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
Science News This Week: Physicists Witness Faster-than-Light Darkness Pinpricks, Humans Are Still Evolving, and some Polar Bears Are Getting Fatter...
Scientists reported the first observation of singularities in combined light and sound waves that travel faster than light, a breakthrough that could unveil hidden processes across physics, chemistry and biology. In parallel, researchers captured quantum entanglement between two moving atoms, opening new pathways toward a unified theory. A large genetic study of West Eurasians revealed ongoing human evolution, with increased frequencies of light skin, red hair and resistance to HIV and leprosy over the past 10,000 years. Additional findings include evidence that lobsters experience pain, prompting animal‑welfare debates, and reports that some polar bears are accumulating record body fat as they adapt to shrinking sea ice.
Prostate Cancer: A PSA on PSA
Prostate cancer mortality is stalling as advanced‑stage diagnoses climb in the United States and Canada, a trend linked to the 2008‑2012 USPSTF move away from routine PSA screening. New evidence shows that refined PSA strategies—tracking PSA velocity and PSA density—combined...
Shredded Star Near Black Hole May Illuminate Entire Galaxy, New Study Finds
A new astrophysical study shows that when a star is torn apart by a supermassive black hole, the resulting tidal disruption event can generate enough energy to light up an entire galaxy. The findings shed light on rare, galaxy‑scale high‑energy...
Study at European Obesity Congress Disproves Childhood Adiposity Rebound Theory
Researchers led by Professor Andrew Agbaje presented data at the European Congress on Obesity that overturns the 42‑year‑old adiposity rebound theory. Using waist‑to‑height ratios, the study argues that rising muscle mass, not a rebound in body fat, explains BMI patterns...
Pfizer Unveils Nanoparticle Platform to Target Tumors, Reduce Side Effects
Pfizer said today its Targeted Therapeutics Unit in Oncology R&D is advancing a nanotechnology platform that uses engineered nanoparticles to deliver drugs straight to cancer cells. The approach is designed to boost efficacy while cutting the collateral damage typical of...
Blue Origin Sets Sunday New Glenn Launch with AST SpaceMobile Broadband Satellite
Blue Origin will launch its New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket Sunday from Launch Complex 36, carrying AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 broadband satellite. The mission also aims to recover the first‑stage booster, a key step toward routine reusability.
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on THE EDGE OF SPACE-TIME
In this episode, theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein discusses her work in particle cosmology, especially dark matter and neutron star astrophysics, while weaving together science, literature, and pop culture. She explains how metaphors—from Genesis to Star Trek to poetry—help translate...
There Are Genes Linked to Being Physically Fit—And They Might Help Prevent Disease
A new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise examined genetic variants that predispose individuals to higher cardiorespiratory fitness. Analyzing data from multiple long‑term cohorts, researchers identified 34 statistically significant links between fitness‑related genes and health outcomes,...
Space‑based Datacenters Will Dwarf Earth GPUs, Boost Security
Tonight I hung out with an entrepreneur who is building https://t.co/1tXBvxF3GP Datacenters in Space. He is putting 42,000 up over next few years. All put in space by @SpaceX And all packets will go through @Starlink. GPU inside made by @nvidia. He said the Vera...
Protein‑rich Breakfast
Big breakfast diet composition impacts on appetite control and gut health: a randomized weight loss trial in adults with overweight or obesity "The HPWL diet was superior to the HFWL diet for suppressing subjective appetite (P=0.003). The faecal microbiota analysis showed beneficial...
Severe Malaria May Affect Children’s Cognitive Abilities More than a Decade Later
A long‑term Ugandan cohort study of nearly 1,000 children shows that survivors of cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia score lower on cognitive and math tests up to 15 years after infection. The deficits translate to a loss of roughly...
SpaceX to Attempt 600th Falcon Booster Landing Amid West Coast Starlink Mission
SpaceX is set to attempt its 600th Falcon 9 booster landing during the Starlink 17-22 mission scheduled for Sunday, April 19, from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The flight will use booster B1097, now on its seventh flight, to deploy 25...
