Know What's Happening in Science
Know What's Happening in Science
Spike D614 Reversions Detected in Delta and Omicron BA.2 Variants
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba and the Institute of Science Tokyo identified nonrandom reversions of the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein from the dominant G614 back to the ancestral D614. The reversions are concentrated in delta and omicron BA.2 lineages and show distinct temporal spikes and geographic clustering.
Lipocine Inc.'s stock fell 78% to $2.00 after its Phase 3 placebo‑controlled trial of oral brexanolone (LPCN 1154) missed the primary efficacy endpoint for postpartum depression. The company said it will preserve capital and engage stakeholders to evaluate next steps, underscoring the high stakes of late‑stage neuropsychiatric drug development.
A double‑blind crossover trial with 157 heavy drinkers found that smoking cannabis before alcohol reduced immediate consumption. A moderate THC dose (3.1%) cut intake by 19%, while a higher dose (7.2%) lowered it by 27% compared with placebo. The high‑THC...
I grew believing that any amount of dehydration is too much. A simple study changed my mind: faster finishers at a marathon lost more weight than slower finishers. “Inverse relationship between percentage body weight change and finishing time in 643 forty-two-kilometre...
NASA launched Artemis II on Wednesday, sending three Americans and one Canadian on the first crewed lunar flyby since 1972. The mission will travel up to 250,000 miles, marking the first step toward a sustainable Moon presence. Simultaneously, the Navajo Nation has...
Harvard researchers led by Pablo S. Villar discovered that male octopuses locate the female oviduct by sensing progesterone through chemotactile receptors on their hectocotylus. In controlled tank experiments, males responded to progesterone‑coated tubes as if they were females, initiating the...
The SirPAD trial showed that a sirolimus‑coated drug‑coated balloon (MagicTouch) significantly lowered major adverse limb events (MALE) to 8.8% versus 15% with uncoated balloons in femoropopliteal and below‑the‑knee peripheral artery disease patients. At one year, the composite of unplanned amputation...
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA‑H) has unveiled a $144 million STOMP (Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics) initiative to tackle micro‑ and nanoplastic contamination in humans. Phase 1 will develop gold‑standard clinical assays and a risk‑stratification framework, with the CDC acting...
Scientists have restored a silenced tumor-suppressor gene in mice with acute myeloid leukemia by blocking KDM4 enzymes, suggesting a potential new therapeutic approach that avoids harming normal blood cells. leukemia
A giant exoplanet orbiting a small star exhibits an atmosphere with unusually low metallicity, challenging current models of planet formation and suggesting limited mixing between its interior and atmospheric layers. exoplanets
On Oct. 15, Lockheed Martin launched 21 Space Development Agency Tracking Layer Tranche 1 satellites, each carrying three laser communication terminals (OCTs) instead of the planned four due to a supply shortfall. Tesat‑Spacecom delivered 42 terminals while CACI supplied only 21,...
Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland have created first‑in‑class small‑molecule inhibitors that simultaneously block hypoxia‑inducible factors 1 and 2. In mouse models, the dual HIF‑1/2 inhibitors eradicated breast, colorectal, melanoma and prostate tumors when paired with checkpoint antibodies such...
Japanese satellite‑life‑extension specialist Astroscale and French launch‑service firm Exotrail have signed a contract to co‑develop a low‑Earth‑orbit de‑orbiting mission, aiming for operational capability by 2030. The partnership combines Exotrail’s SpaceVan vehicle with Astroscale’s capture system and proximity‑operations expertise. The agreement...
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran has choked a key maritime route for fertilizer shipments, pushing nitrogen and phosphate prices up 20‑40 percent. Rising transport costs and insurance premiums are forcing farmers in...
A new UV light-based process enables efficient chemical recycling of acrylic plastics at lower temperatures, preserving material quality and reducing environmental impact for true circularity in applications like screens and construction. sustainability
A new study published in February 2026 finds that a specific brain‑training video game cuts dementia risk by roughly 25 % for adults over 65. The game challenges users to identify two separate images—a vehicle and a fleeting Route 66 sign—under increasingly...
