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
Arg-1 Makes Macrophages More Inflammatory, Impairing Cartilage Regeneration with Age
The study identifies Arginase‑1 (Arg‑1) as a key regulator of age‑dependent macrophage behavior that hampers cartilage regeneration. Single‑cell RNA sequencing shows older animals have fewer anti‑inflammatory macrophage subsets, with Arg‑1 expression declining with age, leading to heightened inflammation. Overexpressing Arg‑1 in aged models reduces cytokine release and partially restores repair capacity. These results suggest targeting Arg‑1 could rejuvenate joint healing in the elderly and offer a novel therapeutic avenue for osteoarthritis.
Infleqtion and NASA Deploy Upgraded Quantum Hardware to International Space Station
Infleqtion, in partnership with NASA’s JPL, delivered an upgraded physics package to the International Space Station aboard the Northrop Grumman‑24 cargo flight. The new hardware enhances the Cold Atom Laboratory’s ability to generate record‑large atom clouds and reach ultracold temperatures in...
Giant Otters, River Sentinels, Now Listed as Threatened Migratory Species
The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) officially listed the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) on both Appendices I and II, unlocking coordinated international conservation measures. Over the past 25 years its numbers have dropped by half, and scientists warn another 50 % decline is likely...
The Role of Graphene in Photocatalytic Composites Revealed by Theoretical Modelling
Researchers at the University of Sheffield used advanced computational modelling to show that carbon vacancies in graphene create covalent bonds with TiO₂, forming hybrid electronic states. These hybrid states improve charge separation and suppress electron‑hole recombination, addressing the two main...
30-Year Chimp War Study Faces Extinction From NSF Cuts
A three-decade long study of chimpanzees has revealed a primate version of a bloody civil war. It's now at risk of getting eliminated due to cuts at the National Science Foundation. My story here (gift link): https://nyti.ms/4mhr5NQ
Group‐III Nitride‐Based Wide‐Spectrum Multifunctional Synapses for Encrypted Light Communication and Image Recognition
Researchers have engineered InGaN core‑shell nanorod synapses that combine wide‑spectrum photodetection with stable photo‑electric memory. The devices achieve a peak responsivity of 31.47 A/W and sub‑250 µs response times under 810 nm illumination, while delivering tunable synaptic plasticity at 365 nm UV light. By...
Severe Exposure to ‘Forever Chemicals’ During Pregnancy Could Lead to Childhood Asthma
Swedish researchers at Lund University linked very high prenatal exposure to per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with a 40% increase in childhood asthma risk. The study examined over 11,000 children born between 2006 and 2013 in Ronneby, where decades‑long contamination...
Shape‐Memory Collagen/Silk‐Fibroin Scaffold for Dura Sealing and Skull Base Regeneration
Researchers have engineered an injectable, shape‑memory scaffold combining collagen, silk‑fibroin and α‑tricalcium phosphate for skull‑base reconstruction. The composite features a silk‑fibroin‑rich outer layer that creates a watertight seal against cerebrospinal fluid, while an inner α‑TCP layer encourages bone growth and...
New Mahogany Species Found in Zanzibar — but Fewer than 30 Trees Remain
Scientists have confirmed a new mahogany species, *Afzelia corallina*, on Pemba Island, Zanzibar. The tree occupies a 200‑meter coastal strip and fewer than 30 individuals survive in the wild, making it critically endangered. Illegal timber poaching and recent storms have...
Artemis II’s Success Sparks Excitement for Future Missions
I’m really happy to see all the love for Artemis II. I hope we can keep it going for the following missions. The fly by was great mission, but there is some spectacular stuff coming.
How Bad for Humans Is Wildlife Trade? A New Study Has Answers
A new study published in Science quantifies the zoonotic danger of wildlife trade, showing that traded mammals are about 1.5 times more likely to transmit diseases to humans than non‑traded species. Of more than 2,000 traded mammals, 41 % share at least...