The Rosalind Franklin Paradox: NASA Signs a Launch Contract for a Mission the White House Wants to Kill
NASA’s Launch Services Program approved the Rosalind Franklin Support and Augmentation (ROSA) project and signed a $175.7 million Falcon Heavy contract to launch ESA’s Mars rover in late 2028. The contract provides U.S. braking engines, radioisotope heater units and a mass spectrometer to...
Kansas Amateur Astronomer Gary Hug Discovers and Names Asteroid 6969 Krypto After Superman’s Legendary Super-Dog
Gary Hug, a Kansas‑based amateur astronomer, discovered and secured the permanent designation for main‑belt asteroid (6969) Krypto, a 3‑5 km rock. Using his 22‑inch reflector at the Sandlot Observatory, he submitted precise astrometry to the IAU’s Minor Planet Center, which approved the...
Pfizer Vaccine Safe, Effective in Juvenile Inflammatory Disease
A multi‑center trial published this week confirms that Pfizer's mRNA COVID‑19 vaccine is both safe and effective for children suffering from juvenile inflammatory diseases such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The study tracked 312 participants aged 5‑17,...
Hazel Szeto, SS-31 Peptide, the World's First FDA-Approved Mitochondria-Targeted Drug (Longevity Summit, 2025)
SS‑31 (elamipretide), the first FDA‑approved mitochondria‑targeted drug, is being promoted on TikTok as a vision enhancer, despite its approval only for a rare mitochondrial disease. Clinical data for age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) show the drug failed to meet endpoints, with...
Exercise Triggers More Brain-Boosting Protein in Fit People
A 2026 Brain Research study found that only after a 12‑week fitness program do sedentary adults show a marked increase in brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during exercise. The rise in BDNF correlated with higher VO2 max scores and translated into faster...
Unique Risks and Injuries in Preterm PAIS, CSVT
A 2026 study by M. Dunbar in Pediatric Research reveals that preterm infants with Perinatal Arterial Ischemic Stroke (PAIS) and Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis (CSVT) display distinct injury patterns and risk profiles compared with term newborns. Using advanced MRI, diffusion‑weighted imaging...
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte-to-Platelet Ratio Predicts Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Heart Failure Patients
A retrospective analysis of 3,942 critically ill heart‑failure patients from the MIMIC‑IV database found that the neutrophil‑to‑lymphocyte‑to‑platelet ratio (NLPR) is a strong predictor of acute kidney injury (AKI). Overall, 86.5% of the cohort developed AKI, and those in the highest...
Late Diagnosis of Hepatitis B and C Remains a Global Challenge
A systematic review of 22 studies finds that late diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B and C remains widespread, affecting 11‑70% of HCV cases and 15‑51% of HBV cases. Older age, male sex, diabetes, alcohol misuse, and limited healthcare engagement are...
Fabrication of Fluorine Doped Ti/SnO2-Sb/α-PbO2/F-Doped Β-PbO2 Electrode and Optimized Treatment of Dye Wastewater Using Response Surface Methodology in Plate and...
Researchers fabricated a fluorine‑doped β‑PbO₂ electrode that exhibits a 1.81 V oxygen evolution potential and an accelerated life of 32 hours, delivering superior decolorization of methylene‑blue dye wastewater. Using response‑surface methodology, they modeled the effects of current density, electrolyte concentration, pH and...
Trump Expected to Loosen Restrictions on Psychedelic Drugs
President Trump is set to sign an executive order that will loosen federal restrictions on psychedelic drugs such as LSD, ecstasy and psilocybin. The order earmarks $50 million for state‑level ibogaine research, with Texas slated to receive the first grant. It...
Trump Pushes Lunar Nuclear Reactor Despite Past Mishaps
Trump wants a nuclear fisson reactor orbiting the moon by 2028. This is not a joke either. The U.S. launched a nuclear reactor into orbit in 1965, but space-based nuclear programs were abandoned after radioactive releases. 🤦♂️ Given the supreme dedication...
Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association Wins Global Award for Pollution‑Tracking Tool
The Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association (SDEA) received an international award for its new tool that quantifies data‑center emissions. The recognition comes as Swiss data centres consume roughly 7% of national electricity and are projected to double their share by 2030,...
