Today's Science Pulse
Hidden Star Clusters Discovered Deep Inside Nearby Galaxies
A UK‑led study using VLA and ALMA data uncovered previously hidden giant star clusters deep within nearby galaxies, describing them as “ring factories.” The findings highlight how young stellar activity shapes galactic evolution across the universe.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Foundation Alloy raises $22M Series A
A New Generation of Climate Leaders Is Our Last Hope
The Trump administration rolled back the EPA's endangerment finding, stripping a key tool for limiting fossil‑fuel emissions. Recent extreme weather—from record‑cold winter storms to the hottest western winter—underscores accelerating climate risks, while the U.S.-Israel-Iran war added roughly five million tons of CO₂, comparable to a mid‑sized nation's annual output. Amid policy setbacks, a new wave of youth activists is filing lawsuits and organizing protests, seeking to force governments toward renewable energy and climate justice. Global renewable markets are expanding rapidly in Africa, China and India, highlighting a divergent path from U.S. policy.
Study Finds Berberine, Curcumin and Blackcurrant May Boost Hot‑Weather Workout Performance
Researchers at High Point University identified three dietary supplements—berberine, curcumin and blackcurrant—that reduced body temperature and heart rate in hot‑weather exercise trials. Doses ranged from 500 mg to 1.5 g over a week, and the findings suggest a short‑term strategy for athletes...
OM in the News: Making Renewable Natural Gas Directly From Waste
Washington State University researchers added a high‑temperature, high‑pressure oxygen pretreatment to sewage sludge before anaerobic digestion, tripling renewable natural gas (RNG) yields and cutting treatment costs by about 50% to $253 per ton of dry solids. The method converts up...
Scientists Identify BTSP, a Neuroplasticity Mechanism for One‑Shot Learning
Neuroscientists have unveiled behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity (BTSP), a newly described form of neuroplasticity that can create lasting memories after a single experience. The discovery, detailed in recent reviews in The Journal of Neuroscience and Nature Neuroscience, could transform approaches...
Slowing Breath Sharpens Emotion Perception, Taiwan Study Finds
Researchers at National Taiwan University discovered that deliberately slowing breathing to an eight‑second cycle enhances participants' ability to discern fearful versus neutral facial expressions. Published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, the study ties a core meditation practice to measurable...
Scientists Say They’ve Tested a Way to Get to Alpha Centauri in Just 20 Years
Researchers at Texas A&M University have demonstrated a laser‑propelled micro‑device called a metajet that can move in three dimensions without physical contact. The metajet’s metasurface pattern redirects incoming light, converting photon momentum into thrust, a principle the team says can...
Study Links Bone Marrow Fat to Immune‑Driven Bone Loss in Obesity
A team led by Dr. Clifford J. Rosen and Dr. Sergey Ryzhov published a March 20, 2026 study showing that expanded bone‑marrow adipose tissue triggers PD‑L1‑mediated immune suppression and accelerates osteoclast formation in obese mice. Genetic or pharmacologic reduction of...
Can Electric Air Taxis Carry Passengers? Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 Just Cleared a Key Test
Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL completed a piloted transition test on April 14, 2026, proving it can shift from vertical lift to wing‑borne cruise and back. The flight was conducted under the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s oversight, positioning the prototype as a...
X‑Energy Secures Over $1 Billion in IPO to Accelerate SMR Rollout
X‑Energy sold 44.3 million shares at $23 each, raising more than $1 billion in its IPO. The funding will fast‑track the Xe‑100 small modular reactor program, backing contracts with Amazon, Dow and Centrica and expanding the company’s 11 GW pipeline.
Research Shows This Underconsumed Fat Improves Inflammation
A recent review in *Nutrients* confirms that increasing omega‑3 fatty acids can markedly reduce systemic inflammation, a condition affecting roughly 34.6% of Americans. Meta‑analyses across 45 studies show improvements in insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, triglycerides and HbA1c, while higher‑dose EPA/DHA (over...
MIT‑Tokyo Team Boosts Carbon Nanotube Conductivity to Within 15% of Copper
Researchers at MIT and the University of Tokyo have unveiled a polyethyleneimine (PEI) chemical dopant that lifts metallic carbon‑nanotube bundles’ conductivity by 40%, reaching 5.8×10⁷ S/m—just 15% shy of annealed copper. The breakthrough, published in Science, promises lighter, corrosion‑resistant interconnects for...