Leukemia Cells Use a Sugar-Coated Protein to Hide From the Immune System
A study by the Broad Institute and partners discovered that the protein CD43, heavily sialylated, creates a sugar‑coated barrier that shields acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells from macrophages, T cells and NK cells. Genome‑wide CRISPR screens showed that loss or...
Why some Neuroscientists Now Believe We Have up to 33 Senses
Neuroscientists are challenging the classic five‑sense model, arguing that humans may possess between 22 and 33 distinct sensory modalities. The expanded list includes proprioception, vestibular balance, interoception, sense of agency, and ownership, among others that blend traditional touch, taste, and...
Wild Chimpanzees Recorded Waging ‘Civil War’ with Coordinated Attacks Between Two Groups
Primatologists have documented the first confirmed case of a “civil war” among wild chimpanzees in Uganda’s Ngogo community. After a stable social structure from 1995 to 2015, the group fractured into western and central factions, leading to 24 coordinated attacks...
Scientists Are Turning Bread Into Fuel. It Could Revolutionize Manufacturing.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have shown that feeding ordinary bread crumbs to unmodified Escherichia coli, together with a biocompatible catalyst, produces hydrogen gas at yields higher than traditional fossil‑fuel hydrogenation. The hybrid chemo‑microbial process demonstrated carbon‑negative life‑cycle emissions,...
Seeing and Imagining Activate some of the Same Brain Cells
Researchers at Cedars‑Sinai recorded activity from over 700 neurons in the ventral temporal cortex of 16 epilepsy patients and found that imagining an object reactivates about 40% of the same neurons used during visual perception. The study, published in Science,...
The Deep Secrets of the Nautilus
A new international study tracked modern nautiloids with temperature‑sensing transmitters, revealing they migrate up to 200 meters in depth and mature in colder, deeper waters than their extinct ancestors. Isotope analysis showed ancient species grew in significantly warmer seas, while today’s...
How Northern Ontario Researchers Are Using Bacteria-Powered Tech to Extract Critical Minerals From Mine Waste – by Faith Greco (CBC...
Researchers at Laurentian University's MIRARCO Mining Innovation are scaling a bacteria‑driven bioleaching process in a 10,000‑square‑foot pilot plant in Sudbury, Ontario. The microbes break down legacy mine tailings to liberate nickel, cobalt and copper—key metals for electric‑vehicle batteries. While bioleaching...
Interpretability Becomes New Scalability in Synthetic Biology
One of the most clarifying conversations we've had about where biotech should go next. Krish Ramadurai of @aixventureshq argues interpretability is the new scalability, and that the founders who build mechanistic, measurable platforms will define the next era of synthetic biology. He...
European Union to Restructure Its Space Bureaucracy
The European Commission announced that the European Union Agency for the Space Programme will be renamed the European Union Space Services Agency (EUSPA). The rebranded agency will take charge of operating Galileo, upcoming communications constellations, and security‑focused satellite projects from...
The Intelligence of the In-Between-How Epigenetic Memories Alter Our DNA After Traumatic Events
Recent research confirms that traumatic experiences can leave chemical marks on DNA that persist across generations. Landmark mouse work showed scent‑related sensitivity transmitted via sperm hypomethylation, while human studies—from the Dutch Hunger Winter to a 2025 Syrian refugee cohort—demonstrate altered...
Exercise Cuts Dementia Risk; Sitting and Irregular Sleep Raise It
The Relationships between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies "Regular physical activity significantly reduced the risk of incident dementia (pooled RR = 0.75... Prolonged sedentary behaviour (8 + hours/day sitting) increased dementia risk (RR = 1.27)... both short (8 hours;...
Polygenic Scores Make Parental Genetic Choices More Intentional
Parents already make genetic decisions about the traits of their kids when they select a partner. Now those choices are becoming more conscious. @herasight is building polygenic scores that predict traits and diseases across diverse ancestries. Looking forward to hearing @JonathanAnomaly...
For 40 Minutes, the Greatest Solitude Humans Have Known
During Artemis II’s lunar flyby, the four‑person crew spent 40 minutes behind the Moon, completely out of radio contact with Earth. Commander Reid Wiseman and his teammates watched the far side with the naked eye, a first for humans, while sharing...