Yale researchers have unveiled a nanoscale method to watch solar photocatalysis in real time, capturing water‑splitting reactions and charge transport at roughly 10 nm resolution. The approach merges amperometric and potentiometric measurements using a quartz nanotip with a platinum core, allowing...
Archaeologists at the Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen uncovered a 7.8‑inch bone phallus dating to 1,800‑2,000 years ago, the first known example of a Roman bone penis. The artifact emerged from one of 16,000 unopened storage boxes, of which only 300...
Dr. Amanda Randles of Duke University leads the development of HARVEY, a cardiovascular digital‑twin engine that simulates patient‑specific blood flow across the entire vasculature. The platform, originally requiring the world’s largest supercomputer for a single heartbeat, now runs in minutes...
Researchers at North Carolina State University introduced CAMEO, a low‑cost, plug‑and‑play carbon‑nanotube sensor array for human cerebral organoids. The basket‑shaped device houses 12 flexible electrodes, delivering electrophysiological recordings comparable to high‑end systems while costing a fraction of traditional microelectrode arrays....
Cell line development (CLD) remains a hidden bottleneck that dictates speed to clinic, manufacturability, and long‑term product performance. Traditional random‑integration and lengthy clone screening are giving way to engineered platforms, especially glutamine synthetase (GS) knockout systems, which reduce heterogeneity and...
A new study published in Science shows that bumblebees, despite having brains the size of a sesame seed, can learn abstract rhythmic patterns and apply them flexibly across different tempos. Researchers trained bees to associate specific LED flash sequences with...
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has cataloged over 11,000 previously unknown asteroids during its first 1.5 months of operation, including 33 newly identified near‑Earth objects (NEOs). The survey also recorded roughly one million observations of more than 80,000...
Oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is emerging as a key driver of vascular dementia by damaging the brain’s microvascular endothelium and compromising the blood‑brain barrier. Epidemiological data show that each 1 mmol/L increase in LDL raises all‑cause dementia risk by roughly 8%....
Researchers at Purdue University discovered that iron-containing blood proteins can catalyze the in‑vivo polymerization of n‑doped poly(benzodifurandione) (n‑PBDF), forming conductive polymer meshes around neurons in mice. The method replaces copper salts with naturally abundant hemoglobin and myoglobin, eliminating toxicity concerns...
Scientists at the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute have built graphene‑sealed “nano‑aquariums” that enable atomic‑resolution video of gold atoms in a variety of organic solvents. Using transmission electron microscopy at the ePSIC facility, they recorded gold atoms hopping, pairing...
Scientists uncovered over 700 fossils in Yunnan, China, dating to about 539 million years ago, revealing three‑dimensional, bilaterally symmetric animals in the late Ediacaran. The finds push the emergence of complex body plans and active locomotion millions of years earlier than...
NASA launched Artemis II on April 1, a crewed test flight that will circle the Moon rather than land. The mission’s primary goal is to validate Orion’s life‑support, navigation and deep‑space systems ahead of future surface missions. While some observers question the...
Researchers at Penn State used the Texas Advanced Computing Center's Stampede3 supercomputer, funded by NSF ACCESS, to run high‑resolution simulations of red blood cell deformation in mechanical circulatory support devices. By adapting a droplet deformation equation within OpenFOAM, the team...
A preprint from Bing Wen Brunton's team demonstrates that a neural network built on the nematode *C. elegans* connectome can control a simulated fruit‑fly body, a system they dub the “digital sphinx.” The model learns to walk via deep reinforcement...
allulose isnt just a low calorie sweetener - it also: 1) binds to GLUT2 receptors which lowers blood glucose levels 2) stimulates GLP-1 improving glycemic control and increasing satiety
Archaeologists uncovered three Neolithic Vietnamese children with dental and skeletal lesions consistent with congenital treponematosis, a disease related to syphilis. The findings, published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, date to 4,100‑3,300 years ago and span two sites, Man Bac and An Son....
