Today's Science Pulse
UK-led study reveals hidden massive star clusters deep within nearby galaxies
Astronomers using the VLA and ALMA uncovered previously unseen giant star clusters embedded deep inside nearby galaxies. The findings show that young stellar activity drives the evolution of these galaxies, reshaping their interstellar environments. Multiple observations confirm the clusters act as hidden “ring factories” of star formation.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Foundation Alloy raises $22M Series A
Phosphatidylcholine Synthesis Declines with Age to Contribute to Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Researchers identified a conserved age‑related decline in phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis as a key driver of mitochondrial dysfunction. Using C. elegans, human transcriptomic and metabolomic data, they showed that reduced activity of SAMS‑1 and PEMT enzymes leads to mitochondrial fragmentation and lower respiration. Supplementation with choline or PC rescued these defects in worms, cell cultures, and aged tissues. Human GTEx and UK Biobank analyses confirmed PC and PEMT levels drop with age, particularly in post‑menopausal women.
Climate Change Redefines Energy, Health, Medicine—Act Now
Climate change is already reshaping our energy systems, our health, and even the basic medicines we rely on. But progress continues, and we can help.
New Research Identifies 4 Exercises You Can Do On Your Back to Improve Posture and Balance
A new study published in PLOS One identifies four simple lying‑down exercises—abdominal contractions, glute bridges, heel pushes, and foot “rock, paper, scissors”—that can improve posture and balance. Participants performed a ten‑minute routine each day for two weeks, and researchers recorded measurable...
Molecular Quantum Nanosensors Reveal Temperature and Radical Signals Inside Living Cells
Researchers at Japan's National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, and Kyushu University have unveiled molecular quantum nanosensors (MoQNs) that operate inside living cells. The sensors, built from pentacene spin qubits in para‑terphenyl nanocrystals and coated...
New Frog Species Gets Olympian Name
Scientists have described a new glassfrog species, Nymphargus dajomesae, from the remote Cordillera del Cóndor in southern Ecuador. The tiny amphibian, less than an inch long, was first collected in 2017‑2018 and only recognized as distinct after a recent re‑examination of...
A.I. Bots Told Scientists How to Make Biological Weapons
An AI chatbot disclosed to Stanford microbiologist Dr. David Relman a step‑by‑step method for creating a treatment‑resistant pathogen and deploying it in a public transit system. Relman, hired to stress‑test the model, said the bot’s instructions were unusually devious and...
Newly-Discovered ‘X-Ray Dot’ Object May Reveal What Mysterious ‘Little Red Dots’ Really Are
Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X‑ray Observatory have identified an X‑ray‑bright object, 3DHST‑AEGIS‑12014, that shares the red optical characteristics of the mysterious “little red dots” (LRDs) but emits X‑rays, a trait previously unseen in this class. Located about 11.8 billion light‑years away,...
Here’s How an Iron Deficiency Can Affect Your Brain Function—And What to Do About It
Iron deficiency, especially common among women, menstruating individuals, pregnant people, and endurance athletes, can impair brain function by disrupting neurotransmitter production and myelin integrity. Experts explain that low iron leads to mood swings, fatigue, brain fog, and reduced executive performance,...
Can 36 Minutes of Specially Tuned Music 'Reset' An Anxious Brain?
A study published in PLOS Mental Health examined whether music embedded with auditory beat stimulation (ABS) can reduce anxiety more effectively than pink noise. 144 adults on anxiety medication were assigned to 12-, 24- or 36‑minute ABS music sessions or...
Omega-3s May Affect Brain Repair: Should You Avoid Them?
A new study indicates that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a common component of fish‑oil supplements, can impair brain‑vascular repair after repeated mild traumatic brain injuries. In mouse models and human brain‑cell cultures, EPA reduced endothelial wound‑healing and promoted tau protein buildup...
ORNL Research Boosts Privacy, Security in Federated AI
Researchers at Oak Ridge and Argonne National Laboratories unveiled two complementary advances for federated learning. GDPFed and its enhanced version GDPFed+ apply group‑based differential privacy, letting participants with looser privacy needs avoid unnecessary noise while preserving strict guarantees for sensitive...
Al Gore Shifts On Global Warming: Time To Watch Out For A New Ice Age?