Amazon to Acquire Globalstar for $11.6B, Targeting Starlink Rivalry
Amazon announced a $11.57 billion deal to buy Globalstar, securing spectrum, satellites and global licenses. The move is aimed at building a next‑generation Leo network that can compete with SpaceX’s Starlink and extend Amazon’s e‑commerce logistics into remote areas.
GitHub Analysis Debunks Claimed Quantum Attack on Elliptic-Curve Cryptography
A GitHub repository that claimed a quantum key‑recovery attack on elliptic‑curve cryptography using IBM Quantum hardware has been shown to work without any quantum processor. The analysis demonstrates that the reported successes on 17‑bit curves stem from classical random sampling,...
Astrobotic Fires 4,000‑lb RDRE Prototype, Marking First Hot‑fire of Rotating Detonation Engine
Space startup Astrobotic successfully hot‑fired its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) prototype, delivering more than 4,000 pounds of thrust for a 300‑second burn and a total of 470 seconds across two engines. The test, conducted at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight...
What If Fourteen Risk Factors Explained Nearly Half of All Dementia, and You Could Change Every One?
A 2024 international commission report found that 45% of global dementia cases are linked to 14 modifiable risk factors, up from 40% in the 2020 review. The updated list adds high LDL cholesterol and untreated vision loss and emphasizes that...
New Psychology Research Reveals Your Face Might Determine How Easily People Remember Your Name
A new study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology shows that highly memorable faces significantly improve recall of associated names, while equally memorable scene photographs do not. Researchers paired 120 face images—half deemed memorable, half forgettable—with common first names and...
Obesity Treatment: Still Judging After All These Years
A new study in Scientific Reports surveyed roughly 1,200 adults in the United States, United Kingdom and Belgium to examine how people judge individuals who lose weight with GLP‑1 obesity medicines versus lifestyle changes alone. Participants perceived medication‑assisted weight loss...
This Brain Pathway May Reduce Pain Without Medication, Study Shows
Researchers at UC San Diego identified a neural circuit linking the prefrontal cortex to the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray that mediates placebo‑like pain relief in mice. Activating this pathway through learned expectation produced 30‑60% of the analgesic effect of morphine, an...
Criminalisation of Climate Protesters in UK Is Counterproductive, Research Finds
A new study of 1,300 UK climate activists finds that criminalising non‑violent protest – through arrests, fines and prison sentences – actually heightens participants' determination to engage in disruptive actions. Those who have been jailed or fined report less fear...
The Next El Niño Could Lock Earth Into a Hotter Climate
Scientists warn that a strong El Niño within the next 12‑18 months could push global average temperatures to about 1.7 °C above pre‑industrial levels, surpassing the 1.5 °C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. The phenomenon, termed a “super El Niño,” is defined by sea‑surface‑temperature...
The Sky Today on Saturday, April 25: The Moon Meets Regulus
On the evening of April 25, 2024 the waxing gibbous Moon will pass within 0.2° of Regulus, the bright star at the heart of Leo. For observers across the eastern United States, the Moon will actually occult Regulus, briefly hiding the star...
Climate-Resilient Farming in the Age of Extremes
India’s agriculture, which employs 42 % of the workforce and adds 18 % to GDP, is facing record climate volatility. Unseasonal rain and hail affected 29 of the first 38 pre‑monsoon days across 24 states, and March saw crop damage on 65,000...
A School-Based Vaccination Campaign with Trivalent Live Attenuated Intranasal Vaccine (tLAIV) During the 2024–2025 Influenza Season in Two Schools of...
A school‑based campaign offered the trivalent live attenuated intranasal influenza vaccine (tLAIV) to children aged 3‑11 in two Palermo schools during the 2024‑25 season. Of the 2,140 eligible students, 415 were vaccinated, yielding a 19.4 % adherence rate that varied by...
Scientists Just Found What Keeps Plant Cells From Growing Out of Control
Researchers discovered that the membrane‑shaping protein PEX11 controls peroxisome size during the seed‑to‑seedling stage in Arabidopsis. Using CRISPR to delete all five PEX11 genes, they observed giant peroxisomes that failed to shrink because vesicle formation was impaired. Introducing yeast Pex11...