Natural History, Hospitalizations and Mortality Causes in ATTRv V30M Amyloidosis in an Endemic European Cohort
A retrospective study of 55 deceased Mallorca patients with the V30M transthyretin amyloidosis variant revealed a median diagnosis age of 68.5 years and a median survival of 70 months. Most (78%) displayed combined neurological and cardiac disease, and 42% had...
UCL Researchers Show Quantum‑Enhanced AI Beats Classical Models by 20% on Fluid Dynamics
University College London scientists have demonstrated that an AI model trained with quantum‑derived patterns predicts complex fluid dynamics 20% more accurately than conventional AI, while using hundreds of times less memory. The breakthrough, published in Science Advances, signals a practical...
IBM Urges Immediate Shift to Quantum‑Safe Crypto as Quantum PCs Near Breakthrough
IBM announced that fault‑tolerant quantum computers may reach cryptographic relevance by the end of the decade, prompting the company to accelerate its quantum‑safe roadmap. The tech giant highlighted its role in co‑authoring three of four NIST post‑quantum algorithms in 2024...
U.S. Space Force Grants Initial AMTI Contracts to Nine Firms, Expanding Orbital Services Base
The U.S. Space Force announced that nine companies have received initial Other Transaction Agreements to develop a satellite constellation for airborne moving target indication (AMTI). While contract values remain undisclosed, the awards mark the first step in a multi‑vendor “system‑of‑systems”...
SpaceX Schedules Vandenberg Starlink Launch, Residents Brace for Sonic Booms
SpaceX will lift off 25 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 18, 2026, using a Falcon 9 with a four‑hour launch window beginning at 7 a.m. PT. The company warned residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura...
How Nanomedicine Gets Inside Your Cells and Treats You From the Inside Out
Nanomedicine is moving from concept to clinic as researchers use lipid‑nanoparticle carriers to deliver synthetic mRNA and siRNA directly into patient cells. The approach lets liver cells produce missing proteins such as factor VIII for hemophilia A, while silencing harmful proteins like...
Genetic IL6R Blockade Shows No Impact on Disease or Longevity
Genetic interleukin-6 receptor blockade, chronic disease risk, and longevity: results from the women’s health initiative "Genetic IL6R blockade was not associated with incident chronic-disease risk, including invasive cancer and longevity, in a large, ethnically diverse cohort of postmenopausal women. No significant...
Sweetener and Plastic Microplastics Trigger Worm Obesity
Sucralose and PMMA Microplastics Synergistically Induce Obesity with Altered Locomotion and Metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans https://t.co/TExtjah4cV
Modeling and Prediction of Laser Cladding Layer Morphology with Deep Learning
Researchers have developed a deep‑learning model, termed ESFM, to predict laser‑cladding layer quality. The model leverages EfficientNetV2 enhanced with ShuffleNetV2 channel‑shuffle blocks and is trained on an augmented dataset of molten‑pool images. Validation shows the ESFM network reaches 96 % classification...
Implantable Islet Cells May Eliminate Insulin Injections
Implantable islet cells could control diabetes without insulin injections by Anne Trafton @MIT Learn more: https://t.co/aPCxukXMW1 #MedTech #HealthTech #Tech #TechForGood https://t.co/IwjlYaJitu
PFAS Exposure Linked to Faster Biological Aging in Men
Aging process could accelerate due to 'forever chemicals' exposure, study finds Higher concentrations of PFAS chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups https://t.co/ZClEw0Gj1p https://t.co/tYBTJTmlt9
Structural, Morphological, Optical and Photocatalytic Properties of ZnO50%-CdO50% Mixed-Oxide Nanoparticles
Researchers used a sonochemical route, with and without lemon‑extract capping, to produce equimolar ZnO‑50%‑CdO‑50% mixed‑oxide nanoparticles. X‑ray diffraction confirmed a hexagonal wurtzite lattice distorted by Cd incorporation, while electron microscopy showed particle sizes shrinking from ~62 nm (uncapped) to ~17 nm (capped)....
