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 Daily Multivitamin May Slightly Slow Rates of Ageing
Researchers conducted a double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trial with 1,000 participants averaging 70 years old, giving half a daily multivitamin (Centrum Silver) and the other half a placebo. After two years, analysis of five epigenetic aging clocks indicated the supplement group aged about four months less, with statistically significant slowing observed on two second‑generation clocks. The effect size was modest and the clinical relevance of a four‑month reduction in biological age remains uncertain. No adverse effects were reported, but the sample was primarily of European descent.
AbbVie’s Amylin Candidate ‘Competitive’ in Early-Stage Trial
AbbVie announced top‑line Phase 1 multiple ascending‑dose data for its amylin analog ABBV‑295, showing 7.75‑9.79% weight loss after 12 weeks of treatment. The long‑acting compound was administered every other week then monthly, with a favorable tolerability profile and no serious adverse...
Neurons in A
In case you saw the "neurons in a dish playing Doom" post and freaked out, take note ⤵️
Multivitamin Modestly Slows Epigenetic Aging; Cocoa Doesn’t
Just published @NatureMedicine A daily multivitamin (MVM) slowed epigenetic aging in a randomized trial after 2 years; effect was small (~2 months) and not seen with cocoa extract supplement (vitamin was Centrum Silver) https://t.co/snOMNsTzW7 https://t.co/a6MhMuRhJb
Why Simulating an Entire Cell Cycle Took Years, Multiple GPUs and Six Days per Run
University of Illinois researchers led by Zan Luthey‑Schulten have built a three‑dimensional kinetic model of the minimal bacterium JCVI‑syn3A that simulates an entire 105‑minute cell cycle. By assigning DNA replication to a dedicated GPU and running other cellular dynamics on...
Drag Reduction Via Bubbles
Researchers used computational fluid dynamics to model bubbly flow beneath a moving container ship, exploring how inertial, buoyancy, and surface‑tension forces interact. Their simulations showed that when bubbles coalesce into a continuous air layer on the hull, drag can drop...
Fermilab’s FAST/IOTA Facility Achieves Major Milestone in Accelerator Research
Fermilab’s FAST/IOTA test facility has successfully accelerated its first proton beams, achieving velocities of about 7 % of light speed. The new proton injector, paired with a radio‑frequency quadrupole, expands the facility beyond its original electron‑only program. This milestone provides a...
How Often Does Earth Transit the Sun for an Observer on Mars?
From the perspective of Mars, Earth transits the Sun only four times within a 284‑year cycle, occurring in May or November with intervals of 100.5, 79, 25.5 and 79 years. The most recent transit was on May 11, 1984, and the next...
Regeneron’s Weight Loss Partner Hansoh Delivers Much-Needed Phase 3 Win in China
Regeneron’s Chinese partner Hansoh announced that its dual GLP‑1/GIPR agonist olatorepatide achieved a 19% mean weight loss in a Phase 3 trial of 604 obese or overweight adults, meeting both co‑primary endpoints. The study reported lower gastrointestinal adverse events compared with...
Gemini’s Springtime Star Clusters Are Ripe for Exploring
Astronomy magazine’s editor Dave Eicher highlights two open clusters in Gemini—M35, a bright 3,000‑light‑year‑distant target visible with binoculars, and NGC 2158, an 11,000‑light‑year‑distant cluster requiring a telescope. Both objects rise high in the spring night sky, offering a striking depth‑of‑field contrast....
Terraforming Mars Isn't a Climate Problem—It's an Industrial Nightmare
A new pre‑print by NASA JPL’s Slava Turyshev outlines five terraforming milestones for Mars and quantifies the massive resources required at each stage. To raise surface pressure to just 1 mbar would need roughly the mass of Mars’s moon Deimos, while...
Disorder Drives One of Nature’s Most Complex Machines
A 2025 study using high‑speed atomic force microscopy visualized the nuclear pore complex’s central channel in millisecond detail, revealing a constantly shifting “central plug” made of karyopherin transport proteins and their cargo. The dynamic behavior supports a brush‑like “virtual gate”...
