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
A Newly Discovered Clue Finally Revealed Why the Sun Mysteriously Went Dark for 70 Years
Scientists at Nagoya University have re‑examined a 1607 sunspot sketch drawn by Johannes Kepler using a camera obscura, confirming it as the oldest instrumental sunspot record. By reconstructing the heliographic tilt, they placed the observation at the tail‑end of Solar Cycle‑13, narrowing the transition to Solar Cycle‑14 between 1607 and 1610. This timing clarifies the shift from regular solar cycles into the Maunder Minimum, a 70‑year grand solar minimum. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, adds a quantitative data point that predates the first telescopic sunspot observations of 1610.
Advanced Cardiac MRI Identifies Early Signs of Transthyretin Amyloidosis
Advanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can pinpoint early, low‑burden transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR‑CA) by revealing a basal‑predominant late gadolinium enhancement pattern. The study of 83 patients showed that quantitative tissue markers such as extracellular volume (ECV) and native T1...
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On April 6, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission performed a historic lunar flyby, the first since Apollo 17 in 1972. The Orion spacecraft rounded the Moon’s far side, reaching a peak distance of roughly 407,000 km—making it the farthest humans have traveled from Earth...
Neuroscientist's AI-Powered Startup Aims To Transform Human Cognition With Perfect, Infinite Memory
Former Harvard Medical School professor and neuroscientist Amir Kreiman, together with co‑founder Spandan Madan, launched Engramme, an AI startup that claims to give humans perfect, infinite memory by linking a personal "memorome" to large memory models. The platform promises automatic...
Astronomers Find Ultra‑Metal‑Poor Star SDSS J0715‑7334, Closest Pristine Relic Yet
Astronomers led by University of Chicago cosmologist Alexander Ji have announced the discovery of SDSS J0715‑7334, the most metal‑poor star ever identified, with a metallicity of only 0.005% that of the Sun. The red‑giant relic, found in data from the...
Pasqal and True Nexus Team Up to Model Food Proteins with Quantum Computing
Pasqal and True Nexus have launched a strategic partnership to apply neutral‑atom quantum computing to food‑protein modeling. The joint effort will create the first fully vectorized, dynamic 3D model of protein gelation, a breakthrough that could shift alternative‑protein development from...
Targeted Microbubble Therapy Cuts Kidney Damage in Rat Model of Chemotherapy‑Induced AKI
Researchers led by Si, Mo and Zhao demonstrated that E‑selectin‑targeted microbubbles combined with ultrasound dramatically improve methylprednisolone’s renoprotective effect in rats with cisplatin‑induced acute kidney injury, cutting serum creatinine and preserving tubular cells. The pre‑clinical breakthrough points to a new...
Few‑Shot Prompt‑Tuning Boosts Pathology AI Accuracy for Rare Cancer Subtyping
A team led by D. He, X. Zhou and W. Guan introduced a few-shot prompt‑tuning technique that markedly raises the sensitivity and specificity of pathology foundation models for rare cancer subtyping, using only a handful of annotated images. The advance...
IEEE Nanotech Council Launches May Webinar Showcasing AI‑Driven Modeling Platform
The IEEE Nanotechnology Council unveiled a May 2026 webinar that will demonstrate Advance/NanoLabo’s new “Autopilot” feature, which creates atomistic models from natural‑language prompts, and showcase GPU‑accelerated machine‑learning interatomic potentials. The event signals a push toward lowering expertise barriers in nanotech...
China Launches Test Satellite to Validate Next‑generation Satellite‑internet Tech
China has successfully launched a test satellite aimed at validating next‑generation satellite‑internet technology, a milestone in its push for a home‑grown broadband constellation. The launch underscores Beijing's drive to compete with global players such as SpaceX and OneWeb in the...
This Vitamin Provides Triple Protection Against Memory Loss
A JAMA Neurology study of nearly 400 adults over 60 found that low vitamin D levels accelerate cognitive decline, with deficient participants losing memory function two to three times faster than those with adequate levels. About 60% of the cohort had...
