Today's Science Pulse
Hidden Star Clusters Discovered Deep Inside Nearby Galaxies
A UK‑led study using VLA and ALMA data uncovered previously hidden giant star clusters deep within nearby galaxies, describing them as “ring factories.” The findings highlight how young stellar activity shapes galactic evolution across the universe.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Foundation Alloy raises $22M Series A
These Tiny Flies Survive, Even Thrive on Snow
Researchers at Northwestern University and international partners sequenced the genome of the wingless snow fly *Chionea alexandriana*, revealing a suite of cold‑tolerance genes. The insects thrive on snow and ice at 0 °C to –6 °C, actively choosing sub‑freezing conditions to lay eggs. Key discoveries include genes that burn stored fat like polar bears and novel antifreeze proteins that halt ice crystal growth. Engineering one of these antifreeze genes into fruit flies improved their survival in a freezer, confirming functional relevance.
Pasqal Benchmarks Error-Detected Logical Qubits Against Physical Counterparts Using Quantum Kernels
Pasqal Holding SAS demonstrated that error‑detected logical qubits outperform their physical counterparts when running a quantum‑kernel differential‑equation solver. Using a continuous [[4,2,2]] error‑detecting code on its neutral‑atom processor, the team mapped 1,000 equations and achieved more than a 50% reduction...
Rocket Lab Launches Ninth Synspective Satellite
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand on May 22, delivering Synspective’s ninth StriX synthetic‑aperture‑radar satellite into a 572‑km orbit. The launch brings the total Electron missions to 88 and marks the ninth launch for Synspective this year, part of...
AI Listens for Endangered Orcas to Help Reduce Underwater Noise Exposure
Artificial intelligence tool OrcaHello now monitors the endangered southern resident orcas in the Salish Sea, detecting their vocalizations in real time. Ship traffic can raise underwater sound levels by 12‑17 dB, reducing the whales' prey‑capture odds by roughly 12.5 % per decibel....
US: Cornell Berry Breeding and Extension Expand Opportunities for NY Growers
Cornell University’s Berry Breeding Program and Cooperative Extension evaluated 18,480 berry seedlings over three years, selecting 120 advanced genotypes for further testing. Two primocane red‑raspberry cultivars, ‘Crimson Beauty’ and ‘Crimson Blush’, were released and licensed to nurseries for 2025 planting,...
AI‑Designed Miniproteins Toggle GPCRs, Matching Drugs in Mice
Scientists at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design and biotech Skape Bio used artificial intelligence to engineer miniproteins that can activate or block G protein‑coupled receptors. In mouse experiments the engineered proteins performed on par with an approved...
All the Fancy Measuring Devices Used in Science Rely on Two Stone-Age Techniques
The article explains that every sophisticated scientific measuring instrument ultimately relies on two primitive techniques: counting and comparing. These methods trace back to Stone‑Age tools such as tally sticks and balance scales. Modern devices—from blood pressure cuffs to spectrophotometers—encode these...
Single High Dose of Psilocybin Triggers Weeks-Long Brain Changes, Study Shows
Researchers report that a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin reshapes brain activity and white‑matter pathways for weeks, enhancing mood, insight and cognitive flexibility in healthy adults. The findings could inform meditation‑based mental‑health therapies and spark debate over psychedelic integration into...
Structured Coaching Cuts Biological Aging by 0.014 in Large Trial
More than 2,100 older adults in the U.S. POINTER trial saw a 0.014 reduction in a composite frailty index after two years of coached exercise, diet and accountability. Researchers say the result provides the first large‑scale proof that lifestyle interventions...
Teledyne CCD370 Sensors Launch on SMILE Mission
Teledyne Space Imaging has launched two CCD370 imaging sensors aboard ESA’s SMILE mission, which lifted off on a Vega‑C rocket from French Guiana on 19 May 2026. The sensors sit at the core of the Soft X‑ray Imager, capturing photons...
Cyclarity Therapeutics Reports Safety Data for 7-Ketocholesterol Clearance
Cyclarity Therapeutics reported first clinical evidence that its AI‑engineered cyclodextrin drug, UDP‑003, can safely bind and promote urinary excretion of 7‑ketocholesterol, a toxic oxysterol linked to atherosclerosis. The Phase 1 safety trial demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with no serious adverse...
