Today's Science Pulse
UK-led study reveals hidden massive star clusters deep inside nearby galaxies
Astronomers using the VLA and ALMA uncovered previously unseen giant star clusters, described as "ring factories," embedded within nearby galaxies. A complementary analysis of roughly 18,000 star‑forming regions showed that the energetic activity of young stars plays a decisive role in shaping galaxy evolution.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Foundation Alloy raises $22M Series A
My Research on Wheelchair Basketball Challenges One of the Biggest Assumptions About Sex Differences in Sports
A new study of elite wheelchair basketball players finds that performance gaps between women and men are minimal, with classification severity—not sex—explaining most differences. Sensors tracked acceleration, speed and distance across international games, revealing that athletes with less severe impairments performed more high‑intensity actions regardless of gender. Female and male players showed comparable movement metrics when adjusted for playing time. The research challenges the entrenched belief that sex is the primary driver of athletic ability in sport.
The DOE’s “Climate Working Group”
The Department of Energy’s Climate Working Group, created to review climate risk, secretly crafted a strategy to downplay carbon‑dioxide impacts and undermine mainstream climate science. Internal memos show the group planned to amplify uncertainties and shape a denial narrative. After...
Evidence for Microglia to Actively Promote Amyloid Aggregation in the Aging Brain
Researchers have discovered that microglia, the brain’s innate immune cells, can actively remodel soluble amyloid‑β (Aβ42) into extracellular fibrils with strong seeding activity, contrary to the prevailing view that they only clear plaques. Cell‑based assays showed that microglia‑generated amyloid closely...
Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiome and Tryptophan Metabolism to Improve Mood and Memory
Regular exercise reshapes the gut microbiome in adult male rats, notably reducing the abundance of Alistipes and Clostridium species. These microbial shifts enhance systemic tryptophan metabolism, increasing the serotonin catabolite 5‑hydroxytryptol and altering indole derivatives. Concurrently, hippocampal expression of the...
GEN Secures BEBO Foundation Approval for Phase II PD Trial
GEN Pharmaceuticals received BEBO Foundation ethical approval to launch a Phase II proof‑of‑concept trial of its mitochondrial‑targeting drug SUL‑238 in Parkinson’s disease. The single‑centre, randomised, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled study, named SHEPHERD, will begin patient enrolment in Groningen in April 2026. Over a 28‑day...
Unlimited Petrol? Chinese Firm Claims It Can Produce Fuel From Air and Water
Shanghai‑based startup XFuel Technologies announced it can produce synthetic petroleum by converting atmospheric CO₂ and water into liquid fuel at low cost. The firm plans to construct large‑scale plants across China, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on imported crude....
Modified Lipid Nanoparticles Boost Immunity and Cut Vaccine Inflammation
Engineered lipid nanoparticles with modified ionizable lipids enhance immune cell metabolism, improve mRNA vaccine delivery to lymph nodes, and reduce inflammatory side effects in preclinical models. vaccinetechnology
How To Reverse Alzheimer's | Heather Sandison ND
In this episode, Dr. Heather Sandison, a naturopathic physician, challenges the conventional view that Alzheimer's is irreversible by presenting evidence that cognitive decline can be slowed, halted, or even reversed through a comprehensive, personalized lifestyle program. She discusses the shortcomings...
You Can Use Music to Escape Your Negative Thought Loops
Recent neuroscience research shows that listening to music can interrupt the brain's default mode network, curbing negative thought loops and associated pain. Experiments reveal that heroic‑sounding music prompts empowering mental imagery, while sad music fosters calmer, albeit demotivating, reflections. Active...
AI + Chemistry Boosts Bio‑Oil Yield Predictions
Thrilled to share that I’m a co-author of a newly published paper in Scientific Reports — a Nature Portfolio, Q1-ranked journal — highlighting the power of AI-driven innovation in sustainable energy systems. Our paper, “Deep learning enhanced prediction framework for bio...