UK’s SatVu Expands Thermal “Eyes in the Sky” With HotSat‑2 Launch
SatVu, a UK‑based space data firm, launched HotSat‑2 on SpaceX’s Transporter‑16 rideshare from Vandenberg. The satellite carries mid‑wave infrared sensors that deliver high‑resolution thermal imagery capable of seeing heat signatures through roofs and other structures. HotSat‑2’s data is positioned for...
Python Blood Could Be the Key to Weight Loss with Zero Side Effects According to New Study
Researchers from Colorado, Stanford and Baylor identified a metabolite, para‑tyramine‑O‑sulfate (pTOS), that spikes a thousand‑fold in python blood after a large meal. When administered to mice, high doses of synthetic pTOS triggered weight loss without nausea or reduced energy. The...
Dream Realized: Artemis 2 Astronauts Celebrate Moon Mission
Getting to cover This mission has been a dream. Thanks most to this crew. https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/the-most-special-thing-that-will-ever-happen-in-my-life-artemis-2-astronauts-describe-their-epic-moon-mission
AI Can Design and Run Thousands of Lab Experiments without Human Hands. Humanity Isn't Ready
In February 2026 OpenAI and Ginkgo Bioworks reported that GPT‑5 autonomously designed and ran 36,000 biological experiments through a robotic cloud laboratory, slashing protein‑production costs by about 40%. The AI‑driven loop—design, build, test, learn—turns biology into an engineering discipline, enabling...
Specific Cognitive Skills Proven Heritable in New Meta‑Analysis
Important new finding: For decades there's been abundant evidence for the existence, importance, & heritability of "general intelligence" (despite massive denial in journalism, ed schools, and among intellectual-cultural elites). That is: if you're above average in verbal skills, you're likelier...
Total Protein, Not Timing, Drives Muscle Growth
Some 20+ years ago, when I was studying exercise science, nutrient timing was viewed as a cornerstone of muscle growth. We were taught about the so-called “anabolic window,” which suggested that protein needed to be consumed within ~45 minutes after...
Epic, Must-Watch 4K Footage of the Artemis II Launch
NASA’s Space Launch System lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026, carrying the Orion spacecraft named Integrity on a ten‑day lunar flyby. The Artemis II mission marks the first crewed flight beyond low‑Earth orbit since Apollo 17 and the inaugural crewed...
Researchers Examine Role of Leafy Vegetables in Alternative Mining Methods
Researchers at the University of Queensland have shown that common Brassicaceae vegetables, such as kale and broccoli, can accumulate the toxic yet valuable metal thallium in their leaves. Using micro‑X‑ray fluorescence and X‑ray diffraction mapping, the team observed crystallised thallium...
A Decade of DNA Innovation Powers AI‑Biology Convergence
Ten years ago, Emily Leproust had an idea to rewrite how DNA gets made. Most people thought it wouldn't work. Today, Twist Bioscience is the infrastructure layer for biotech and pharma worldwide. At SynBioBeta 2026, she's on the main stage with John...
What Lit up the Night Sky? PhilSA Explains Strange Glow Seen over PH
On April 11, a luminous “space jellyfish” lit up the Philippine night sky, which the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) attributes to the Chinese Jielong‑3 rocket launched minutes earlier from the South China Sea. The high‑altitude exhaust plume reflected sunlight, creating a...
GSK Sees Blockbuster Potential in Targeted Cancer Therapy After Promising Early Data
GSK’s experimental targeted therapy Mo‑rez showed early signs of efficacy, shrinking tumors in a majority of patients with hard‑to‑treat cancers. In a trial, 62% of platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer patients and 67% of endometrial cancer patients achieved at least a 30%...
We Have Proof Logging Makes Tasmania’s Forests Flammable
New research confirms that logged, regrowing wet eucalypt forests in Tasmania burn more intensely than mature stands. Using pre‑ and post‑fire data from the 2019 Riveaux Road fire, scientists showed higher canopy damage and hotter, drier microclimates in 40‑year‑old regrowth....
Reduced Gray Matter and Altered Brain Connectivity Are Linked to Problematic Smartphone Use
A new review of 35 neuroimaging studies links problematic smartphone use to distinct brain alterations. Structural scans consistently show reduced gray‑matter volume in the insular cortex, anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal regions, while functional imaging reveals disrupted executive‑control networks and heightened...