IBM and U.S. Commerce Dept. Launch $1 B Quantum Foundry, Part of $2 B CHIPS Initiative
IBM and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $1 billion grant to create America’s first purpose‑built quantum foundry for superconducting wafers. The award is part of a $2.013 billion CHIPS and Science Act package that also funds GlobalFoundries and other firms,...
Particle‑by‑Particle Tracking Uncovers Heterogeneous Drug Release in PLGA Nanocarriers
A research team led by the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona used single‑particle super‑resolution microscopy to follow drug release from PLGA nanocarriers over 30 days. The study showed that some particles dump their cargo within hours while others retain...
Rigetti Secures Up to $100 Million From U.S. Commerce Dept for Quantum R&D
Rigetti Computing has signed a letter of intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce for up to $100 million in funding over three years to accelerate superconducting quantum computing R&D. The deal, part of the CHIPS Act, includes an equity stake...
SpaceX Launches Upgraded Starship V3 Mega‑rocket From Texas
SpaceX lifted off its upgraded Starship V3 mega‑rocket from Starbase, Texas, in a debut flight that tests critical engineering upgrades for future moon and Mars missions. The launch, streamed live, is the first test of the new version’s engines and...
Akari Therapeutics Shares Double on KRAS Synergy Data, Raises $5.5M for ADC Trial
Akari Therapeutics' shares surged more than 100% in pre‑market trading after the company disclosed preclinical data that its lead ADC, AKTX-101, works synergistically with KRAS inhibitor Adagrasib in pancreatic cancer models. The biotech also priced a $5.5 million private placement to...
Canceling Quantum Noise
A Max Planck Institute team has built an effective negative‑mass oscillator that injects an anti‑noise optical signal to cancel quantum back‑action noise in precision measurements. Laboratory tests show up to a 77% reduction in quantum noise at the resonant frequency of...
Paws for Thought: Guide Dog Success May Have Genetic Basis
A University of Connecticut study analyzed genomic data from 1,100 Labrador retrievers to predict guide‑dog success. By linking DNA markers to 17 behavioral traits from the International Working Dog Registry, researchers found genetics outperformed traditional assessments for at least 11...
Ancient Chemistry Trick Unlocks New Type of Glass that Traps CO2 and Hydrogen
Scientists have borrowed an ancient glassmaking trick—adding small amounts of sodium or lithium—to lower the softening temperature of metal‑organic framework (MOF) glasses such as ZIF‑62. The additives integrate into the glass network, weakening bonds and allowing the material to flow...
Fusion Energy Poised for Simpler U.S. Review
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is ending the public comment period on a proposed rule that treats fusion energy separately from traditional nuclear fission, with a final regulation slated for this fall. Regulators deem fusion’s risk profile akin to medical...
A New Era of Exploring the Universe in Radio
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory unveiled the first light from a prototype of the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), capturing radio emissions from the Sun, a supernova remnant, and a distant supermassive black hole. The ngVLA, if fully funded,...
Chinese and Dutch Scientists Turn Corn to Sustainable Plastic, Inspired by Spider Silk
Scientists from China and the Netherlands have developed a corn‑protein biopolymer, dubbed “plantymer,” using a spider‑silk‑inspired processing technique. The material, derived from the protein zein, achieves silk‑like rigidity and effective moisture and oxygen barriers while degrading up to 80 % within...
The Problem at the Heart of Drug Discovery: Lexogen & Ochre Bio on the Power of AI on Human Data
Lexogen, an RNA transcriptomics and NGS service provider, teamed up with Ochre Bio, a biotech developing AI‑driven RNA therapies for chronic liver disease. The partnership leverages Lexogen’s high‑throughput sequencing to generate human‑first data that trains Ochre’s predictive models. Together they...
Liquid Biopsy Differentiation of Pancreatic Cancer From Non‐Cancerous Pancreatic Disease Using Dielectrophoresis‐Recovered Nanoparticles Carrying Cell‐Free DNA and Protein Biomarkers (Small...
Researchers led by Stuart D. Ibsen have unveiled a microfluidic chip that uses dielectrophoretic forces to pull extracellular‑vesicle nanoparticles out of undiluted plasma. The captured vesicles carry cell‑free DNA and protein biomarkers that together distinguish pancreatic cancer from non‑cancerous pancreatic...
External Stimuli‐Activable Single‐Atom Nanozymes for Bioapplications
The review outlines how single‑atom nanozymes (SANs) can be engineered to respond to external stimuli such as light, ultrasound, and magnetic fields. It details electronic‑structure tuning and synthesis routes that amplify catalytic activity and enable on‑demand activation. Case studies demonstrate...
