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
CBS News to Present "Artemis II Return to Earth" A One-Hour Special, Friday, April 10
CBS News will broadcast a live, one‑hour special titled “Artemis II Return to Earth” on Friday, April 10, from 7:30‑8:30 PM ET. Anchor Jericka Duncan will be joined by astronaut Suni Williams, Lt. Col. Dave Mahan and other reporters from New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., and San Diego. The program will air across the CBS Television Network, CBS News 24/7 and CBSNews.com, pushing back the scheduled primetime dramas Sheriff Country, Fire Country and Boston Blue by half an hour. The special highlights NASA’s first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo, offering viewers real‑time coverage of the spacecraft’s re‑entry and splashdown.
Invasives Take over Native Plant Spaces in Nepal’s Cities
Native vegetation in Kathmandu is rapidly declining as invasive species such as Crofton weed, Lantana, and Parthenium spread across urban green spaces. A 2024 study found that 48% of observed plant species are non‑native, with 6% classified as invasive, displacing...
Rubin Observatory Unveils 11,000+ New Asteroids in First Data Release
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s early‑look data release has identified more than 11,000 previously unknown asteroids, the largest single batch submitted to the Minor Planet Center in a year. The haul includes 33 new near‑Earth objects and dozens of distant...
Screen Time and Junk Food Drive Child Addiction; Phone Bans Prove Ineffective
Scientists have identified a dopamine-driven loop linking screen time and junk‑food consumption to addictive patterns in children. At the same time, researchers argue that prohibiting mobile devices outright fails to address the underlying neuro‑behavioral mechanisms.
Rising RBP4 Drives Inflammation and Age‑Related Disease
RBP4 in Ageing "During aging, an increase in the blood concentration of RBP4 is observed. This alteration has been associated with different effects in various organs, such as an increase in pro-inflammatory factors and an activation of macrophages toward the M1...
Neurofeedback Game AlphaRise Targets Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Ned Shoaei unveiled AlphaRise, a 2‑D brain‑computer interface game, at Cedars‑Sinai’s vMed conference. The game uses EEG feedback to classify five fatigue states and offers five‑minute sessions designed for people with multiple sclerosis. Early survey data suggest strong patient interest...
IBS News Flash. Why You Lose Your Appetite when Ill...
New research uncovers a gut‑brain signaling pathway that forces the brain to suppress appetite during illness. Specialized gut cells detect pathogens, release chemicals that boost serotonin, and activate the vagus nerve to convey a “stop eating” message. The study confirms...
FDA‑Approved Chemotherapy Drug Doxorubicin Shows Promise Against Drug‑Resistant Herpes
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago reported that doxorubicin, an FDA‑approved chemotherapy agent, can inhibit drug‑resistant herpes simplex virus type 1 in early laboratory studies. The finding could accelerate a new treatment option for patients whose infections no longer respond...
Earth and Moon, Then and Now
In December 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts reoriented their spacecraft and witnessed the first colour view of Earth rising above the Moon’s far‑side horizon, a moment captured by Bill Anders and instantly became an iconic image. The photograph, known as “Earthrise,” symbolized...
China's AI‑Driven Big‑Data Platforms Slash Livestock Breeding Cycle to 3‑4 Years
China's smart breeding sector is accelerating with AI‑powered big‑data platforms that cut the traditional 8‑10‑year breeding cycle to 3‑4 years. New tools from the Nanfan platform, a Huawei‑backed intelligence hub, and the GEAIR robot promise faster, cheaper hybrid development for...
Scientists Reconstruct 1 Mm³ Human Cortex Using Nanotech, Mapping 100 Million Synapses
A multinational team of neuroscientists and nanotechnologists has rebuilt a 1 mm³ piece of human temporal cortex at nanoscale resolution, cataloguing more than 100 million synapses and identifying a previously unknown class of deep‑layer neurons. The work, published in Ultrafast Science, opens...
Two Gene Variants Predict Weight‑Loss Drug Response and Side‑Effects
Researchers analyzing data from nearly 28,000 23andMe participants identified two genetic variants that modestly influence how much weight people lose on GLP‑1 drugs and their risk of nausea. The findings, published in Nature, could pave the way for more personalized...
