A team of international researchers including Dr Jake Taylor from the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, has used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to explore the exotic atmosphere of LTT 9779 b, a rare ‘ultra-hot Neptune’. The results have been published today (25 February) in a compelling new study in Nature Astronomy. 

Gypsum deposits formed on Mars could conceal evidence of past life on the planet — microbes similar to the first life that formed on Earth four billion years ago. But to test this hypothesis, we need the right instruments. Scientists have now successfully tested a miniature laser-powered mass spectrometer that could be taken into space, identifying traces of microbial fossils in gypsum deposits on Earth which formed under similar circumstances to the sulfate deposits on Mars. They hope this instrument will soon be deployed in search of ancient life on Mars. 

A new study reveals how the brain’s "place cells" create internal maps to help us navigate. These specialized neurons, found in the hippocampus, were once thought to rely on precisely ordered patterns for spatial coding. However, researchers have found that their activity, which appears disordered in large spaces, actually follows universal mathematical principles. This surprising discovery suggests that randomness, not strict organization, is key to how our brains encode information about our experiences. The findings could reshape our understanding of brain function and pave the way for new insights into how we represent and process complex information.