Recent Advances in Lithium Metal Anodes with Liquid Electrolytes: Interfacial Interaction‐Driven Assembly for Dendrite Suppression and Long‐Term Stability (Small 29/2026)
Researchers Yongmin Ko, Jinhan Cho and colleagues reported a new interfacial interaction‑driven assembly method that modifies both the lithium‑metal electrode and its separator. The approach creates a homogenized Li‑ion flux, enabling uniform lithium plating and eliminating dendrite formation. Laboratory tests...
Hydroxide‐Based Catalysts for Alcohol Electrooxidation: From Fundamentals Understanding to Catalyst Design Strategies
The review consolidates fundamental concepts of alcohol electrooxidation and outlines how layered hydroxide electrocatalysts can be engineered for superior performance. It details direct and indirect oxidation pathways, active‑site formation, and product distribution across diverse substrates. Emphasis is placed on the...
Weekly Neuroscience Update
A seven‑year longitudinal study found that brain‑wave patterns at age 9 can predict anxiety or depression by age 13, with right‑hemisphere activity linked to anxiety and left‑hemisphere to depression. Researchers also unveiled transparent contact lenses that deliver electrical stimulation, boosting serotonin by...
Merck Reports the P-III (TroFuse-005) Trial Data on Sacituzumab Tirumotecan for Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer
Merck disclosed Phase III TroFuse‑005 data for sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac‑TMT) in 776 patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma or carcinosarcoma who had prior platinum‑based chemotherapy and PD‑1/PD‑L1 immunotherapy. The trial met its primary overall‑survival and progression‑free‑survival endpoints and also achieved...
Bridging Four Key Gaps Toward Quantum Advantage
Mind the gaps: The fraught road to quantum advantage Quantum computing is advancing rapidly, yet substantial gaps separate today's noisy intermediate-scale quantum (#NISQ) devices from tomorrow's fault-tolerant application-scale quantum (#FASQ) machines. https://t.co/aSWIa4Z6CA In this perspectives article, @preskill and I identify four related hurdles...
SpaceX Reschedules Starship IFT‑12 Launch for Tonight
SpaceX's website says they are "preparing to launch" Starship IFT-12 today, Friday, May 22, after yesterday's scrub. Same launch window (6:30-8:00 pm ET). https://t.co/WmDymzCeJd
Robots Learn Navigation Using Quantum Processing and Achieve Stable Trajectories
Researchers at NYUAD and NYU introduced Q‑SpiRL, a quantum spiking reinforcement‑learning framework that combines variational quantum circuits with spiking neural networks for robot navigation. In simulated grid‑worlds up to 40 × 40 cells with moving obstacles, the quantum‑enhanced spiking neural network (QSNN)...
‘Implausible’: Top Climate Scientists Reject Worst-Case Scenario—Soaring Temperatures and Fast-Rising Sea Levels
Top climate scientists have urged the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to retire its most extreme emissions scenario, RCP 8.5, labeling it implausible based on recent fossil‑fuel consumption trends. The move reflects updated modeling that shows the world is unlikely...
How Life and Intelligent Life Emerged on Earth
Researchers continue to debate how non‑living chemistry gave rise to the first self‑replicating systems and, billions of years later, to intelligent life. The article reviews leading origin‑of‑life models—information‑first (RNA world), metabolism‑first, and compartment‑first—alongside proposed settings such as hydrothermal vents, warm...
Why Does Motor Neurone Disease Take so Long to Diagnose? And Can It Be Treated?
Rugby league star Jai Arrow’s recent motor neurone disease (MND) diagnosis has spotlighted a condition that affects fewer than 1,000 Australians annually. MND progressively destroys motor neurons, leading to loss of speech, movement, breathing and, ultimately, death within two to...
Vitrafy Life Sciences Reports Strong US Army Platelet Preservation Results
Vitrafy Life Sciences announced that its Phase II in‑vitro study with the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research validated a no‑wash 3 % DMSO cryopreservation protocol, delivering a 94% mean post‑thaw platelet recovery. The protocol also outperformed wash‑based and trehalose approaches on...
BMS Deploys Anthropic’s Claude AI Across Global Drug‑Discovery Operations
Bristol‑Myers Squibb announced a strategic partnership with Anthropic to embed the Claude foundation model into every major function of its global business, covering more than 30,000 employees. The move is billed as a way to break data silos and accelerate...