Mysterious 'Compound X' Clears Toxic Parkinson’s Proteins From Brain
Researchers at Swinburne University disclosed that an undisclosed molecule, dubbed compound X, eliminated toxic protein clumps linked to Parkinson's disease in mice. The treatment activated the brain's glymphatic waste‑clearance system, resulting in measurable gains in balance and overall mobility. While the...
Chip Can Project Video the Size of a Grain of Sand
Researchers from MIT, the University of Colorado, Sandia National Laboratories and MITRE have unveiled a sub‑0.1 mm² photonic chip that can steer light with unprecedented speed. The device uses voltage‑actuated metallic cantilevers to project up to 68.6 million light spots per second...
April 9, 1959: The Mercury 7 Debut
On April 9, 1959 NASA introduced the Mercury 7, America’s first astronaut corps, after a rigorous selection from 508 candidates. The seven pilots—Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Walter Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton—became the public face of...
California May Be in Path of a ‘Super’ El Niño. It Could Bring Rain, Floods, Coastal Erosion
A super‑El Niño is shaping up for 2026, with the European Centre for Medium‑Range Weather Forecasts projecting sea‑surface temperatures up to 2 °C above seasonal norms and NOAA assigning a 90% probability of development by fall. Experts say the event could rival...
Power Corner: Allegro’s Anuj Jain on TMR—The New Frontier in Magnetic Sensing
Allegro MicroSystems unveiled its XtremeSense tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) platform, highlighting the ACS37100—the industry’s first 10 MHz magnetic current sensor. TMR delivers over 1,000‑times the signal of Hall sensors, five‑fold better temperature stability, and nanowatt power consumption. The technology is integrated via...
Italy Pushes Coal Exit Back After Gas Prices Rise
Italy’s government has postponed the permanent shutdown of its four remaining coal‑fired power plants to 2038, citing a sharp rise in gas prices triggered by the Middle East conflict. The amendment was attached to a broader energy‑crisis bill and passed...
Ultra-Processed Foods May Raise Risk of Preterm Birth and Pregnancy Complications, Study Finds
A large U.S. study of 6,693 pregnancies found that each 10‑percentage‑point rise in calories from ultra‑processed foods (UPFs) during pregnancy is associated with an 11% higher risk of preterm birth and a 5% increase in hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia....
154-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossil Debuts in the U.K.—But Its Species Remains a Mystery
A 20‑foot, 1,300‑pound theropod skeleton dubbed Juliosaurus has made its public debut at Colchester’s Hollytrees Museum, on loan from London dealer David Aaron. The fossil, recovered in 2020 from Wyoming’s Morrison Formation and dating back 154 million years, remains unclassified, with...
This Experimental New Treatment May Revolutionize Cancer Care
Researchers have engineered a heat‑activated, graphene‑copper patch that functions like a band‑aid to treat early‑stage melanoma. In laboratory cultures the patch released copper ions that killed most melanoma cells, and a 10‑day mouse study showed a 97% reduction in lesions...
China: A Composite Material 26% Stronger for Drones, Planes and Rockets
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in partnership with HKUST and Stanford, have created an AI‑enhanced tool that streamlines the design of fibre‑reinforced composite laminates. By employing balanced layer patterns—double‑balanced and triple‑balanced—the method delivers uniform properties while simplifying manufacturing....
Should You Test Your Child for MTHFR?
The article examines the MTHFR gene, a frequent topic in parenting and functional‑medicine circles, and separates hype from evidence. It explains the gene’s role in methylation, the prevalence of common variants, and the limited clinical impact for most children. The...
Just 15 Minutes Weekly Slashes Dementia and Diabetes Risk
As a medical school professor, I tell my students: intensity matters more than duration. A massive 7-year study of 96,000 adults just proved it. Published in the European Heart Journal, the findings are striking: People who did just 15-20 minutes of vigorous activity...
