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Runaway black hole mergers may have built supermassive black holes

Early superdense star clusters may have planted seeds for monster black holes. A new simulation could help solve one of astronomy’s longstanding mysteries—how supermassive black holes formed so rapidly—along with a new one: What are the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) “little red dots?” Invisible leviathans lurk at the…

F1 in Brazil: That’s what generational talent looks like

​Filled with passionate fans, the racetrack between the lakes is a favorite.  After a weekend off, perhaps spent trick or treating, Formula 1’s drivers, engineers, and mechanics made their yearly trip to the Interlagos track for the Brazilian Grand Prix. More formally called the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, it’s…

James Watson, who helped unravel DNA’s double-helix, has died

His work was celebrated, but he was ostracized for racist, sexist comments. James Dewey Watson, who helped reveal DNA’s double-helix structure, kicked off the Human Genome Project, and became infamous for his racist, sexist, and otherwise offensive statements, has died. He was 97. His death was confirmed to The…

The government shutdown is starting to have cosmic consequences

“The FAA is concerned with the system’s ability to maintain the current volume of operations.” The federal government shutdown, now in its 38th day, prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a temporary emergency order Thursday prohibiting commercial rocket launches from occurring during “peak hours” of air traffic. The…