'Climate Experts' Were Wrong. Can We Get a Refund?
The United Nations’ climate‑change panel has quietly removed the most extreme warming scenarios from its latest assessment, acknowledging that earlier projections overstated near‑term temperature spikes. The revision follows criticism that dire forecasts have fueled costly policy overreactions and eroded public...
Brain‑Side Asymmetry in Anxiety and Depression Offers New Target for Meditation‑Based Prevention
A seven‑year longitudinal study published in Biological Psychiatry identified opposite hemispheric activity in the amygdala as early biomarkers for anxiety and depression. The research pinpoints age 9 as a neurodevelopmental turning point, offering a concrete target for early screening and meditation‑based...
Lilly's Retatrutide Shows Early Muscle‑Sparing Weight‑Loss Results
Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug retatrutide has produced early trial data indicating up to 33% body‑weight loss with a measurable muscle‑preserving effect. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman highlighted the drug’s triple‑agonist mechanism and warned against unregulated gray‑market sources.
New Study Shows Metformin Targets Gut, Shifting Anti‑Aging Narrative
Northwestern University scientists published a Nature Metabolism paper showing metformin primarily acts on intestinal cells to curb glucose absorption, overturning the long‑held view that its main effect is liver‑based. The finding could reshape how longevity enthusiasts dose the drug and...
Elite Immune Cells Lead the Fight Against Multiple Myeloma
Researchers at Osaka University discovered that only a tiny fraction of CD8 T cells—about 2.3% of clones—undergo massive clonal expansion when exposed to the bispecific T‑cell engager elranatamab in a multiple myeloma model. Using single‑cell RNA sequencing, they tracked these elite...
GE Aerospace Cuts Hypersonic Ramjet Design Time to Seconds with Generative AI
GE Aerospace announced that its generative‑AI app generated a preliminary hypersonic dual‑mode ramjet design in seconds, a task that previously took weeks or months. The speed boost aims to accelerate DoD weapon programs and commercial jet engine projects such as...
National Lab Unveils Vanadium‑Oxide Synapse with 25‑Minute Photoresponse for Neuromorphic Vision
A team led by the National Laboratory of the Rockies published a study showing that α‑phase vanadium pentoxide devices can hold a light‑induced charge for more than 25 minutes, a record persistence that mimics biological synapses. The discovery, detailed in...
Eli Lilly’s Retatrutide Cuts Average Body Weight 28% in Pivotal Phase 3 Trial
Eli Lilly announced that its experimental triple‑agonist retatrutide delivered an average 28.3% (≈70 lb) weight loss in the pivotal TRIUMPH‑1 Phase 3 trial, with 45.3% of participants shedding at least 30% of their body weight. The result positions the drug alongside bariatric...
Stress Impairs Your Brain’s Ability to Link Memories — Dampening Insight
A new study in Science Advances shows that acute stress impairs the brain’s ability to integrate past and new information, a process essential for insight. Researchers used brain imaging and a two‑day memory task, exposing half of 121 participants to...
20 Phase‑3 Trials Poised to Redefine Cancer Care
In the wake of the #ASCO26 data drop, we reflect on 20 key phase 3 trials which could make a significant impact. Some of these may make their competitors irrelevant if they change the standard of care: https://t.co/EGtw35EsSk https://t.co/CG0Oe4QxDg
Genomics Predict Venetoclax Response in T(
Genomic Determinants of Clinical Outcomes in Multiple Myeloma with t(11;14)(CCND1;IGH) Treated with Venetoclax [Dec 7, 2024] @MKaddouraMD et al. @lbaughn #ASH24 Abst 249 https://t.co/TLon5bCQ3i #mmsm #PrecisionMedicine
AI Designs Miniprotein Switches for GPCR Targeting
A University of Washington and Skape Bio team used AI‑driven de novo protein design to create miniproteins under 100 amino acids that can precisely activate or inhibit G protein‑coupled receptors (GPCRs). The designs achieve nanomolar affinity, high potency, and state‑specific selectivity,...
Phase 3 Trial Tests Daratumumab Regimens For
.@SWOG S2213 Ph3 RCT Dara-VC Induction Followed by ASCT or Dara-VCD Consolidation & Daratumumab Maintenance in Pts w/ Newly Diagnosed AL Amyloidosis [Activated: 12/1/23] https://t.co/OizUfJCc2c #mmsm #bmtsm