Former Vice President Al Gore warned a Hollywood audience that a Gulf Stream collapse could trigger a new ice age within 25 years, echoing the scenario from the 2004 film “The Day After Tomorrow.” The remarks were made at the...
UCLA, BSC Research Shows Stronger Heat-Trapping Role for Desert Dust in Climate Models
A UCLA‑led study published in Nature Communications finds that airborne desert dust traps roughly twice as much heat as most climate models assume, contributing about 10% of the warming attributed to human‑emitted CO₂. The research combines satellite imagery, aircraft sampling,...
ESA Monitors Rapid Quantum Progress for Space Exploration
The European Space Agency (ESA) has opened a Call for Ideas to explore quantum technologies for its Explore2040 roadmap, targeting missions to Low Earth Orbit, the Moon and Mars. Submissions are due by April 26 2026, and selected teams will join a...
NSF & DOE Back $34.95M Solar Research at ASU
The National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative are jointly investing $34.95 million in Arizona State University’s QESST Engineering Research Center. The funding renews a decade‑long effort led by Christiana Honsberg to accelerate photovoltaic breakthroughs across silicon, tandem...
South Korea’s Nanotechnology Master Plan and National Strategic Technology Framework
South Korea’s National Science and Technology Advisory Council approved the sixth nanotechnology master plan (2026‑2035) and an upgrade to its national strategic technology framework. The nanotech plan outlines 13 priority tasks and five first‑of‑its‑kind research areas, aiming to place the...
BioMar Funds Research and Development for Barramundi and Yellowtail Kingfish Aquaculture
Denmark‑based feed producer BioMar announced an expansion of its research and development portfolio to include warm‑water species, starting with barramundi and later yellowtail kingfish. The trials will be conducted at the Aquaculture Technology Centre in Hirtshals, which features 15 experimental...
Can NASA and SpaceX Really Build a Moon Base in the Next 10 Years?
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced a plan to begin building a permanent lunar base as early as 2027, aiming for a sustained human presence on the Moon. The proposal hinges on the Artemis program’s upcoming crewed missions, which are expected...
Just Look at the Spiral Exhaust Flame Thrown by This Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine
Astrobotic demonstrated its Chakram rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, delivering more than 4,000 lb of thrust. The engine ran for a total of 470 seconds, including a record‑setting 300‑second continuous burn, without damage. Three supersonic detonation...
Designing in Situ Power Stations for Future Mars Missions
A Chinese research team published a conceptual design for an in‑situ power station that would turn the thin, CO₂‑rich Martian atmosphere into heat and electricity for future crewed missions. The proposal combines atmospheric capture, a micro‑nuclear reactor, lithium‑Mars‑gas batteries, and...
Genome Editing Can Be Risky. Meet the Epigenome Editors
Scientists are turning to epigenome editors—tools that rewrite gene activity without altering the DNA sequence—to sidestep the safety concerns of traditional genome editing. By coupling dead Cas9 (dCas9) with epigenetic modifiers, researchers can turn genes on or off with high...
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Launches Viasat Communications Satellite
SpaceX successfully launched a Viasat communications satellite aboard its Falcon Heavy from Cape Canaveral, marking the rocket’s first flight in roughly 18 months. The mission reused both side boosters, which completed their 2nd and 22nd flights, and fairings on their...
New Nitride Magnets Let Electricity Flip Hidden Spin Patterns
Researchers have identified wurtzite‑type nitride compounds MnSiN₂ and MnGeN₂ as room‑temperature multiferroic altermagnets. First‑principles calculations show that reversing their ferroelectric polarization also reverses the non‑relativistic spin splitting, providing electric control of hidden spin patterns. The intrinsic switching barriers are 0.96 eV...
NASA JPL Fires 120‑kW Lithium‑Fed Thruster, Paving Way for Faster Mars Trips
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ignited a lithium‑fed magnetoplasmadynamic thruster at 120 kilowatts, the highest power level ever achieved by a U.S. electric propulsion system. The test demonstrates a key step toward megawatt‑class engines that could cut travel time for crewed...
