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
Printed Devices Turn Neuromorphic
Researchers at USC have demonstrated artificial neurons built from printed molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheet networks. The printed devices exhibit multi‑order spiking dynamics that replicate the timing of biological neurons, operating on millisecond‑scale intervals relevant to human brain activity. This neuromorphic platform offers a low‑cost, scalable route to integrate electronic circuits with living neural tissue, paving the way for next‑generation brain‑machine interfaces.
Long-Term Memory Reorganization of Navigational Episodes
Researchers examined how real‑world navigational memories change over delays ranging from six days to three decades using Berlin Zoo visitors and immersive VR. Performance on egocentric and allocentric tasks declined nonlinearly with time, best captured by a power‑law regression that...
Cas9+ Conditionally Immortalized Neutrophil Progenitors as a Tool for Genome Wide CRISPR Screening for Neutrophil Differentiation and Function
Researchers at UC Berkeley have engineered a Cas9‑expressing, estrogen‑regulated Hoxb8 neutrophil progenitor line that can be genetically edited and differentiated into functional neutrophils both in vitro and in vivo. The platform enables forward and reverse genetics, demonstrated by a pooled...
Polygenic Risk Scores Are Not Genetic Predispositions
The authors argue that polygenic risk scores (PRS) should not be described as genetic predispositions because they are statistical aggregates of population‑level DNA associations, not intrinsic, stable traits. PRS accuracy hinges on the reference population, environmental context, and the underlying...
AI Tool in Radiotherapy Advances Global Fight to Eradicate Cervical Cancer
A collaborative consortium has launched an AI‑driven radiotherapy planning platform that automates contouring and dose‑optimization for cervical cancer. Trained on more than 10,000 patient scans, the tool generates treatment plans in minutes, cutting planning time by roughly 40% while preserving...
Neutron Stars Are so Dense that a Sugar-Cube-Sized Piece Would Weigh as Much as Mount Everest — and They Spin...
Neutron stars compress about 1.4 solar masses into a 20‑km sphere, yielding densities near 4 × 10¹⁷ kg/m³—so a cubic‑centimeter would weigh roughly 160 billion kg, comparable to Mount Everest. The fastest known millisecond pulsar, PSR J1748−2446ad, rotates at 716 Hz, completing 700 revolutions each second, a...
Roadmap Charts Three Paths to Room-Temperature Quantum Materials for Cooler Computing
Researchers from the University of Ottawa and MIT released a comprehensive roadmap in *Newton* that maps three strategic pathways—AI‑driven material screening, thin‑layer heterostructure engineering, and discovery of new magnetic topological families—to achieve room‑temperature operation. The review highlights the quantum anomalous...
The Gold in Your Ring Formed Before Earth Existed — and the Atoms in that Small Band Are Older than...
Gold atoms in a wedding ring were forged long before Earth existed, created in extreme astrophysical events that produce the rapid neutron‑capture (r‑process) elements. The first direct proof came from the 2017 neutron‑star merger GW170817, whose kilonova ejecta likely contained...
Weight-Loss Drugs Tied to Lower Death, Recurrence Risk After Breast Cancer
A retrospective cohort study of more than 840,000 breast‑cancer patients diagnosed between 2006 and 2023 found that use of GLP‑1 receptor agonists—drugs approved for type‑2 diabetes and obesity—was associated with a lower risk of death and cancer recurrence over a...
There Are More Stars in the Observable Universe than Grains of Sand on Every Beach on Earth, and the Visible...
The observable universe contains roughly 10^22‑10^24 stars, dwarfing the estimated 7.5 × 10^18 grains of sand on Earth’s beaches. Recent analyses of Hubble deep‑field data have raised the galaxy count to about two trillion, ten times earlier estimates. Because space itself expands,...
JWST Finds LAP1‑B, Most Chemically Primitive Galaxy Yet, Illuminating First Stars
An international team led by Associate Professor Kimihiko Nakajima used JWST to identify LAP1‑B, a galaxy 13 billion light‑years away with an oxygen abundance just 1/240th that of the Sun. The find provides the clearest observational link to the universe’s first...