New Anemia in Adults May Be an Early Warning Sign of Cancer
A population‑based study of 190,000 adults in Stockholm found that newly diagnosed anemia signals a heightened risk of cancer and mortality. Within 18 months, 6.2% of men and 2.8% of women with anemia developed cancer, compared with 2.4% and 1.1%...
One Tiny Diode Could Shrink Image Sensors by Adding Memory and Processing
Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China and McGill University have created a nanowire‑based p‑n diode that simultaneously performs photosensing, memory storage, and data processing. Built from GaN and AlGaN nanowires, the device achieves a responsivity of...
Human Ancestors Butchered and Ate Elephants 1.8 Million Years Ago, Helping to Fuel Their Large Brains
Archaeologists at Olduvai Gorge's EAK site uncovered a 1.8‑million‑year‑old Elephas recki skeleton alongside Oldowan stone tools, providing the earliest direct evidence that hominins butchered elephants. Spatial taphonomy and green‑break bone patterns indicate coordinated human processing rather than scavenger activity. The...
Disorder and Illumination
Researchers have long used low‑temperature illumination to improve electronic transport in two‑dimensional (2D) systems. In GaAs‑based quantum wells, a red LED at ~10 K reduces disorder, raising electron mobility and sharpening fractional quantum Hall signatures. A new preprint shows that deep‑UV...
Meet Orpheus—A Hopper Mission Built to Hunt for Life in Martian Volcanoes
Researchers at the SETI Institute have proposed Orpheus, a vertical take‑off and landing (VTOL) hopper designed to explore the volcanic fissures, pits, and vents of Mars’s Cerberus Fossae region. Targeting the young volcanic deposits and a specific vent (Vent #5)...
EU Approves €211 Million Funding for Graphene Chip Technology Project in Italy
The European Commission has approved a €211 million (approximately $230 million) state‑aid grant for Italy’s CamGraPhIC to develop graphene‑based photonic optical transceivers. The project will be split between research sites in Pisa and Bergamo, partnering with local universities and technology institutes. The...
Astronomers Spot Record-Breaking Gigamaser 8 Billion Light‑Years Away
A team using South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope has identified an extraordinarily bright hydroxyl megamaser—dubbed a gigamaser—in galaxy HATLAS J142935.3–002836, 8 billion light‑years distant. The signal, amplified by gravitational lensing, achieved a signal‑to‑noise ratio above 150 in under five hours, opening...
Study Links Micro‑Sleep Brain Waves to ADHD and Shows Early Diagnosis Boosts Grades
Researchers have identified ultra‑short “micro‑sleep” bursts in the brains of adults with ADHD, while a separate Finnish study shows children diagnosed early achieve higher grades and lower dropout rates. The findings give parents concrete evidence that early screening can change...
From Gagarin to Artemis: Humanity’s Space Journey Begins
How it started - how it's going. Yuri Gagarin was the first, 65 years ago today. Artemis 2 crew, safely back from the Moon this week. I salute the bravery, and marvel at what we can do. We've only just...
Dementia Poised as 3rd Leading Death Cause by 204
ADI leads new research forecasting dementia to become the 3rd leading cause of death by 2040 Additionally, the number of people living with dementia "is set to almost triple in number by 2050, to 139 million." https://t.co/WSm2Rhp3ju
Coffee in Your Walls? Breakthrough Converts Grounds to Insulation
Researchers at Shenyang Agricultural University have created a biochar‑based insulation material from spent coffee grounds that achieves a thermal conductivity of 0.04 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, comparable to expanded polystyrene. The method dries the grounds, pyrolyzes them at 700 °C to raise porosity to 71%,...
Drugs May Slow, but Not Fully Reverse Aging
Just like we can't turn a human into a naked mole rat with drugs (requires too many specific molecular changes), I don't think we will fully reverse ageing pharmacologically. We may be able to slow human ageing with drugs, but reversing...