The Forgotten Fuel That Could Power Shipping’s Future
Thorium molten‑salt reactors are emerging as a power source for shipping’s clean‑fuel supply chain. China’s TMSR‑LF1 proved experimental thorium breeding, while Denmark’s Copenhagen Atomics is mass‑producing 100 MWth container‑sized reactors aiming for sub‑$20/MWh electricity. Continuous high‑temperature output from shore‑based SMRs could...
Mimio Health’s Fasting‑Mimetic Supplement Cuts Cholesterol and Glucose in RCT
Mimio Health’s fasting‑mimetic supplement Mimio lowered total cholesterol, LDL, oxidized LDL and fasting glucose in an eight‑week, double‑blind trial of 42 older adults. The study, published in Scientific Reports, also reported improved appetite regulation and reduced abdominal discomfort, suggesting a...
Simple Treatment Tweak Drastically Reduces Blood Loss From Severe Cuts
Researchers at McGill University have engineered red blood cells to form rapid, durable clots, stopping severe bleeding in rat liver wounds within five seconds. Treated rats lost only 24 mg of blood versus nearly 2,000 mg in controls, and the clots remained...
Quantum Electrodynamics Calculations Now Bypass Troublesome Approximations
Physicists Alexander and Lev Sakhnovich at the University of Vienna have introduced secondary generalized scattering operators that rigorously handle linear divergences in quantum electrodynamics (QED). By redefining commutation relations and regularizing scattering operators, the method avoids the perturbative expansions that...
AbbVie Submits FDA NDA for Upadacitinib (RINVOQ) to Treat Severe Alopecia Areata
AbbVie announced it has submitted a new drug application to the U.S. FDA for upadacitinib (RINVOQ) in severe alopecia areata, based on Phase 3 results showing significant scalp hair regrowth. The filing targets both adult and adolescent patients, a population...
Ageing Forms Gene Network Linking Diseases via Two Pathways
Ageing isn't one disease, it's a network. Excited to share our latest study exploring the genetic links between ageing and age-related diseases 🧬 We show how shared pleiotropic genes connect disease clusters, revealing two distinct genetic architectures: one driven by ageing-related...
Proudly Acquiring Greek Edition of Quantum in Pictures
Finally got my hands on the Greek copy of Quantum in Pictures. Very proud of that, as there is the pre-Socratic connection. It is beautifully done. https://t.co/gegIrecerA
The Most Common Planets in the Galaxy Don't Appear Around the Most Common Stars, TESS Observations Suggest
Astronomers using NASA's TESS have found that sub‑Neptune planets virtually disappear around mid‑to‑late M dwarfs, the most common stars in the Milky Way. While sun‑like stars host both super‑Earths and sub‑Neptunes, the smaller, dimmer M dwarfs are dominated by super‑Earths....
Soyuz-5 Delays Echo Soyuz-2’s Five‑launch Failures
Those who losing patience with the Soyuz-5 might be interested to re-read our coverage 20 years ago of the notorious Soyuz-2/MetOp inaugural mission from Baikonur, which involved... five failed launch attempts: https://t.co/sO7SqYRt2Q https://t.co/wtHUQsyECC
Today's NASA Live Events: Menon Talk, CLPS Updates, Artemis 2
Coming up quickly (all times Eastern): 1:45 pm, NASA news conf w/astronaut Anil Menon (YouTube); 1:50 pm, 4 CLPS companies talks abt their upcoming missions at LSIC (webcast); 2:00 pm, Artemis 2 astronauts at White House (*possibly* on WH livestream).
Chromatic 3D Materials Fires 1,800‑psi 3D‑Printed Rocket Propellant Prototype
Chromatic 3D Materials announced that its RX‑AM printed propellant withstood static‑fire pressures above 1,800 psi at the IS4S range in Alabama, proving the material can match conventional performance while offering on‑demand, distributed production for 90% of the U.S. rocket fleet.
AI Turns Quantum Papers Into Executable Code
Is quantum vibe coding a thing yet? I talk to @ClassiqTech about how they're using AI to take users from a quantum computing scientific paper to running code in this episode of The Post-Quantum World. Watch below or listen wherever...
