Astronomers have spotted the longest gamma-ray burst ever seen, a cosmic explosion that lasted seven hours — and they determined it could be the work of a black hole destroying a star.

Astronomers have uncovered a new extreme in the universe's catalog of violent phenomena — a class of cosmic explosions so powerful that they rank among the most energetic events since the Big Bang.

Batteries enhanced with a polymer material that releases fire-suppressing chemicals at high temperatures are significantly less likely to explode into flames. This technique could boost the safety of ...