KAIST Uncovers Brain's Memory Switch, Opening New Paths for Meditation and Therapy
Scientists at KAIST, led by Professor Han Jin-hee, have identified a neural circuit linking the medial septum and medial entorhinal cortex that acts as a 'memory switch' to prioritize recent memories. The discovery, published in Nature Neuroscience, could reshape meditation...
How Looking Through Static Can Help People with a Common Degenerative Disease See Better
Researchers demonstrated that adding visual noise via a Microsoft HoloLens 2 augmented reality headset can modestly improve visual acuity in patients with exudative age‑related macular degeneration (AMD). In a trial of twelve AMD participants, medium‑level static enabled them to read about...
Tsinghua Team Unveils AI‑Driven Inverse Design Framework for Sub‑Wavelength Photonics
Researchers at Tsinghua University, headed by Professor Kaiyu Cui, introduced an artificial‑intelligence‑generated photonic (AIGP) framework that uses a latent diffusion model to translate optical performance targets directly into sub‑wavelength structures. The breakthrough, detailed in a May 16, 2026 paper in Light: Advanced...
Sygaldry Technologies Raises $139 Million to Build Quantum‑Accelerated AI Servers
Sygaldry Technologies closed a $139 million financing round—$105 million Series A led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and $34 million seed from Initialized Capital—to build quantum‑accelerated AI servers. The capital will fund hardware that integrates quantum processors with classical data‑center infrastructure, targeting the soaring...
Denali Therapeutics Secures FDA Approval for AVLAYAH, First Gene Therapy for Hunter Syndrome
Denali Therapeutics announced that the FDA granted accelerated approval to AVLAYAH, the first gene‑therapy targeting the neurologic manifestations of Hunter syndrome. The company said early commercial activity is already exceeding its launch forecasts, signaling strong physician and payer interest in...
Anatomical Brain Mapping Separates Structural Deviations of Violent Psychosis From Non-Violent Schizophrenia
Researchers used normative modeling to compare individual brain structures of men with schizophrenia and a history of severe violence against a global reference of nearly 59,000 scans. The study found that almost 90% of the violent schizophrenia cohort displayed extreme...
Study Maps Brain Immune Cells to Block Melanoma Metastasis
Yale researchers are targeting the brain's native immune cells to stop melanoma from forming deadly brain metastases. Their work focuses on the IL‑4 signaling axis, which overactivates myeloid cells and creates a pre‑metastatic niche that shields tumor cells from standard...
Zusduri Demonstrates Real-World Efficacy for Low-Grade UTUC
UroGen’s Zusduri shows strong real-world results for low-grade upper tract urothelial cancer, matching clinical trial efficacy. A promising kidney-sparing option, though durability and reimbursement remain key hurdles. Urology
Graphene-Engineered Wood Lowers the Power Barrier for Laser Propulsion
Researchers have engineered a graphene‑delignified wood (GDW) that serves as a low‑intensity laser‑ablation propellant, achieving a specific impulse of 800 s and an ablation threshold of 0.54 MW m⁻². Natural wood, without graphene, delivered an even higher specific impulse of 908 s but required...
Surrounded by Stardust: Antarctic Ice Cores Confirm Earth Is Accumulating Iron-60 From Local Interstellar Cloud
An international team led by Germany’s Helmholtz‑Zentrum Dresden‑Rossendorf has confirmed that Earth is continuously collecting the radioactive isotope iron‑60 from the Local Interstellar Cloud, using Antarctic ice cores dated 40,000–80,000 years old. The measurements reveal a time‑varying influx, with lower...
'We Still Can't See Dark Matter. But What If We Can Hear It?'
Researchers analyzing data from LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA identified a possible dark‑matter imprint in one gravitational‑wave event, GW190728, recorded in 2019. The signal originated from a binary black‑hole merger with a combined mass of about 20 solar masses, roughly 8 billion...
Reading Boosts Cognitive Reserve, Cuts Alzheimer Risk 38%
A Lifetime of Reading and Learning Linked to 38% Lower Alzheimer's Risk As a medical school professor, I have watched cognitive reserve go from a fuzzy idea to a measurable signal. A new study just put hard numbers on it. (1/5)
Molten Salt Reactors Move Closer to Reality After Breakthrough at U.S. Lab
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully measured the thermal conductivity and viscosity of molten salts, providing the first reliable data on how these fluids behave inside a reactor. The breakthrough addresses a long‑standing data gap that has hampered...
