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
Response To: “Re-Examining Interneuron-Specific Nrp2 Deletion: Overlooked Striatal and Cortical Contributions”
The authors of a 2025 Molecular Psychiatry paper on neuropilin‑2 (Nrp2) loss in inhibitory neurons issued a formal response to a comment that questioned whether their findings overlooked striatal and cortical contributions to autism‑related behaviors and seizures. They emphasize that extrahippocampal effects were already examined and discussed in their original manuscript. The exchange highlights ongoing debate over the precise neural circuits affected by Nrp2 deletion. The correspondence reaffirms the robustness of their experimental design and conclusions.
Appendix Presence Linked to Longer Lifespans Across Mammals
The cecal appendix is correlated with greater maximal longevity in mammals “We found, through analyses of data on 258 mammalian species, that cecal appendix presence is correlated with increased maximal observed longevity… . In addition, we show that the cecal appendix...
India’s Solar Capacity Hits 150 GW, Installations Surge 87%
India has now passed 150GWs of solar, with annual installations increasing a whopping 87% this year.
The Future of the Artemis Program
NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully completed a 700,000‑mile lunar flyby and splashed down off California, marking the United States’ return to crewed deep‑space travel after more than 50 years. The four‑astronaut crew demonstrated the Orion spacecraft’s performance and validated key navigation,...
Why Are some Skies Bluer than Others?
Scientists explain why skies vary from vivid blue in pristine regions to hazy white in polluted areas. The blue hue results from Rayleigh scattering of short‑wavelength light by nitrogen and oxygen molecules, while larger particles cause Mie scattering that diffuses...
Bladder Toxicity Risk Appears Low for Psychiatric Ketamine Patients, Though Data Is Limited
A systematic review of 27 clinical studies found that short‑term ketamine and esketamine treatments for psychiatric disorders do not significantly increase bladder or urinary tract toxicity compared with placebo. Reported urinary symptoms ranged from 0 % to 25 % and were generally...
CDC Caught Burying Report on Real Effects of COVID Vaccine
A CDC report led by acting director Jay Bhattacharya found that COVID‑19 vaccines cut urgent‑care visits by 50% and hospitalizations by 55% for healthy adults. The study, slated for the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on March 19, was delayed over...
Why Displaying Dinosaur Skulls Is More Complex Than You Think
Displaying dinosaur skulls involves far more than placing a fossil on a stand. The bones are brittle, requiring climate‑controlled cases, stabilizing resins, and hidden steel armatures to prevent cracking. Accurate reconstruction uses 3‑D modeling while clearly marking restored sections, and...
Major Setback for Beekeepers as Varroa Mite Chemical Resistance Detected Again
Resistance to amitraz, a key varroa mite treatment, has been confirmed across south‑east Queensland and northern New South Wales, alongside existing pyrethroid resistance. The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council says the resistant mites likely represent a new incursion separate from...
Arsenic‑Framework Boosts Rhodium Hydroformylation Activity and Selectivity
A new arsenic-lined crystalline framework stabilizes rhodium catalysts, enhancing both activity and selectivity in hydroformylation while minimizing arsenic leaching, demonstrating a practical route for advanced catalytic performance. chemistry
The Geriatric Protein Paradox: Malnutrition Scales Linearly Into the Extreme Limits of Human Lifespan
A large survey of 1,497 Chinese adults aged 80 to over 110 found a linear increase in clinical malnutrition as age advances, with the steepest deficits observed in centenarians. Using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, researchers showed each additional year...
Planetary Collision 11,000 Light‑Years Away Sheds Light on Planet Formation
University of Washington astronomer Anastasios Tzanidakis reported a direct observation of two planets colliding 11,000 light‑years away. Infrared data revealed a hot debris cloud that briefly dimmed the star Gaia20ehk, providing a unique window into violent planet‑building processes.