Robotics and BCI: Breakthroughs Shaping Humanity’s Future
keep an eye on robotics and BCI, both are making breakthroughs which will forever shape the future of humanity
University of Michigan Nanoparticle Therapy Stops Tick‑Borne Red Meat Allergy in Mice
On Aug. 12, 2024, University of Michigan scientists, with University of Virginia collaborators, reported that an intravenously delivered nanoparticle formulation prevented the tick‑borne red‑meat allergy (alpha‑gal syndrome) in 10 of 12 mice. The pre‑clinical result highlights a new nanotech route...
Genetics Shape Specific Cognitive Skills, Not Just General IQ
An accessible explanation of the new study on by Steve Stewart-Williams @SteveStuWill here | Beyond General Intelligence: The Genetics of Specific Cognitive Abilities https://t.co/uRnhKsuJQE
Rare Diseases Need Molecular Surgery, Not Drug Barriers
The turning point for rare diseases, which affect >300 million people around the world. A call to get rid of its many structural obstacles, to consider it as molecular surgery unlike drug treatments gift link: https://t.co/DQ0OZ9tXXc https://t.co/RELCwTr88i
Atomic‑Scale Fluorographane Memory Hits 447 TB/Cm², Paving Way for Quantum‑Ready Storage
A team of scientists has demonstrated a non‑volatile memory device built on single‑layer fluorographane that stores 447 TB per square centimetre with essentially zero retention energy. The architecture promises thermal bit‑flip rates of 10⁻⁶⁵ s⁻¹ and projected data‑throughput of 25 PB/s, positioning it...
Decade-Old Study Warns of Looming Climate Tipping Point
Despite the title of this @NatureClimate Change commentary, it's not about NATO. It's about one of the worrying potential climate tipping points, and research we (@rahmstorf et al) did about this a decade ago... https://t.co/NOYmx9O3R7
PCA Is Just SVD in Disguise
🧵 PCA is everywhere in bioinformatics—but did you know it’s just SVD in disguise? 1/ If you've done bioinformatics, you've likely used PCA. But did you know Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is at its core? Let’s break it down. 👇 https://t.co/LGtVfpAEsD
Belantamab Mafodotin Plus Lenalidomide Shows 96.7% Response in Transplant‑Ineligible Myeloma
The BelaRd phase 1/2 study found that belantamab mafodotin at 1.9 mg/kg every eight weeks combined with lenalidomide and dexamethasone produced a 96.7% overall response rate in transplant‑ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. High 18‑month progression‑free survival rates and a tolerable...
Light Improves Electrical Performance of Low‑Temp 2D Materials
🧪⚛️ Disorder and illumination - how shining light on 2D systems at low temperatures can sometimes dramatically improve electrical properties, including a preprint from this week. https://t.co/86FPuy8rht
Magnetic System Enables Camera‑free Microrobot Navigation
New magnetic system lets microrobots move without cameras or tracking systems by Neetika Walter @IntEngineering Learn more: https://t.co/RM52ul5JG3 #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/ivuzqLBXTl
Terahertz Waves Spy on a Chip’s Internal Activity
Researchers at Adelaide University demonstrated a terahertz‑based system that can remotely monitor the electrical activity of transistors inside packaged chips. The setup uses a vector network analyzer, a terahertz frequency extender, and a homodyne quadrature receiver to detect minute changes...
MIT's Origami Robot Self-Folds Into Multi‑Terrain Machine
MIT’s Self-Folding Origami #Robot Transforms from Flat Sheet to Crawling, Climbing, Swimming Machine by @tweetciiiim #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML https://t.co/6UdsasuOcm
Space Telescopes Track Nearby Quasar's Dramatic X-Ray State Transition
Chinese astronomers analyzed multi‑epoch observations of the nearby radio‑quiet quasar SDSS J0005+2007 and documented a dramatic X‑ray state transition. Over roughly five years the 0.2–10 keV X‑ray flux fell by more than an order of magnitude, while the UV, optical and mid‑infrared...
April 12, 1981: Columbia Lifts of for the First Space Shuttle Mission
On April 12, 1981, NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off on STS‑1, the inaugural flight of the United States’ reusable spacecraft program. Piloted by John Young and Robert Crippen, the two‑day mission demonstrated successful launch, orbit, and safe return, validating...