image of DNA, is the real key to understanding Rosalind Franklin's celebrated Photograph 51. The article, published in a Springer history of science journal, is drawing attention for revisiting how Franklin's work on DNA's structure has been interpreted and credited.

Rosalind Franklin's famous Photo 51 of DNA has long been described as evidence that she failed to grasp the double helix structure before Watson and Crick announced it. A new Science article argues the opposite: Franklin recognized the helical structure in her own X-ray image. Commenters are debating the decades-long narrative that undervalued her contribution to one of biology's biggest discoveries.

A social media post is asserting that Avogadro's number, the chemistry constant roughly equal to 6.022 x 10^23, is actually 14. The claim mixes in unrelated rugby and physics hashtags, suggesting it is a joke or bait rather than a serious assertion. It has drawn small but real engagement from users amused or bemused by the deliberate error.

Astronomers report that enigmatic flashes of X-rays in the sky may come from the catastrophic merger of two stars, producing an ultra-dense, ultra-magnetic remnant known as a magnetar. The findings emerged from a collaboration between Chinese and European science missions, and are drawing attention among space researchers and enthusiasts discussing what the discovery reveals about how magnetars form.

Fashion experts outline five ways to enjoy style as a hobby without falling into overconsumption. The advice, published by The Conversation and picked up by Science X, comes as growing criticism targets fast fashion and the environmental cost of constantly buying new clothes. Suggested approaches focus on enjoying fashion through creativity, styling and care of what people already own rather than accumulating more garments.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has released a new analysis of a galaxy cluster collision nicknamed the 'Treble Clef', using X-ray data to break down the dynamics of the crash between the massive clusters. The observations reveal the hot gas and structure formed as the clusters pass through one another, adding to astronomers' understanding of how large-scale cosmic structures grow and evolve.

Researchers report the discovery of a previously hidden X-ray phase in what is likely a neutron star merger, offering a new window into the aftermath of these cataclysmic cosmic collisions. The finding could help scientists better understand the physics of neutron stars and the extreme conditions produced when two of them collide.

Researchers have developed a new X-ray technique that allows them to observe, in real time, how quantum materials respond when hit by laser pulses. The method offers a direct window into ultrafast changes in these materials, which could advance research into next-generation electronics and quantum technologies. Details of the advance were announced by the research team behind the technique.

A new essay argues Rosalind Franklin's lab notes show she understood the significance of her DNA X-ray images, contradicting James Watson's long-standing suggestion that she failed to grasp the double helix structure. The claim renews debate over credit for one of science's most famous discoveries and Franklin's historical treatment.

The story of Henri Becquerel's accidental 1896 discovery of radioactivity is recirculating. Hoping to study X-rays via sunlight on uranium salts, he was thwarted by overcast Paris skies, put his plates away in a drawer, and later found they had exposed themselves, revealing a new form of radiation and opening the door to nuclear physics.

The exhibition "Overexposed" brings together medical imaging and contemporary art, using scans and diagnostic technologies as artistic material. Coverage highlights how X-rays, MRIs and similar imagery, normally confined to clinical settings, are being reframed to explore the body, vulnerability and the boundaries between science and art. Commentators are weighing whether the medical gaze becomes something new when placed in a gallery context.

Researchers have used time-resolved X-ray scatter microscopy to reveal multiscale transitional flow in anisotropic nanoparticle suspensions, according to a study published in Nature. The technique captures how these suspensions behave across different length and time scales as they transition between flow regimes. Findings could inform work on complex fluids in materials science and industrial processing.

New research using X-ray microscopy shows that nanoparticles behave in distinct ways when subjected to vortex flow. The findings offer a closer look at how microscopic particles move and respond within swirling fluid dynamics, a topic of interest in materials science and physics. Details on the research team and practical applications have not yet been widely reported.