Exercise Activates Hypothalamic SF1 Neurons, Boosting Endurance
Exercise-induced activation of ventromedial hypothalamic steroidogenic factor-1 neurons mediates improvements in endurance 👉 “ These results demonstrate that exercise-induced hypothalamic SF1 neuron activity is essential for the coordination of physiological improvements following exercise training.” https://t.co/qLowm6sETh
Light‑activated Gel Advances Ionotronic Wearables and Soft Robotics
Light-activated gel could impact wearables, soft robotics, and more “New MIT work advances the growing field of ionotronics, in which data are transferred through ions, potentially providing a bridge between electronics and biological tissue.” https://t.co/BayczCUVKC https://t.co/ngp4uTvHqe
Asteroid Apophis Will Pass Close To Earth In 2029
NASA confirmed that near‑Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis will swing past Earth on 13 April 2029 at a distance of roughly 20 km, close enough to be visible to the naked eye and to pose a temporary hazard to low‑Earth‑orbit satellites. Discovered in 2004...
Warmer Waters Accelerate Fish Life Histories, Shorten Lifespans
Mixed Support for the Temperature-Size Rule in Wild Freshwater Fishes "...We also found evidence that faster life histories in warmer environments are associated with reduced lifespans..." https://t.co/oJtqRUD2o6
Untitled
The NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 16, 2026 showcases the "South Celestial Tree," a time‑lapse shot taken in Padre Bernardo, Brazil. The image captures stars tracing a 24‑hour circle around the empty southern celestial pole, illustrating how the Southern Cross...
Trump Administration to Review Ibogaine for PTSD, Opens Federal Research Path
President Trump is set to sign an executive order this week that will direct federal agencies to study ibogaine, a psychedelic currently classified as a Schedule I drug, for its potential to treat PTSD and traumatic brain injury. The move does...
Two Weeks Offline Boosts Mental Health, Reverses Decline
Two weeks without mobile internet improved mental health more than antidepressants and reversed roughly 10 years of attentional decline. Screen time dropped 49% (314 to 161 min/day). https://t.co/9sU6ZFXDCr
STScI Launches Roman Research Nexus Cloud Platform for Upcoming Telescope
The Space Telescope Science Institute, in partnership with NASA and Caltech/IPAC, has released the Roman Research Nexus, a cloud‑hosted science platform that streams simulated data from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The service is live now, preparing researchers for...
High‑Fiber Breakfast Trims More Weight Than High‑Protein, Study Shows
A randomized crossover trial in Taiwan found that a high‑fiber breakfast diet produced about 1 kg more weight loss than a high‑protein breakfast over 71 days, while also boosting beneficial gut bacteria. The high‑protein regimen, however, suppressed appetite more effectively. The...
UCSF Pushes Forward Treg Cell Therapy to Prevent Type 1 Diabetes
UCSF scientists are advancing a regulatory T‑cell (Treg) therapy aimed at preventing type 1 diabetes, leveraging the center’s legacy of biomarker discovery and the 2022 FDA‑approved drug Teplizumab. The approach could reduce reliance on lifelong insulin and immunosuppressive drugs, a key...
Mast Reforestation Sells Out 4,277 Carbon Credits in Six Weeks
Mast Reforestation announced that its Montana biomass burial project, MT1, sold 100% of its 4,277 carbon removal credits in under six weeks. Purchasers included Bain & Company, BMO, RBC and other corporate buyers, underscoring rapid demand for high‑integrity climate solutions.
UCB to Acquire Neurona Therapeutics for Up to $1.15 Billion, Boosting Epilepsy Portfolio
Belgian biopharma UCB announced a deal to buy U.S.‑based Neurona Therapeutics for up to $1.15 billion, with $650 million paid upfront and up to $500 million in milestones. The acquisition strengthens UCB’s epilepsy franchise and is expected to lift adjusted EBITDA into the...
Sabi Unveils Brain‑Reading Beanie with Up to 100,000 Sensors
Silicon Valley startup Sabi announced a wearable beanie that decodes imagined speech into on‑screen text, targeting release by the end of the year. The device packs 70,000‑100,000 EEG sensors and leverages a large‑scale AI model trained on 100,000 hours of...
Endobronchial Valves Offer New Hope for Severe COPD Patients
Pulmonx's Zephyr endobronchial valves, approved by the FDA in 2018, are giving severe COPD patients a minimally invasive way to regain lung function. More than 40,000 people worldwide have received the treatment, and a New Jersey patient recently reported walking...