FMT Triples the Boost to Cancer Immunotherapy
Not just replication, but triplication of the benefit of revving up cancer immunotherapy with FMT (Yes💩) https://t.co/rXyQdO74FJ
Xenon To Seek Approval of First-in-Class Epilepsy Drug After Exceeding Phase 3 Expectations
Xenon Pharmaceuticals reported that its Phase 3 X‑TOLE2 trial of azetukalner, a novel Kv7 potassium channel opener, achieved a 53.2% reduction in focal onset seizures at the 25 mg dose, far exceeding expectations and representing the highest placebo‑adjusted efficacy recorded in a...
Two AstraZeneca Drugs To Be Scrutinized in First FDA Cancer Advisory Panel in 9 Months
The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will convene on April 30 to evaluate AstraZeneca’s oral SERD camizestrant for first‑line HR‑positive, HER2‑negative breast cancer and its AKT inhibitor Truqap for metastatic hormone‑sensitive prostate cancer. Camizestrant’s Phase 3 SERENA‑6 trial reported a 56% reduction...
Incyte’s Lung Cancer Expansion Bid Thwarted by Issues at Novo’s Catalent-Acquired Site
The FDA rejected Incyte’s supplemental application to add non‑small cell lung cancer to Zynyz’s label, citing compliance failures at Novo Nordisk’s Catalent‑owned Indiana manufacturing plant. The agency’s complete response letter pinpointed inspection findings at the site as the sole approvability...
What’s the Best Example of Ecological Research That’s of Both Great Fundamental Interest AND Has Direct Applications?
The post argues that truly fundamental ecological research seldom has direct, immediate applications, but a few notable exceptions exist. It highlights trophic cascade studies in lakes as a basis for algal‑bloom management, simple stochastic population‑growth models that shape endangered‑species legislation,...
Reforging Vulcan
On February 12, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur lifted off on the USSF‑87 mission but displayed a significant performance anomaly in one of its four solid rocket boosters. The anomaly, similar to the nozzle‑loss issue on the October 2024 Cert‑2 flight, prompted...
Smile Arrives at Europe’s Spaceport
The ESA‑CAS Smile spacecraft landed at the Guiana Space Centre on 26 February after a two‑week sea voyage aboard the cargo ship Colibri. Over the next weeks the probe will undergo health checks, propellant loading and integration with the Vega‑C launch...
ESA Analysing Fireball over Europe on 8 March 2026
On 8 March 2026 a bright fireball streaked from southwest to northeast across Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, glowing for about six seconds before breaking apart. The meteoroid, estimated to be a few metres in diameter, left a visible trail...
Electric Fields Allow Bioprinting of Aligned Muscle Fibers
Researchers have integrated an electric field into electrohydrodynamic (EHD) bioprinting to orient fibrin‑alginate hydrogels, producing nanofiber alignment that directs myocyte organization. The conductive polymer‑enhanced constructs exhibit improved myotube differentiation and mimic native muscle conductivity. In vivo tests on rats demonstrated...
A SEMA7A Feedback Loop in Macrophages Accelerates Atherosclerosis
Researchers identified macrophage‑derived Semaphorin 7A (SEMA7A) as a potent driver of atherosclerosis. Gene‑expression analysis showed high SEMA7A and its receptor integrin β1 in human mononuclear cells, and mouse models with macrophage‑specific Sema7a deletion exhibited a 57.2% reduction in lesion size and improved...
Cuts, Commitments and Contradictions – Guest Post by Lucien Heurtier
Last week, UKRI and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) faced intense scrutiny as the House of Lords and Commons committees examined a proposed 30% cut to the Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear (PPAN) research budget. Ministers acknowledged that...
The US Barely Bothers to Track Geoengineering. What Could Go Wrong?