Anti‑inflammatory Diets Curb Neuroinflammation via Gut‑brain Axis
The relationship between dietary patterns and neuroinflammation "These nutritional changes contribute to a pro-inflammatory brain environment both directly, through the immunomodulatory effects of dietary components and metabolites, and indirectly, through increased intestinal permeability, dysbiosis, and activation of peripheral inflammatory cascades. Conversely, nutritional...
Epigenetic Plasticity Enables Precision Targeting of Senescent Cells
Epigenetic regulation of cellular senescence "This review proposes a roadmap for leveraging epigenetic plasticity, offering a precision medicine approach to target specific senescent cell populations and extend health span." https://t.co/UAuBP8WEeR https://t.co/i0XzhPM0NB
Pesticide Exposure May Relate to Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults
Researchers at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology identified epigenetic signatures linking diet, smoking and the herbicide picloram to early‑onset colorectal cancer. By analyzing DNA methylation patterns, they created exposure risk scores that correlated higher picloram use in U.S. counties...
Machine Creates Real Diamonds in Just Ten Days
Machine Grows Real Diamonds in Just 10 Days by @tweetciiiim #Innovation #EmergingTech #TechForGood #Technology https://t.co/rKTOdeYcLn
Cisco Unveils Room‑temperature Universal Quantum Switch Prototype
.@Cisco develops universal quantum switch that operates at room temperature https://t.co/z7nSglKoMH Cisco has developed a research prototype of a universal quantum switch that can route quantum information between systems while preserving it.
Frequent or Longer Naps in Older Age May Signal Declining Health, Study Suggests
A long‑term JAMA Network Open study of 1,338 older adults found that longer and more frequent daytime naps, especially in the morning, are linked to higher mortality. Each additional hour of napping raised death risk by 13%, and each extra...
Keto May Work Best for Sending Diabetes Into Remission: Here's Why
A recent 12‑week study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society compared a ketogenic (high‑fat, low‑carb) diet with a low‑fat diet in 51 adults aged 55‑62 with type 2 diabetes. Both groups lost weight, but the keto group exhibited a...
The Beloved Emperor Penguin & Antarctic Fur Seal Are Now Officially Endangered. Here’s What Can Be Done.
Emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals have been added to the IUCN Red List as endangered, marking the first time a penguin and a pinniped have received this status in the Southern Ocean. The designations reflect steep population declines driven...
The Link Between Whales In The Andes & Climate Change
Researchers at the University of Arizona documented more than 40 Miocene whale and marine‑mammal fossils at Cerro Ballena in Chile’s Altacama Desert, establishing the site as the world’s largest whale‑fossil concentration. The study links a pulse of volcanic ash from intense...
Clinical Trial Finds No Difference in Fluid Treatment Options for Pediatric Sepsis
A NIH‑backed trial involving more than 9,000 children across five countries compared balanced crystalloid fluid with standard 0.9% saline for pediatric septic shock. The study found no significant differences in mortality, persistent kidney dysfunction, or need for renal‑replacement therapy between...
Hubble Telescope Launched Into Space on April 24, 1990
#ThisDayInTechHistory. April 24, 1990. The Hubble Telescope gets launched into space. (WJZ) #Space #History https://t.co/hOfa5LGz4b
Rice Engineers Turn Dead Spiders Into Necrobotic Grippers
Dead Spiders Reanimated as Necrobotic Grippers by Rice University Engineers by @IntEngineering #Innovation #TechForGood #EmergingTech #Technology https://t.co/mMBuXXIbmj
Neurava Secures $4M NIH Blueprint Award to Build First SUDEP Risk Algorithm
Neurava Inc., a Baltimore‑based medtech startup, was granted a $4 million NIH Blueprint MedTech Optimizer award to create a quantitative algorithm that predicts Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). The four‑year funding will fund algorithm development, validation and integration with Neurava’s...
The Most Energetic Neutrino Ever Detected Could Be Primordial
In February 2023 the KM3NeT telescope recorded neutrino KM3‑230213A, the most energetic particle of its kind ever observed at an estimated 220 PeV. The collaboration published a *Nature* paper describing the event and outlining four broad source categories—galactic, local‑universe, transient, and extragalactic—without...
