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For the first time, scientists watch sound jump between quantum states
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Humpback whale mother may have mourned her dead calf for days
Researchers observed a humpback whale mother staying beside her presumed stillborn calf for hours and possibly days off Australia’s Gold Coast. She maintained eye contact and remained close to the calf in behavior resembling caregiving and nurturing. Scientists say the rare observation may provide new insight into grief, maternal attachment, and emotional complexity in humpback whales.
This new concrete is stronger and pulls CO2 from the air
Researchers have created a concrete mixture that is both stronger and capable of absorbing carbon dioxide. The best formula, combining zeolite with bamboo biochar, boosted compressive strength by 7.48% and tensile strength by 15% compared with conventional concrete. It also captured about 1.2 grams of CO₂ per day in laboratory testing.

Inside Scotland's wildcat HQ
The Saving Wildcats partnership is keeping an eye on the latest wildcats being bred in captivity for release into the Cairngorms.
A strange circle on satellite maps turned out to be a 390-million-year-old impact crater
An amateur astronomer searching satellite maps for a Quebec camping spot accidentally discovered a massive ancient impact crater. Scientists later found shatter cones that confirmed the 25-kilometer-wide structure was blasted into Earth roughly 390 million years ago.

Abortion is on the ballot again as post-Roe policies continue to evolve
Four states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in November. The measures follow the Supreme Court's "Dobbs" decision, which upended federal abortion protections.
Your smartwatch isn't accurately counting how many calories you burn, study says
A new study finds that consumer-grade fitness wearables are generally inaccurate when calculating calories burned. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with the study's lead author Jason Kostrna.