Study Finds Twins Trail Singletons in Cognitive Tests, Prompting Early‑Intervention Calls
A cross‑cultural study released this week found that children born as singletons score higher than twins on a range of cognitive and social‑emotional assessments. Researchers say the gap, though modest, persists through early childhood and underscores the importance of targeted...
Grand Teton Tests Robotic Sage Grouse to Keep Birds Off Airport Runway
Grand Teton National Park has begun field trials of animated robotic sage grouse near Jackson Hole Airport. The lifelike decoys are designed to lure real birds away from the runway, addressing a long‑standing safety and conservation challenge.
Loyal's Longevity Pill Shows One‑Year Lifespan Boost in 1,300‑Dog Trial
San Francisco‑based Loyal announced that its experimental drug LOY-002 extended the median lifespan of senior dogs by at least one year in a randomized, double‑blind trial of 1,300 animals. The result fuels hopes for a pet anti‑aging therapy and raises...
Gut Microbes and Plant Extracts: A Synergistic Formula for Reclaiming Muscle Power?
The article reviews a supplement protocol that pairs polyphenol‑rich plant extracts—curcumin, pomegranate, green tea, broccoli, cranberry and ginger—with a five‑strain Lactobacillus probiotic, inulin and vitamin D, taken as two capsules daily. Pharmacokinetic data show that unformulated curcumin and EGCG have very...
Diet and Death in the Chinese Elderly: Plant-Based and Meat-Heavy Patterns Show Divergent Sex-Specific Mortality Risks
A new epidemiological study of Chinese adults with a mean age over 85 reveals stark sex‑specific mortality patterns linked to diet. Elderly men who consume a meat‑heavy, animal‑protein‑rich “Carnivorous” pattern experience significantly lower death rates, while women on a sugar‑laden...
Catalyst Pharma $1,000 Investment Soars 2,145% Over 10 Years, Outpacing S&P 500
Investors who bought Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (CPRX) in April 2016 would see a $1,000 investment swell to $22,456 by April 2026, a 2,145% return that eclipses the S&P 500’s 233% gain. The surge reflects strong sales of Firdapse, new FDA approvals,...
China Accelerates Orbital Internet Deployment with Successful Smart Dragon-3 Sea Launch
China’s Smart Dragon‑3 carrier rocket lifted off from a sea‑based platform off Guangdong on April 11, delivering a test payload for its sovereign low‑Earth‑orbit internet network. The four‑stage solid‑propellant vehicle, now on its 11th successful flight, can place up to 1,500 kg...
Boeing’s $24 Billion Space Launch System Faces Uncertain Future Under Trump Administration
NASA asked rival firms for alternative lunar launch options about a week before Boeing’s $24 billion Space Launch System (SLS) carried Artemis II crew around the Moon. The White House’s budget request echoed that outreach, casting doubt on the SLS’s future under...
UAE Unveils 2031 Space Strategy to Double Economy and Join Top‑10 Space Nations
The United Arab Emirates announced its National Space Strategy 2031, targeting a doubled space‑economy revenue and a place among the world’s top‑10 space powers. The plan builds on 30 satellites, 170 active space firms and a Mars probe extended to...
Autolus Shows 77% Response Rate for Obe‑cel CAR‑T in New Real‑World and Pediatric Data
Autolus Therapeutics unveiled new real‑world and pediatric data for its CD19‑directed CAR‑T, obe‑cel, reporting a 77% overall response rate in the FELIX trial and 91 infusions in the ROKA consortium with 84 evaluable patients. The findings address a major unmet...
Low Doses of LSD Alter Emotional Brain Responses in People with Mild Depression
A double‑blind study administered a 26‑microgram dose of LSD to 34 young adults with mild depressive symptoms and measured brain activity with EEG. The low dose amplified the late‑stage emotional wave linked to the amygdala, especially when participants received negative...