A recent Government Accountability Office report reveals that the United States lacks effective oversight and transparent reporting for geoengineering activities, from decades‑old cloud‑seeding to emerging solar‑radiation projects. NOAA’s reporting forms have not been updated since 1974, resulting in incomplete, often...
"She Flies Satellites. One Day, I Can Too."
ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) spotlighted five senior women who lead spacecraft missions such as JUICE, EarthCARE, and the ExoMars rover, sharing their daily skills and career paths. They highlight the importance of interpersonal communication, calm decision‑making, and human‑centred...
Add AI Breast Artery Calcification Scan to Mammograms
Mammography should include AI assessment of breast artery calcification, since it provides very useful information about cardiovascular risk https://t.co/yfTbTRrOuY https://t.co/h1C8ZnHepJ
10 of 33 Raptor 3s Pass Initial Test
10 out of the 33 Raptor 3's in this first test. Let's see how she all goes with this shall we!? 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Astronomers Produce the Largest Image Ever Taken of the Heart of the Milky Way
An international team using ALMA has produced the largest radio image ever of the Milky Way’s central 650‑light‑year region, known as the Central Molecular Zone. The mosaic, covering an area comparable to three full moons, maps dense gas filaments, star‑forming...
One‑Year 5% Cut Barely Moves Long‑lived Gas Levels
If only someone had looked at this, say, back in April 2020. 🙄 Turns out that a 5% reduction in emissions for one year for a gas that accumulates in the atmosphere has a tiny effect on concentrations. https://t.co/if0d8eyX1F https://t.co/UFWo16Rc47
SpaceX Launches 25 More Starlink Satellites
SpaceX successfully launched 25 additional Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The rocket’s first stage marked its seventh flight, achieving a precise drone‑ship landing in the Pacific. With this mission, SpaceX’s 2026 launch tally of 29...
March 8, 1986: The Second of Five Probes Flies by Halley’s Comet
On March 8 1986, Japan’s Suisei probe became the second spacecraft to fly past Halley’s Comet, part of an international “Halley Armada” that also included two Soviet Vega probes, Japan’s Sakigake, and ESA’s Giotto. The comet’s perihelion occurred on February 9, placing it...
Here Comes the Sunscreen Ingredient the U.S. Has Been Waiting For (Little Darlin')
The FDA has formally proposed adding the modern UV filter bemotrizinol (BEMT) to the United States' list of approved sunscreen ingredients, marking the first potential new filter in decades. Bemotrizinol, already used internationally, provides highly photostable, broad‑spectrum protection without the...
Weekly Reads: Support Brain Tumor Work, Prasad Is Out (Again), Genetic Conditions, Texas AG, Immunotherapy Paper, SCBEM
The newsletter urges donations to support a lab studying lethal childhood glioma, noting NIH grant success rates of only 4‑5%. It reports FDA biologics chief Vinay Prasad’s second departure, a rare leadership turnover that could affect approval stability. Additional highlights...
The Sky Today on Sunday, March 8: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2541
Daylight‑saving time begins, moving clocks forward an hour, which shifts the optimal viewing window for the faint spiral galaxy NGC 2541 in the constellation Lynx. The galaxy, a 12th‑magnitude, 37‑million‑light‑year‑distant intermediate spiral, is best attempted around 9‑10 PM local time with a...
AI Approach Takes Optical System Design From Months to Milliseconds
Penn State researchers introduced a large‑language‑model workflow that predicts the optical response of metasurfaces in seconds, replacing hours‑long simulations. By fine‑tuning an LLM on a 45,000‑design dataset, they achieved high‑accuracy forward and inverse design without bespoke neural networks. The method...
NASA Awards ULA’s Centaur-5 Upper Stage for Future SLS Launches
NASA announced a sole‑source contract awarding United Launch Alliance (ULA) the Centaur‑5 upper stage for future Space Launch System (SLS) flights after Artemis‑3. The decision leverages the proven RL10 engine heritage, compatibility with Mobile Launcher 1, and ULA’s existing work with...