How To Bring a Bird’s Song Back From the Edge of Extinction
Australia’s critically endangered regent honeyeater, now down to roughly 250 individuals, has lost its traditional warbling song as populations fragmented. Researchers discovered that captive‑bred birds taught by a handful of wild‑born tutors quickly relearned the authentic melody, unlike those exposed...
Mars Missions Hinge on 26‑month Launch Windows
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴. One thing that always fascinates me about space missions is this: SpaceX’s Starship does not fly to Mars in a straight line. It follows a Hohmann transfer orbit, an elliptical path around the Sun that...
Human‑Driven Peatland Fires Surge, Boost Global Carbon Emissions
Charcoal records indicate a sharp rise in wildfires across Southeast Asian and Australasian tropical peatlands during the 20th century, likely driven by human activity, with significant implications for global carbon emissions. climatechange
Visualizing the World with Planetary Computer
Microsoft’s Planetary Computer offers a free, standards‑based geospatial data platform that aggregates curated datasets from government, academic and commercial sources. It provides STAC‑compatible APIs, Python and R SDKs, and an Explorer UI for rapid prototyping of environmental applications such as...
SLS Prints Programmable Bonded Magnets
Researchers at Auckland University of Technology have demonstrated a field‑assisted selective laser sintering (SLS) process that prints polymer‑bonded magnets with locally programmable pole patterns. By integrating under‑bed electromagnets and a powder‑handling bar, they can deposit different magnetic powders point‑wise and...
Everglades Restoration Also Helps Save the Planet From Climate Change, Study Finds
A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows Florida’s Everglades absorb about 14 million tons of CO₂ each year, roughly 10% of the state’s road emissions. Carbon sequestration in the wetlands rose 18% between 2003 and...
How Ann Arbor, Michigan, Is Creating Its Own Clean Energy Utility
Ann Arbor is piloting a city‑run Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) in the Bryant neighborhood, offering residents solar panels, battery storage and other clean‑energy assets while remaining connected to the existing grid. The program, approved by 80% of voters, will be...
ADHD Adults Show Sleep‑Like Brain Activity During Focus
Adults with ADHD display increased sleep-like brain activity during attention tasks, which correlates with more frequent lapses, slower reactions, and greater sleepiness compared to neurotypical adults. adhd
Scientists Discover Heavier Version of Proton with Upgraded Detector
CERN physicists using the upgraded LHCb detector have identified a new particle, Xi‑cc‑plus, that is four times heavier than a proton. The particle replaces the proton’s two up quarks with charm quarks and decays within a trillionth of a second....
The Sky Today on Tuesday, March 17: Visit M29 in Cygnus
The open cluster M29 in Cygnus reaches about 35° altitude in the east around 5 A.M. on March 17, making it a prime early‑morning target for sky‑watchers. Spanning roughly 7 arcminutes and shining at 7th magnitude, it is easily captured with binoculars or...
Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon
Io, Jupiter’s innermost Galilean moon, remains the solar system’s most volcanically active world, its eruptions powered by intense tidal heating. A new image captured on March 3, 2026 shows Io transiting Jupiter’s disk, complete with its shadow at the planet’s center. The...
RHR: New Study Challenges the Plant-Based Longevity Myth
In this episode Chris Kresser reviews a new American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study of over 5,000 Chinese adults aged 80+, which found vegetarians and especially vegans were 19‑29% less likely to become centenarians than omnivores, with the effect driven...
3I/ATLAS: Interstellar Comet Has Water Unlike Any in Our Solar System
Astronomers have confirmed that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS carries water and carbon compounds with a deuterium abundance at least ten times higher than any comet observed in our solar system. The comet also shows unusually high carbon‑dioxide levels and is estimated...
WO3 Nanocomposite Diode for Future Semiconductor Technologies
Researchers fabricated a novel p‑Ag‑WO3/n‑WO3 nanocomposite diode using chemically synthesized WO3 nanoparticles and a dip‑coating process to create a stable p‑n junction. Electrical characterization—including I‑V, C‑V, and impedance analyses—demonstrated rectifying behavior and effective UV photodetection. The device exhibited space‑charge‑limited current...
