The most realistic picture yet of how galaxies formed and then evolved from the beginning of time has been revealed in a suite of new and unique audiovisual simulations. This data, published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, shows that the standard cosmological model can successfully explain the observed growth of galaxies, from the first billion years after the Big Bang to the present day, when key physics is included. Unlike earlier simulations, the COLIBRE 'virtual universes' model the cold gas and cosmic dust inside galaxies – the raw materials from which stars form and which strongly affect how galaxies look in telescopes. By including these previously missing ingredients and using far more computing power than ever before, the simulations successfully reproduce real galaxies, both in the present-day universe and in the early universe as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Manipulation of structured electromagnetic (EM) waves is key to boosting wireless communications capacity. Recently, scientists have invented a space-time-coding metasurface that generates structured EM waves with multidimensional orbital angular momentum, greatly increasing the number of communication channels. Meanwhile, the metasurface can directly encode information into the channels, eliminating the need for external modulators. Benefiting from simple yet high-performance metasurface hardware, this technology enables high-dimensional multiplexing and opens new opportunities for ultra-high-speed wireless communications.

Researchers have documented several cases of spatial orientation in tarantulas living both in trees and in underground burrows. Spatial orientation refers to the ability of an animal to understand where it is in three-dimensional space and how to navigate purposefully within its environment. The observations suggest that tarantulas may remember and reuse information to improve their chances of catching prey or to locate their retreats, for example.

In 1972, a series of solar proton events occurred between the Apollo 16 and 17 missions. Had they coincided, astronauts would have been exposed to deadly particle radiation with very little warning and no shielding. As we return to the Moon, understanding these volatile events is increasingly urgent. 

Guided by a medieval Japanese poet and tree-ring analysis of buried cypress trees, researchers have achieved world-leading precision in carbon-14 measurements, finding evidence supporting the occurrence of a solar proton event dated to winter 1200 CE–spring 1201 CE. This research helps fill gaps in our knowledge of extreme space weather and its relation to solar cycles.