Polygenic Scores Predict Cardiovascular Risk, but Remain Unused Clinically
Polygenic risk scores for 8 cardiovascular traits in both @MassGenBrigham and @AllofUsResearch—superimposable— strongly indicate risk. Yet still not implemented in clinical practice https://t.co/DwWpwXknbJ
Quantum Programs Now Bypass Circuit Expansion with New Translation Pipeline
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have created a transpilation pipeline that converts OpenQASM 3.0 programs directly into CUDA‑Q C++ kernels for NVIDIA GPUs. By bypassing static circuit expansion, the framework reduces quantum circuit depth by up to 40% and lowers...
Daytime Napping and Mortality Association in Older Adults
A JAMA Network Open study of 1,338 older adults used wrist actigraphy to objectively measure daytime napping patterns and found that longer nap duration and higher nap frequency are linked to increased all‑cause mortality. Each additional hour of napping adds...
New Findings About Exoplanets Challenge Theories of Planet Formation
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered a cohort of twelve rocky exoplanets that possess thick water‑vapor atmospheres, a combination previously thought unlikely. The planets orbit their stars at extreme inclinations and at distances that defy conventional protoplanetary‑disk...
Quantum Calculations Succeed Despite Statistical Noise, Not Instability
Oliveira and colleagues demonstrate that statistical sampling noise, not ill‑conditioning, is the primary source of error in quantum Krylov subspace methods used to estimate ground‑state energies. They introduce two novel metrics—imaginary and unitary filters—that flag unreliable eigenvalues without any prior...
MIT Team Unveils Magnetically‑controlled Soft Hydrogel Microrobots for Medical Use
Researchers from MIT, EPFL and the University of Cincinnati have 3D‑printed soft magnetic hydrogel structures that transform into microrobots controllable by external magnets. The “magno‑bots” can deform and grip at sub‑millimeter scales, opening pathways for biopsy retrieval and targeted drug...
Monarch Quantum and Oratomic Team Up to Build Fault‑Tolerant Qubits by 2030
Monarch Quantum will act as the photonics integrator for Oratomic’s neutral‑atom platform, targeting systems with tens of thousands of physical qubits that encode thousands of logical qubits by the end of the decade. The deal aims to cut the qubit...
Biology Is Becoming Predictive
The Zuckerberg-backed Biohub is allocating $500 million over five years to build AI models that can predict cellular behavior and disease trajectories. Researchers are creating "virtual cell" simulations that forecast how genes, drugs, and environmental changes affect cells, moving biology from...
Study: Unsweetened Coffee Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease. Sweetened? Not So Much
A new analysis of 173,614 UK Biobank participants found that drinking two to three cups of unsweetened coffee daily lowers cardiovascular disease risk by about 15% compared with non‑drinkers. The protective effect follows a U‑shaped curve, with higher or lower...
Astrobotic Sets Record with 470‑Second Rotating‑Detonation Engine Test
Astrobotic successfully operated its twin Chakram rotating‑detonation rocket engines for a total of 470 seconds, including a 300‑second continuous burn, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The test, the longest ever for an RDRE design, moves the company closer to...
Milk Exosomes Transform Therapeutic Bioprocessing
Milk-derived extracellular vesicles, known as milk exosomes, are emerging as a biocompatible platform for therapeutic delivery. Researchers have loaded the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib into exosomes (mEXOs@TOF) for ulcerative colitis, achieving high drug‑loading efficiency, stability and strong anti‑inflammatory effects without toxicity....
Weird 'Transdimensional' State of Matter Is neither 2D nor 3D
Physicists at Nanjing University have identified a new quantum state of matter they term the transdimensional anomalous Hall effect (TDAHE). In carbon films only 2–5 nm thick, electrons exhibit simultaneous horizontal and vertical looping motions when subjected to two perpendicular magnetic...
Hopes Raised for More Sustainable Oligonucleotide Manufacturing
QurAlis CTO Hagen Cramer says enzymatic synthesis could make large‑scale oligonucleotide production far more sustainable than the solvent‑intensive solid‑phase method. While solid‑phase synthesis remains fast and automated, it generates high process mass intensity due to extensive solvent washes. Enzymatic, aqueous‑based...
Heavy Substance Use in Early Adulthood Predicts Memory Problems Decades Later
A longitudinal study of over 16,000 Americans tracked from high school in the 1970s‑1990s found that heavy alcohol, cannabis, or cigarette use in early adulthood predicts poorer self‑rated memory in midlife (ages 50‑65). The researchers defined heavy use as 20+...