Food Delivery for Heart Failure Patients Shows High Uptake, May Boost Quality of Life
A randomized pilot trial (FOOD‑HF) at UT Southwestern delivered medically tailored meals or fresh‑produce boxes to 150 heart‑failure patients for 90 days after discharge. Delivery completion exceeded 90% and retention topped 95%, showing the model is feasible and well accepted....
Smallsats Dominate 2025 Launch Landscape as Mass Efficiency Peaks
In 2025, smallsats—satellites under 1,200 kg—accounted for 98% of all launches, marking a decisive industry shift. The second quarter saw 1,198 spacecraft lifted, with smallsats delivering 87% of the 743,770 kg upmass, while the third quarter maintained a 98% share despite a...
Artemis Highlights NASA’s Evolving Mission Landscape
This post is now a newsletter, with hyperlinked sources + some thoughts on Artemis and the state of NASA https://ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/p/earth-is-blue-thank-you-artemis
MIT STAR Lab Expands Scope From Lasercom Innovation to Space Policy Architecture
MIT’s Space Telecommunications, Astronomy and Radiation (STAR) Lab is broadening its focus from pure hardware innovation to a hybrid of high‑performance CubeSat technology and emerging space‑policy frameworks. Under Professor Kerri Cahoy, the lab is integrating astrophysics research, such as exoplanet...
IPSC Therapies Succeed; In‑vivo Reprogramming Remains Hype
your regular reminder that Yamanaka factor-driven production of iPSCs is already producing real medicine (eg dopaminergic neural progenitor for Parkinson's, cardiomyocyte sheets for heart failure & more) iPSC tech is not done in vivo... ppl isolate the well behaved cells away...
Daily Evoked Gamma Therapy Shows Safety and Cognitive Benefit
Safety, tolerability, and efficacy estimate of evoked gamma oscillation in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease 👉 “Our results demonstrate that 1-h daily treatment with [CogTx-001] was safe and well-tolerated and demonstrated potential clinical benefits in mild to moderate AD.” 🔘 Participants underwent...
From River Stain to Your Cup of Tea: The Secret World of Tannins
The article explores tannins—bitter, astringent compounds that leach from leaves and stain concrete, cars, and timber. It explains how tannins protect plants by deterring herbivores and influence soil chemistry when washed into the ground. The piece also highlights tannins' role...
CEO Interview with Dr. Hardik Kabaria of Vinci
Vinci, led by founder‑CEO Dr. Hardik Kabaria, has deployed the first production‑grade physics foundation model that continuously computes thermal and mechanical behavior directly on semiconductor geometry. The deterministic, solver‑accurate platform replaces episodic simulation with an always‑on engine, delivering up to...
Compact X‑ray Telescope Resolves 3.5 Mm at One Kilometer
A new high-resolution X-ray telescope, developed with advanced mirror technology, can distinguish objects just 3.5 mm wide from a kilometer away, marking a significant step toward compact, high-precision space-based X-ray astronomy. spaceinnovation
A Simple Shot Shows Promise to Reverse Osteoarthritis Within Weeks
University of Colorado Boulder researchers, backed by ARPA‑H, have created a regenerative injection and a protein‑based biomaterial kit that repaired osteoarthritic joints in animal models within four to eight weeks. The therapies use a patented particle‑delivery system for intermittent drug...
JAXA Plans to Bring Back Pristine Early Solar System Samples From a Comet
Japan’s space agency JAXA has outlined the Next Generation Small‑Body Return (NGSR), a large‑class mission to retrieve pristine material from comet 289P/Blanpain. The 2034 launch will send a lander that will impact the comet’s surface, collect subsurface ice and dust,...
Narcissistic Traits Are Linked to a Brain Area Governing Emotional Control
A study of 172 healthy adults links the size and folding of the anterior insula to both grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic traits. MRI scans showed that higher narcissism scores correspond with smaller right‑side insula volume, and for vulnerable narcissism, also...