Broad Institute’s Primer on Medical and Population Genetics released a new session exploring structural variation in genomic studies. The free weekly video series provides in‑depth introductions to complex trait genetics, covering topics from DNA sequencing to statistical analysis. Targeted at...
Chemists at the University of Edinburgh have demonstrated a hybrid bio‑catalytic process that turns bread crumbs into hydrogen for hydrogenation reactions. By pairing E. coli that ferment waste‑derived glucose with a palladium catalyst, the team achieved a 94% yield of the...
This is a great example of how internal climate variability (e.g. weather) on top of a long term warming trend leads to new records being set. If the US weren't warming over time the records here would be 3 ->...
An international team analyzed DNA from 216 ancient canine remains across Europe, uncovering a dog skeleton from Switzerland dated to 14,200 years ago—the continent's oldest known dog. The genetic data show that dogs were already domesticated during hunter‑gatherer times, predating the...
My first answer is no. It’s different weightless at Lagrange point and orbit - but you would never feel the difference. In orbit, different parts of ISS have different orbits technically and thus different acceleration. Same is tru near L1,...
I’ve flown in space four times but still can’t imagine what these extraordinary humans are going to experience on their mission around the moon. https://t.co/fgQER6Vx6S
A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters finds that Earth’s energy imbalance has more than doubled over the past two decades, reaching about 1.8 watts per square meter in 2023—roughly twice what leading climate models predict. Satellite data reveal a...
Associations of adiposity, atherogenic lipid phenotypes, systemic immune-inflammatory indices, and vascular aging markers with depression in US adults: NHANES 2005–2020 "Adiposity, dyslipidemia, systemic immune-inflammatory activation, and vascular aging were independently associated with depression." https://t.co/PdlWJxoHiY
JinkoSolar achieves 32.76% efficiency in perovskite-TOPCon tandem solar cell #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/gJ3RJKEpOT
Astronomers using the Gemini South telescope have measured the magnesium‑to‑silicon ratio in the atmosphere of ultra‑hot Jupiter WASP‑189b and found it identical to that of its A‑type host star. The result, published in Nature Communications, provides the first direct observational...
Mind-blowing science: Complete biosynthesis of psychedelic tryptamines from three kingdoms in plants | Science Advances https://t.co/39mQdp1cFE
Anyone know of software or a web server that can search a sequence for alternative genetic codes? Been trying to install Codetta https://t.co/Wd7IMD23Cy but can't get it running so looking for alternatives.
Yale University researchers discovered that nearly half of older Americans improve cognitively or physically over a 12‑year span, and those gains are strongly tied to a positive mindset about aging. The findings challenge entrenched beliefs about inevitable decline and suggest...
Does collagen strengthen connective tissue in muscle? Protein ingestion can increase the synthesis of contractile proteins, but does the same hold true for connective proteins? https://t.co/DbUJVYNRUU https://t.co/CQ2qDGJV6H
The Artemis II Integrity spacecraft is now coasting downwards and will reach perigee of about 195 km late on Apr 2. At 2349:50 UTC it will make the TLI (Trans-Lunar Injection) burn, a 388 m/s burn lasting 5m51s to raise...
OceanX announced that its research vessel OceanXplorer will carry 10 American and 10 Chinese early‑career ocean scientists, students and instructors on a ten‑day joint expedition from Hong Kong to Shanghai. The voyage, dubbed “A Shared Voyage: OceanX China 2026,” aims...
Scientists analyzing six years of Cassini data have found that Saturn’s magnetic field is not symmetric like Earth’s but lopsided, with the magnetic cusp displaced toward the 1:00‑3:00 position on a clock‑face. The distortion is attributed to Saturn’s rapid 10.7‑hour...
A team at the Technical University of Munich used two‑photon microscopy and optogenetic silencing to record activity at individual thalamocortical synapses in live mice. Their data show that thalamic inputs to primary visual cortex are broadly tuned and lack orientation...
A team from the Weizmann Institute of Science has genetically modified a tobacco plant to produce five distinct psychedelic compounds in a single host. The breakthrough could streamline drug research and reduce ecological pressure on natural sources, while raising biosecurity...