Planet Logs Second Warmest March Amid Global Tensions
While the world’s attention was on the Strait of Hormuz, the planet recorded its second warmest March in history. Source: NOAA
Brains Overproduce Synapses, Then Prune Through Adolescence
Interestingly, the way human brains develops is to start with too many synapses (a 2 or 3 year-old has about double the number of of an adult) followed by rapid pruning in adolescence, with pruning tapering off in the 20's.
Invasive Plant Drives Ecological Change in America’s Gigantic Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness (Commentary)
Spotted knapweed, an invasive lavender‑flowered plant, is rapidly colonizing the Selway‑Bitterroot Wilderness, transforming meadows, ridgelines, and forest understories. Its deep taproot and early, climate‑driven blooming let it outcompete native forbs, suppress pollinator resources, and alter soil moisture and nutrient cycles....
One Hypothalamic Zone Drives Both Aggression and Courtship
The same hypothalamic subregion houses neurons that elicit opposing behavioral trajectories: fight vs mate More importantly this conversation explains how brain states arise & why state > “emotional labels” D. Anderson = the Le Bron of neuroscience. Highly recommend. 30min total
Cell Clusters Drive Cancer Spread; Strategies to Disrupt Them
A new feature @ScienceMagazine on the clusters of cells that enhance the spread of cancer, and what can be done to break them up @ScienceVisuals https://t.co/xNAOF834mU https://t.co/YrH1aZ47Xl
The Genesis Revitalizing U.S. Scientific Research
The Department of Energy unveiled the Genesis Mission, a sweeping program to democratize access to advanced high‑performance computing for U.S. scientific research. Announced one day after NASA’s Artemis 2 lunar launch, Genesis aims to create a nationwide cloud‑based HPC platform open...
Scientists Advance mRNA Immunotherapies for Cancer, Funding Lags
Now in addition to our @TexasChildrens @BCM_TropMed protein vaccines for global health, our scientists are refining the mRNA technology for new immunotherapies for pancreatic cancer and triple negative breast cancer, if only the grant support would hold… https://t.co/NEgq6DX4qz
Scientists Should Build, Not Just Publish, Breakthroughs
Every scientist faces the same choice after a breakthrough: 1/ publish and move on 2/ build a startup to bring the breakthrough into the world David Kingham of @TokamakEnergy thinks the choice is clear: Build. https://t.co/7CDfmP90Yf
Emperor Penguins Are Marching Toward Extinction. Antarctica Fur Seals Too
On April 9, 2026 the IUCN upgraded the emperor penguin from threatened to endangered, citing rapid sea‑ice loss that jeopardizes breeding. Satellite imagery in 2022 revealed the collapse of five colonies, killing roughly 10,000 chicks, and the overall adult population has...
Family's Funding Fuels Hope for New Dementia Therapies
Investing in hope A wealthy family fighting its own disease boosted research.. Can it spur new dementia treatments? 🗣️"Here was this beautiful family that really wanted to find a cure. And none of us scientists wanted to let them down." https://t.co/DBmpjpkxkl
Prioritize Colossus 2 Completion and Stability Before Water Plant
We need to focus on finishing Colossus 2 and ensuring it is extremely stable, then will build the water recycling plant
Advanced Solar Power Systems for Satellites in 2026
In January 2026 NASA’s Gateway Power and Propulsion Element successfully started a roll‑out solar array capable of 60 kW, underscoring the shift from traditional rigid wings to high‑power, low‑mass deployable systems. Multi‑junction III‑V cells remain the efficiency benchmark, delivering over 32 % conversion...
Living Brain Cells Trained to Compute Chaos Mathematics
Wetware #AI: Living Brain Cells Trained to Run Chaos Math by @NeuroscienceNew Learn more: https://t.co/Eipi0gfWur #HealthTech #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #ML https://t.co/Hu3RezoZTu
Wildfires Race Across US as Drought Spans Half the Nation
An unusually hot, snow‑free winter has accelerated the 2026 U.S. fire season, with nearly 19,000 wildfires ignited since Jan. 1—about 6,900 more than the ten‑year average. By April 1, over 1.6 million acres have burned, double the typical seasonal total, stretching firefighting assets...
