What are the strange little red dots seen in the early Universe? Scientists have come up with ...

Theory Briefing

• James Webb's 'little red dots' are compact, red, and scattered across the early universe — a population nobody expected to find.
• Scientists are debating whether these objects are unusually dense young galaxies, obscured black holes, or something else entirely.
• Their existence challenges current models of how galaxies and black holes form in the universe's first billion years.
• The sheer number of little red dots spotted suggests they may represent a major, previously hidden phase of cosmic evolution.