ThinkNova

White auroras are a rare, mesmerizing sight in the far north, including Finland, Norway, and Alaska. They form when low-energy particles collide with oxygen high in the atmosphere. ThinkNova

Researchers think Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night may depict the sky before dawn on July 22, 1889, from his window at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Long thought to be an imaginative vision from mid-June, the painting has prompted a new interpretation based on computer modelling and historical astronomical records. The crescent moon, Venus and the Hyades star cluster match their positions in the painting, suggesting Van Gogh reworked a scene he witnessed. June letters show he was already developing night-sky ideas, but the evidence points to the painting being completed more than a month later. The study shows how he grounded his swirling brushwork in close observation. [Kim, E. J., Kang, S., Song, J., & Jin, H. (2026). The actual sky of Van Gogh’s Starry Night: a multidisciplinary reconstruction. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-73025-5] ThinkNova

Jackfruit is the largest fruit that grows on a tree, with some weighing more than 40 kg. Its seeds contain jacalin, a natural protein that may hinder HIV from attaching to cells. Early lab research points to potential antiviral effects, but studies in humans are needed to determine whether it works. ThinkNova

A touch of style, a spark of creativity. Your next nail art idea is waiting at NailMuse. #sponsored

How container ships are loaded: cargo is stacked and secured with lashings, then organized by bay, row, and tier. ThinkNova

Nature engineered a flying machine more intricate than we could ever have imagined. ThinkNova

What an incredible bit of technology 🫠 ThinkNova

Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat’s arid Rann of Kutch spans 72,600 hectares—roughly five times the size of Paris—and is designed to produce 30 gigawatts of clean energy. ThinkNova

This Machine Turns Trees into Lumber in Seconds! 🌲 ThinkNova

Twice a year in Hawaii, Lāhainā Noon creates a remarkable sight: as the Sun passes directly overhead at solar noon, upright objects seem to have no shadows at all. That’s why it’s also called a zero-shadow day. ThinkNova

Facts you didn’t know you needed 🤯 Follow @fact_blastoize for mind-blowing discoveries daily! #ad

Chinese automaker BYD has unveiled charging technology that can recharge a car in about the same time it takes to fill up with gas. ThinkNova

Birds may be able to detect Earth’s magnetic field through light-sensitive proteins in their eyes. Migratory birds can cover thousands of miles with astonishing precision. One possible explanation lies in Cry4 (cryptochrome 4), a protein found in the retina. When blue light hits the eye, it triggers a quantum process in Cry4 known as the radical pair mechanism. Because this process responds to the direction and strength of Earth’s magnetic field, it may give birds an internal compass. Researchers suspect birds might do more than simply sense magnetism. They may perceive it as faint patterns, shadows, or color shifts overlaid on their normal vision—like a natural heads-up display. This extraordinary ability could help birds navigate oceans, deserts, and mountain ranges, using the strange principles of quantum mechanics. ThinkNova

This is how your ear processes music. Inside the cochlea, the organ of Corti converts sound into signals in real time. Each glowing cell represents a hair cell. High notes stimulate cells near the base of the spiral, while low notes travel farther toward its tip. Every element in this animation responds to the same pitches a real ear would detect, making the movement follow the music as it plays. The hair cells are enlarged and shown in smaller numbers for clarity: the animation features 300, compared with about 15,000 in a human ear. The project combines a code-driven simulation with hands-on 3D work and generative techniques. Each note was analysed and mapped to the cochlea’s natural arrangement of frequencies. ThinkNova

How pressure increases as you dive At sea level, the air exerts about 1 bar of pressure—roughly 1 atmosphere. Dive just 10 meters below the surface, and the pressure increases by another 1 bar. ThinkNova

One camera, then two, then three—and sensors that keep getting better. The iPhone camera has come a long way, from 5MP to 48MP. ThinkNova

Foraminifera are single-celled organisms that mostly live on or within seafloor sediments. They produce the vivid red pigment behind Komodo Island’s famous Red Beach in Indonesia. ThinkNova

Math Has a Sound Mathematical functions can be turned into sound waves. Watch how changing a wave’s shape alters its pitch. ThinkNova

The DJI RS 5, paired with DJI SDR Transmission. ThinkNova

The day a NASA space shuttle made its final 12-mile journey through Los Angeles to the California Science Center. ThinkNova