Companies with Net-Zero and Near-Term Climate Goals up 61% in 2025: SBTi
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) reported a 61% year‑over‑year rise in companies holding both near‑term climate goals and net‑zero targets in 2025, pushing the total of validated or committed firms past 12,000. Validated targets grew 40% YoY, while the...
What Should We Ask the Plastic Doctor?
Netflix’s "The Plastic Detox" follows six couples who eliminate everyday plastics while Dr. Shanna Swan measures phthalates and bisphenols in their urine and sperm, linking chemical exposure to infertility. The film has sparked widespread media coverage and a fierce backlash...
ESA Paid Arianespace About $96 Million for an Ariane-6 Launch
The European Space Agency has paid Arianespace €82 million (about $96 million) to launch the Sentinel‑1D Earth‑observation satellite on an Ariane‑62 rocket in November 2025. This is the first public disclosure of an Ariane‑6 launch price, positioning the vehicle against SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which...
Exploring Consciousness: Why We Exist and What Matters
It was a pleasure to speak at UC Irvine about “What matters to me and why”. I ask the questions: “What are we? Why are we?” I discuss scientific attempts to understand consciousness and its relationship to the physical world. https://t.co/Ye7DVq4U2q
3D-Printed Scaffold + Vesicles Boost Bone Regeneration
Reprogramming of cells via a 3D printed scaffold and extracellular vesicles substantially enhances bone regeneration https://t.co/w6AyvguUjS https://t.co/R32ULM1Rzt
Inside AMPERA’s Bet on Subcritical Thorium Microreactors
Florida startup AMPERA is developing a factory‑built, subcritical thorium microreactor that fits in a 40‑foot shipping container and can run for 30 years without refueling. The design uses an external neutron generator to keep the core subcritical, TRISO‑encapsulated thorium fuel, and...
Genetics, Traits, and Geography Shape US Leukocyte Telomere Length
Genomic, phenomic and geographic associations of leukocyte telomere length in the United States [Mar 27, 2026] @NakaoTetsushi et al. @NatureGenet https://t.co/3b75zEElAP https://t.co/wIDjfhnrd9
How Long-Read Sequencing Is Scaling Beyond the Specialist Lab
Advances in long‑read sequencing accuracy, throughput and cost are moving the technology from niche labs to large‑scale research. PacBio’s HiFi reads now deliver whole‑genome data at a few hundred dollars per sample, enabling thousands of genomes per instrument annually. The...
Artemis 2 Crew Discusses Spaceflight Risks and Canadian Collaboration with Prime Minister Mark Carney
On Flight Day 8 of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, the Orion crew held a live dialogue with the Canadian Space Agency, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, and students across Canada. Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen, the first CSA member aboard Artemis 2,...
Surface‑Engineered Upconversion Nanoparticles Boost Brightness 16‑Fold for Optoelectronics
A team of scientists re‑engineered upconversion nanoparticle surfaces with low‑vibrational‑energy Sn2S64‑ ligands, delivering up to a 16‑fold increase in luminescence and a pathway to integrate these particles into photodetectors and other light‑based devices.
Origami-Inspired Robot Built From Printable Polymers Uses Electric Current to Move
Engineers at Princeton have built a soft‑rigid hybrid robot using 3D‑printed liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) hinges and embedded flexible printed circuit boards. The robot moves by localized heating of the polymer, eliminating the need for motors or external pneumatic systems....
Examining Embryo Model Ethics Beyond Box-Checking
A coalition of stem‑cell researchers and ethicists has proposed an embedded ethics framework for human stem‑cell‑based embryo model (hSCBEM) research. The model replaces traditional “box‑checking” approvals with continuous, interdisciplinary dialogue throughout the project lifecycle. It aligns with the latest ISSCR...