Nuclear Fusion HPC: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload Podcast
UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has installed Sunrise, a new supercomputer built on AMD EPYC CPUs and MI 355X GPUs, delivering roughly 6 exaflops at 8‑bit precision and 50 petaflops at 64‑bit. Designed specifically for nuclear‑fusion research, Sunrise merges AI and high‑performance computing...
Sagan Warned Congress: Climate Change Escalates Exponentially
If you haven’t watched this before, you should. The brilliant Carl Sagan testifying before the United States Congress in 1985 on #ClimateChange. We should have listened then. Will we now? Climate change isn’t an on & off switch. It’s an exponential dial....
Open‑Source AI Agent Automates Physics Research End‑to‑End
Physical Superintelligence dropped Get Physics Done, an open-source AI agent that can scope research problems, run experiments, verify results, and draft papers https://t.co/0gDAIMmxe7 #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech #TechNews https://t.co/nudT0C4wXm
Colliding Currents Can Target the Deep Brain without Surgery
Temporal interference (TI) stimulation uses two high‑frequency electrical currents that intersect to generate a low‑frequency envelope capable of modulating deep‑brain activity without surgery. Early human pilots have reported seizure suppression and better sleep in epilepsy, improved motor learning after stroke,...
New Drug Could Eradicate Sleeping Sickness, Says NPR
Sleeping sickness could be wiped out with this new drug: my comments @NPR @NPRGlobalHealth https://t.co/T0mAeX8P0A
Can NAD⁺ Manipulation Extend Human Healthspan?
NAD for Health: Opportunities & Challenges 2026 This international conference will explore a central question in aging research: can manipulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) metabolism enhance human healthspan and prevent age-related diseases? https://t.co/bEtQPmUnSh
What’s Behind the Injectable Peptide Craze? – Podcast
Injectable peptides such as BPC‑157, GHK‑Cu and TB‑500 have surged in popularity among biohackers despite lacking regulatory approval. The Guardian podcast explores why these grey‑market compounds have become mainstream, featuring insights from journalist Adrienne Matei and Imperial College peptide researcher...
Observations Show Universe Is Flat Despite Einstein’s Curvature Possibilities
Einstein showed space can curve, but data reveals a flat Universe According to Einstein, space can take on any curvature depending on what's in it: positive curvature, negative curvature, or zero (flat) curvature. So why is our Universe so flat? https://t.co/fyjYOnXs1d
Non‑local Fatigue Stems From Central Nervous System Fatigue
Non-local fatigue is closely associated with reductions in voluntary activation of the untrained limb, indicating that it is caused by central nervous system fatigue mechanisms. https://t.co/BSr0Cw5Qz6
APS March Meeting 2026, Day 1
The APS March Meeting Day 1 showcased cutting‑edge research on quantum excitations and emergent materials. Highlights included Hanyu Zhu’s demonstration of chiral phonons producing intense local magnetic fields, and talks on cavity‑magnon control using surface acoustic waves for nonreciprocal devices. Longji...
Nvidia Launches Orbital AI Chip to Bypass Earth’s Energy Limits
Nvidia announces Vera Rubin Space-1 chip system for orbital AI data centers “Orbital data centers have been an increasingly popular proposition as AI demand tests Earth's energy constraints.” https://t.co/fWrKyLiAij #SpaceEconomy https://t.co/SBqD6vmYbz
Exploring Known and Unknowns in NAD Coenzyme Research
looking forward to concluding next week's NAD for Health conference in Copenhagen with a talk on Known Knowns and Known Unknowns in NAD Coenzyme Research.... see you there https://t.co/hLAnAq7Fay
What To Know About Breast Cancer Recurrence
Early‑stage breast cancer patients face a lingering concern about recurrence, which can be local, regional, or distant. Dr. Margaret Thompson explains that recurrence rates have fallen over the past two decades thanks to improved surgery, radiation, and systemic therapies. Individual...