Zinc‑Doped Tin Oxide Matches ITO in Tandem Cells
Perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells using zinc-doped tin oxide achieve comparable performance to indium tin oxide counterparts #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/Mpz8WZZ3s4 https://t.co/6Q7tr34wZP
JAXA’s OrigamiSat‑2 Expands 25‑Fold in Orbit, Showcasing Deployable CubeSat Tech
Japan’s space agency launched OrigamiSat‑2 on April 23, and the 10‑cm CubeSat unfurled a reflectarray antenna 25‑times larger in orbit. The demonstration validates Miura‑fold mechanisms for low‑cost, high‑performance small satellites, a potential game‑changer for commercial and scientific missions.
U.S. Space Force Awards up to $3.2 Billion to 12 Firms for Golden Dome Orbital Interceptor Program
The U.S. Space Force announced contracts worth up to $3.2 billion for 12 companies to build prototypes of space‑based interceptors under the Golden Dome program. The awards, made via Other Transaction Authority agreements, aim to demonstrate an initial capability by 2028...
NASA Deploys Modified Boeing 777 as Its Largest Research Aircraft for Earth Science
NASA has taken delivery of a Boeing 777, extensively re‑engineered by L3Harris, to replace its aging DC‑8 fleet. The aircraft can carry 75,000 pounds of scientific gear, stay aloft for 18 hours at 43,000 feet, and host up to 100...
Hybrid SECCM‑Raman System Captures Nanoscale Changes in Lithium‑Ion Battery Materials
Akichika Kumatani’s team unveiled an operando platform that merges scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) with Raman spectroscopy, delivering simultaneous electrochemical and structural data on lithium‑iron‑phosphate cathodes. The breakthrough promises atomic‑scale insight into battery charge‑discharge mechanisms and broader electrochemical interfaces.
Rise Nano Optics Lands First U.S. Lab Partner to Launch SPECTRAGUARD™ Nanophotonic Lenses
Rise Nano Optics Ltd. has signed its first U.S. laboratory partnership with Sierra Optical Lab in Reno, Nevada, to bring its FDA‑registered Class I SPECTRAGUARD™ nanophotonic lens treatment to market. The deal gives the Canadian nanotech firm a foothold in...
FAA Grounds Blue Origin’s New Glenn After Satellite Mis‑orbit
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket after its upper stage placed AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite into an off‑nominal orbit on April 19, 2026. The incident cancels the first reuse of a New Glenn booster and triggers a mandatory...
Inhaled Treprostinil Improves FVC in IPF Phase 3 Trial: Steven D. Nathan, MD
A phase 3 double‑blind trial (TETON‑2) evaluated inhaled treprostinil in 539 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients and demonstrated a statistically significant preservation of forced vital capacity versus placebo. At 52 weeks, the treprostinil arm showed a median FVC decline of –49.9 mL compared with...
JWST Images Reveal Cosmic “Buckyball” Birthplace in Distant Nebula
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a thin, spherical shell in planetary nebula Tc 1 where buckminsterfullerenes—known as buckyballs—are concentrated. The discovery provides the first detailed view of a cosmic environment that actively creates these complex carbon molecules,...
Late-Night Eating Boosts Gut Problems in Stressed Americans, Study Finds
Researchers analyzing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data found that Americans who consume more than a quarter of their daily calories after 9 p.m. and have high physiological stress are 1.7 times more likely to experience constipation or diarrhea. The American...
Leukemia Survivor Runs London Marathon, Celebrates 30‑Year Survival and Fatherhood
Josh Catford, 30, will run the London Marathon this Sunday to raise money for Anthony Nolan, marking 30 years since he survived infant leukemia and celebrating his recent transition to fatherhood. The Dorset‑based category manager hopes the race will inspire more stem‑cell...
Boston University Uncovers Bird Neuron Tunneling, a New Path for Human Brain Repair
Boston University scientists revealed that 68% of newborn neurons in zebra finches tunnel directly through existing brain tissue, a mechanism that may explain limited adult human neurogenesis. Funded by a $1.2 million NINDS grant, the study offers a fresh target for...