How to Delaminate End-of-Life Solar Modules with Ultrasonic Cavitation
A German‑Turkish research team introduced a solvent‑free ultrasonic cavitation process to delaminate end‑of‑life crystalline‑silicon photovoltaic modules. The technique fully separates the glass from the front EVA layer and partially releases silicon fragments, achieving an 82.2% mass‑based delamination efficiency. Laboratory tests...
Beyond Quantum with Khrennikov
Andrei Khrennikov’s *Beyond Quantum* presents Prequantum Classical Statistical Field Theory (PCSFT), a framework that seeks to derive quantum mechanics from classical random fields. The book argues that detector calibration, not abstract qubits, is the true source of quantum statistics and distinguishes...
Integrating IonQ 256‑Qubit System to Boost Quantum Advantage
We're pushing forward with our effort to unlock broad quantum advantage by adding a frontier system to our testbed: @IonQ_Inc 's next-gen 256 qubit system, which is expected to have more nines of fidelity than you can shake a stick...
Fusion Enzyme ‘Boosts Polyester Textile Recycling’
UK researchers from the University of Portsmouth and the University of Manchester have engineered a new fusion enzyme that can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) even when reactors contain roughly 20% plastic by weight. The redesign targets polyester textile waste,...
Chile Promotes Research to Improve the Quality of Hass Avocados and Reduce Black Spots
Chile’s leading avocado producers are funding a four‑year research program to curb black‑spot disorder in Hass fruit, a cosmetic defect that currently forces the rejection of 10‑20% of exported shipments. The project, led by Prof. Romina Pedreschi at PUCV, focuses on...
No, Shroud of Turin DNA Analysis Doesn't Show Relic's Origins, Experts Say
A new metagenomic analysis of the Shroud of Turin identified a mix of human, animal, plant and microbial DNA, suggesting the cloth may have been woven with yarn from India and exposed across the Mediterranean. The study, posted as a...
EXPLAINER: Walking Won't Burn Fat (Here's What It Actually Does)
In this episode, Dr. Robert Lufkin debunks the myth that walking burns fat primarily through calorie expenditure, explaining that the body compensates for most exercise calories. He highlights how walking triggers GLUT4-mediated glucose uptake, activates AMPK, and lowers insulin and...
One Doctor Helped Kickstart US Nuclear Medicine’s New Wave. Now He’s Refining It.
Dr. Ebrahim Delpassand, a pioneer of U.S. nuclear medicine, launched the first FDA‑approved lutetium‑based radioligand therapy (Lutathera) in 2010 and later helped bring Pluvicto to market, driving blockbuster sales in 2025. He founded Excel Diagnostics, where he ran the sole...
Artemis II Commander Calls Earth "Special Place" As Spaceship Heads Home
NASA’s Artemis II crew began its return to Earth on April 9, with commander Reid Wiseman describing the view of the Moon eclipsing Earth as a reminder that our planet is a “special place.” The Orion spacecraft, launched on April 1, set a...
How LECO Process Could Push TOPCon Solar Cell Efficiency Beyond 26%
Researchers at UNSW and Chinese specialist Laplace have demonstrated that laser‑enhanced contact optimization (LECO) can lift industrial TOPCon solar cell efficiency beyond 26%. By applying intense laser pulses to under‑fired contacts while maintaining a reverse bias, LECO dramatically lowers contact...
Rhamnan Sulfate an Agent that Might Protect Microcirculation, Vascular Endothelium and Glycocalyx
Rhamnan sulfate (RS), extracted from the Japanese seaweed Monostroma nitidum, is emerging as a supplement that targets the endothelial glycocalyx rather than nitric‑oxide pathways. Early cell studies show RS restores glycocalyx thickness and cuts LDL permeability threefold, while ApoE‑deficient mice...
Swapping Passive Screen Time with Mental Activity May Cut Dementia Risk
A 19‑year Swedish cohort study of 20,811 adults found that mentally active sedentary behavior, such as reading or puzzles, lowered dementia risk compared with passive screen time. Each additional hour of mental activity was linked to a 4% risk reduction,...
Artemis 2 Crew Set to Become Fastest Humans Ever
Imagine having this view as you’re commuting home. The Artemis 2 crew is now falling to Earth, picking up speed every second as gravity relentlessly pulls them. When they plow into the upper atmosphere they’ll be the fastest humans in history...