Day 1 Highlights From APS Global Physics Summit
🧪⚛️ A brief write-up of random highlights from Day 1 of the big annual APS Global Physics Summit (formerly known as the March Meeting). https://t.co/tO5dvFZm3Q
Pakistan's Solar Surge Buffers Fossil Fuel Price Shock
Pakistan’s rapid adoption of solar power in the past few years is helping cushion the impact of a surge in fossil fuel prices due to the Middle East war https://t.co/4eyTCuM5KW
David Sussillo on Persistence, Luck and the Bonds Between Life and Work
David Sussillo’s memoir recounts how a chance email linked him to Larry Abbott, whose mentorship at Columbia’s Center for Theoretical Neuroscience led to the development of FORCE learning. The method trains chaotic recurrent neural networks by harnessing their intrinsic dynamics...
Leucovorin, Long-Read Sequencing, and More
Leucovorin prescriptions for autistic children jumped 71% after a White House briefing promoted the drug, yet the FDA only approved it for cerebral folate deficiency and withdrew any autism claim. A 2024 autism trial supporting leucovorin was retracted, casting doubt...
Study Links High Fat Intake to Elevated Stress Hormones, Leaky Gut, and Systemic Inflammation
Recent research links chronic high‑fat consumption to elevated cortisol and gut‑derived serotonin, which together compromise the intestinal barrier and spark systemic inflammation. The studies show that excess dietary fat disrupts gut microbiota, increasing pro‑inflammatory Firmicutes and endotoxin‑producing Gram‑negative bacteria while...
Gut Bacteria May Influence Brain Circuits Involved in Bipolar Depression
Recent research published in Molecular Psychiatry and related journals shows that gut dysbiosis can weaken dopamine‑reward circuits and reduce synaptic connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice receiving microbiota from bipolar‑depressed patients. The same studies report distinct microbial signatures...
Watch: Fireball that Streaked Across Hawke’s Bay Sky Likely to Be Burning Space Junk
A bright fireball streaked across the sky over Hawke’s Bay early Thursday morning, prompting witnesses to think it was a plane or meteor. Observers from Wairoa to Napier reported a slow‑moving white object leaving a lingering contrail lasting up to...
What Can Schrödinger's Cat, Bayesian Inference, and the Neuroscience of Time Reveal About How We Experience the Present?
Jo Marchant’s new book explores how the brain constructs the present moment by constantly predicting future sensory input. Neurological cases like akinetopsia and schizophrenia illustrate how disrupted predictive processing warps time perception. The author links these mechanisms to Bayesian inference,...
New Planet Category Identified
Astronomers have identified a planet 35 light‑years away that does not fit existing small‑planet categories. The world, L 98‑59 d, was first discovered in 2019 and observed by JWST in 2024 and ground facilities in 2025. Researchers used computer models to simulate...
NeuroScientific Readies Stem Cell Supply Boost for Bowel Disease Trials
NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals has begun its first manufacturing run of the StemSmart mesenchymal stem cell therapy at Q‑Gen Cell Therapeutics in Brisbane, initiating a critical technology transfer. The engineering run will validate quality, potency and regulatory compliance ahead of a Phase 2...
Women Comprise Two‑thirds of Alzheimer’s; Midlife Origins Examined
Why do women account for nearly 2/3rd of all cases of Alzheimer's disease? A new, thorough review @jclinicalinvest, open-access, on its origins in midlife. https://t.co/obITwhEiYG https://t.co/RXBffM9jKV
ION717 Trial Re-Opens with 3rd Dosing Regimen
Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that its Phase 1/2a PrProfile trial of ION717, the first PrP‑lowering antisense oligonucleotide for symptomatic prion disease, has reopened with a third dosing regimen. The study, which enrolled 56 patients in 2024, will now recruit at three...
Triple-Junction Solar Cells with Improved Carrier and Photon Management
Researchers have demonstrated a perovskite‑perovskite‑silicon triple‑junction solar cell that reaches a certified 30.02 % power conversion efficiency on a 1 cm² substrate. The breakthrough combines a non‑volatile additive, 4‑hydroxybenzylamine, which aligns crystal growth and suppresses non‑radiative recombination in the wide‑bandgap top cell,...