As RSV Evolves, a Two‑pronged Antibody Cocktail Aims to Stay Ahead
Chinese researchers at Xiamen University have engineered a two‑antibody cocktail, 1A2 and 1B6, that targets separate, conserved regions of the RSV fusion protein. Preclinical tests in mice and cotton rats showed the combo neutralized both RSV A and B subtypes...
Sudden Appearance of ‘Zombie Fish’ of Lake Superior Prompt Multi Agency Invetigation
Lake Superior’s iconic Siscowet lake trout are appearing emaciated, prompting biologists to label up to half of recent catches as “zombie fish.” The affected trout weigh 40‑50% less than normal, raising alarms about health and population stability. Michigan’s Department of...
Immune Cells in the Nose Slow Influenza Virus, Study Finds
A University of Gothenburg study reveals that CD4 memory T cells linger in the nasal lining and can quickly reactivate when influenza re‑enters the body, curbing viral replication. In mouse models these resident cells lowered viral loads and limited tissue...
Astronomers Find the Strongest Evidence yet for the Universe's First Stars
Astronomers using JWST’s NIRSpec‑IFU have identified a faint doubly ionized helium signal from a compact companion, Hebe, located near the early galaxy GN‑z11, 400 million years after the Big Bang. Two independent pre‑print studies confirm the helium emission and the absence...
Exhausted Yet Relieved, Fans Crave Faster Moon Missions
Anyone else feeling the duality of absolute exhaustion and relief that Artemis 2 is over, and also a sadness in the absence of such an incredible mission to continue captivating the world? I hope @rookisaacman’s plan to launch SLS every...
Anticipating History's Most Powerful V3 Raptor Static Fire
Let's go! 🔥 Can't wait to see this magic for the first time. Presumably will be the most powerful static fire in history using V3 Raptors. No big deal.... right?
AI Powers Cancer Cures While Robots Learn Chores
AI is designing molecules that boost chemotherapy effectiveness by 70%, and humanoid robots are learning tasks by watching gig workers record themselves doing chores... we're literally teaching machines to cure cancer AND do our laundry.
Targeted mRNA Nanoparticles Halt Lung Tumors and Cachexia
Follistatin mRNA delivered via targeted lipid nanoparticles enables a dual therapeutic effect by simultaneously suppressing lung tumor growth and preventing cancer-associated muscle wasting (cachexia). https://t.co/56fCFZU0vk
Aging Opens Chromatin, Altering Cell Behavior
The researchers then looked into the changes in the old cells that might explain such pronounced differences in behavior compared with the young cells. Liao Says "It seems as though chromatin opens up with age, so to speak." https://t.co/1kdRDunTea
Annealing Boosts Efficiency of Copper-Plated Heterojunction Cells
The impact of annealing on copper-plated heterojunction solar cells #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/DM37J5KaRF https://t.co/POFNPoUMby
Higher Albumin Levels Linked to Longer Lifespan
High albumin is associated with longevity Association between age and malnutrition in oldest-old and centenarian populations https://t.co/0denO96lEh
Healthy Diet Cuts Mortality Risk Among Chinese Elderly
Association between Dietary Patterns and All-Cause Mortality in the Chinese Old: Analysis of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey Cohort https://t.co/4FoNf4WnRt #mdpinutrients
Garlic Intake Linked to Lower Mortality in Chinese Elders
Garlic Consumption and All-Cause Mortality among Chinese Oldest-Old Individuals: A Population-Based Cohort Study https://t.co/Oda8CifdOX #mdpinutrients
Uta Frith: Autism Isn't a Spectrum
There is no autism spectrum, says expert (esteemed cognitive scientist Uta Frith) who pioneered our understanding of the cognitive deficits underlying autism. https://t.co/a5e8jZzUbF
First Human Orbital Flight Marks 65-Year Milestone
65 YEARS AGO TODAY: The first human reaches Earth's orbit FULL STORY (and my reconstruction of the event): https://t.co/l1fyUe3ztw https://t.co/KqZ4ndMNXk