Rapamycin Fails to Slow Epigenetic Aging, Sinclair Concedes
David Sinclair says rapamycin had no measurable effect on slowing or reversing epigenetic aging in humans. This was a drug most of the longevity community supported. He was even a believer of it. It was found to extend lifespan in: • Inbred lab animals •...
The World’s Deepest Sensors Will Detect Earthquakes Around the World From Far Below Antarctica
Scientists from the USGS and IceCube have installed the deepest seismometers ever, drilling 8,000 feet into South Pole ice. The two instruments can detect earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater anywhere on Earth with unprecedented accuracy. Their placement in Antarctica’s ultra‑quiet environment eliminates...
Mixed Metastatic Sites Confound Apparent Treatment Effects
Your clinical trial baseline is a mix of liver mets, lung mets, bone mets, and primary tumors. You compare it to post-treatment samples from different sites. The "treatment effects" you find will mostly be tissue site differences. https://t.co/0PyjMM2Znl
Nasal Anti‑CD3 Cuts Neuroinflammation in Long‑COVID Mice
Our new preprint by @peowenlu @SaefIzzy @weinerlabhms and colleagues shows that nasal anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody treatment can reduce neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Long COVID, even when administered at 4 weeks after infection 🧠 https://t.co/P8FZA2XA37
Scientists Discover Hidden Gut Trigger Behind ALS and Dementia
Case Western Reserve University researchers have identified a gut‑brain mechanism linking harmful bacterial glycogen to neuronal loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In a study of 23 patients, 70% exhibited elevated levels of this inflammatory sugar,...
Helium: The Irreplaceable Lifeline for High-Tech Industries
MRI machines, EUV lithography, fiber optic cable manufacturing, deep sea diving: none of them work without helium. This week on Construction Physics, I look at why helium is so hard to replace. https://t.co/rSbzbhoF2j
Aim for Peak Longevity, Not Just Healthspan
Check out my new https://t.co/lzzxyoQMxZ post titled "Peakspan: The True North of Longevity and Why We Must Aim Beyond Healthspan?". Link in the comments. Geroscience got a bit too woke for my taste. Can we set staying at or...
Do Our Mitochondria Need Support?
The article critiques the booming market of "mitochondrial support" products, arguing that most claims rely on vague marketing rather than solid science. While mitochondria are essential for cellular energy, supplements like NAD+ precursors, CoQ10, and red‑light therapy typically demonstrate only...
Next-Gen Yellow Fever Vaccine Shows Promise in Mid
My comments and interview with @Medscape Next-Gen Yellow Fever Vaccine Hits the Mark in Mid-Stage Trial https://t.co/kFfGH4c5gt
View mRNA‑CRISPR as Molecular Surgery, Not Drugs
What if we started thinking of mRNA-CRISPR gene editing as molecular surgery, not as a pharmaceutical product? Excellent @nytimes guest essay ⤵️ https://t.co/S61XwNRVZF
EU Launches PsyPal Project to Test Psychedelic Therapy for Palliative Care Distress
The European Commission announced the launch of the EU‑funded PsyPal project, a clinical research programme that will evaluate psychedelic therapy for psychological distress in palliative‑care patients. The initiative, unveiled on 13 April 2026 at the Directorate‑General for Health and Food Safety, signals...
Weight‑loss Drug Semaglutide Cuts Depression Risk by 42%
A 10-year study finds weight-loss drugs lower the risk of #depression and anxiety. Published in The Lancet Psychiatry, the #research revealed a 42% lower risk of #mentalhealth hospitalisation during periods of semaglutide use. https://t.co/CphnQl0Khx
Chile’s Ancient Conifers Host Underground Web of Life that Sustains Forests: Study
Researchers analyzing soil beneath Chile’s 2,400‑year‑old alerce abuelo discovered a fungal community twice as diverse as that of younger trees, identifying 361 unique DNA sequences, many likely new species. The study confirms that larger, older trees host disproportionately rich mycorrhizal...