Open Letter About Cuts to UK Theoretical Physics Funding
An open letter has been circulated to protest a proposed 30% cut to the UK Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics research budget, which could translate into more than a 50% reduction in postdoctoral positions. The letter highlights the UK's...
Artemis Shifts Force Creator to Rerun Entire Project
As excited as I am for the new energy and changes to the Artemis program, I am STRESSING OUT with it right now. I was almost done with my 90 minute deep dive on Artemis, making predictions and laying...
Quantum Mechanics: Unmatched Precision, Yet Reality‑Defying
A full century after the discovery of a peculiar microscopic world, quantum mechanics has triumphed as the most precisely verified physical theory in the history of science. Yet the quantum world defies conventional notions of reality. In this episode of...
March 7, 1792: The Birth of John Herschel
John Herschel, born March 7, 1792, was the sole child of famed astronomer William Herschel. After studying mathematics at Cambridge, he collaborated with his father and co‑founded the Royal Astronomical Society in 1820, later producing a celebrated double‑star catalog with...
The Age of Animal Experiments May Be Waning
Governments in the UK, US and EU are committing to phase out animal testing, starting with skin‑irritation assays and targeting broader reductions by 2030. Rapid advances in new‑approach methodologies—organs‑on‑chips, organoids and AI‑driven computational models—have driven a fourfold rise in NAM‑only...
The Sky Today on Saturday, March 7: Venus Meets Saturn
On the evening of March 7, 2026, bright Venus will sit low in the western sky about 7° above the horizon, with first‑magnitude Saturn positioned roughly 1° southeast, creating a striking planetary conjunction. Venus appears as a 10‑arcsecond, 97%‑lit gibbous disk, while...
JWST Confirms 2032 Asteroid Won’t Hit Earth or Moon
Remember the asteroid we thought might hit Earth or the Moon in 2032? New data from the JWST shows it will hit NEITHER. JWST's IR eyes are great for this because the asteroid is tiny and far, and thus, really dim....
83% Unaware of DORAs: Sleep Knowledge Gap
There's a lot you can learn about sleep. Like 83% hadn't heard of DORAs. https://t.co/2lV3Fw6cwg https://t.co/IWRTdPTMOL
Genomes From Tombs of the Golden Horde, and the Y Chromosome of Genghis Khan
A new PNAS paper by Ayken Askapuli et al. presents ancient DNA from four medieval tombs in central Kazakhstan attributed to the Golden Horde. Radiocarbon dating places three individuals in the early‑mid 1300s and one in the 1700s, disproving local legends...
Cures for some Autoimmune Diseases Now a Reality
One of the most impressive advances we've ever seen for some autoimmune diseases: cures https://t.co/OZDuq4Iooy
Scientists Probe Accelerating Warming; Fossil Fuel Cutoff Essential
“Scientists are trying to solve the mystery of whether global warming is speeding up” via Laura Paddison for @cnn. [I’m critical of the study, but we all agree on key point that planet will continue to warm until we stop...
Pioneering Study Proves COVID Survives in the Gut. Why Was It Retracted?
In this episode, Dr. Sabine Hazen discusses her lab’s pioneering 2020 study that identified full‑genome SARS‑CoV‑2 in patient stool samples, showing the virus can persist in the gut for weeks—and potentially years—after respiratory clearance. She explains how the findings revealed...
VLT Image Captures a "Cosmic Hawk" Spanning Its Wings.
The European Southern Observatory released a new photo of the week taken with the Very Large Telescope’s HAWK‑1 near‑infrared imager, showcasing the RCW 36 nebula in Vela. The high‑resolution image reveals a “cosmic hawk” shape and uncovers several newly forming massive...
Reviewing What Is Known of the Virome in Aging
Recent open‑access review maps the human virome’s role in aging, highlighting how gut and circulating viruses influence immunity, inflammation, and metabolism. Age‑related virome changes include expansion of bacteriophage families, reactivation of latent herpesviruses, and altered viral diversity, with centenarians displaying...