Lavandula-Zn(II) Hybrid Shields Steel From Corrosion
Researchers have developed a hybrid corrosion inhibitor that merges Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract with Zn(II) ions, delivering strong protection for carbon steel in saline environments. Electrochemical tests showed a roughly 70% reduction in corrosion current density, while impedance measurements indicated...
JWST Maps Cosmic Web in Unprecedented Detail as VLT Captures First Direct Filament Image
Astronomers using JWST’s COSMOS‑Web survey released the most detailed three‑dimensional map of the universe’s cosmic web, spanning 14 billion years of history. In parallel, ESO’s VLT captured the first direct image of a 3‑million‑light‑year filament, confirming long‑standing dark‑matter models.
Visceral Fat Loss Slows Brain Aging, Israeli MRI Study Finds
Researchers at Ben‑Gurion University reported that sustained reductions in abdominal (visceral) fat are associated with slower brain atrophy and better cognitive performance in late midlife. Published in Nature Communications, the study links metabolic health to neurological aging independent of overall...
Sternal Vibration Boosts White‑Matter Density and Body Awareness
Researchers found that adding brief sternal vibration to mindfulness meditation increased white‑matter density in the corticospinal tract and improved body awareness among trauma‑exposed adults. The randomized trial involved 116 participants, with 60 receiving vibration and 56 serving as controls, highlighting...
Defect Diamond‐Like D10 Metal Indium Selenium With Strong Second‐Harmonic Generation and Enhanced Laser‐Induced Damage Threshold
Researchers have synthesized two defect‑diamond‑like d10 chalcogenides, ZnIn2Se4 and CdIn2Se4, as promising infrared nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Both crystals exhibit strong second‑harmonic generation (SHG) efficiencies—2.7× and 1.3× that of the benchmark AgGaS2 (AGS)—and achieve phase‑matching thanks to enhanced birefringence. Infrared...
Yolk‐Double‐Shell ZnPS3/NC@C Polyhedra Engineered via Kirkendall‐Effect‐Driven Etching for Superior Sodium Storage
Researchers have engineered a yolk‑double‑shell ZnPS3/N‑doped carbon@carbon polyhedron using a MOF‑mediated Kirkendall‑effect etching strategy. The design creates a conductive N‑doped carbon matrix and an outer carbon shell that together accommodate volume change and suppress polysulfide dissolution. As a sodium‑ion battery...
Highly Selective Electroreduction of CO2 to Formate Over Intermetallic Ag3Sn Catalysts
The study identifies the ordered intermetallic phase Ag3Sn as the key active site for electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to formate, achieving a 92.3% Faradaic efficiency at –1.0 V vs. RHE and outperforming pure Ag and SnO₂ benchmarks. Combined density‑functional theory and experimental...
Synergistic Tip Effect Suppression and Solvation Regulation for High‐Performance Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Researchers introduced sodium anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (A26DA) as a π-conjugated sulfonate additive for aqueous zinc‑ion batteries. The A26DA²‑ anion tightly coordinates Zn²⁺, reshaping its solvation sheath and suppressing water activity, which leads to uniform, dendrite‑free zinc plating. Consequently, the modified Zn anode...
Revisiting Deep Delithiation of LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) Cathode Materials
Researchers found that a small amount of Li/Ni antisite disorder (~2%) in NMC811 cathodes suppresses the formation of the O1 phase during deep delithiation, leading to markedly better cycling stability at 4.8 V. In contrast, nearly defect‑free NMC811 readily transforms from...
Akatsuki Probe’s Venus Cloud Wave Identified as Solar System’s Largest Hydraulic Jump
Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft captured a massive cloud disturbance on Venus in 2016. A University of Tokyo team has now shown the feature is a hydraulic jump spanning up to 3,700 miles, the largest ever recorded in the solar system. The...
NSF Deploys $1.5 B X‑Labs Program to Fast‑Track Quantum and Sensing Technologies
The National Science Foundation announced a $1.5 billion, ten‑year X‑Labs initiative that will fund independent, interdisciplinary teams working on quantum interconnects, integrated photonics and quantum‑enhanced sensing. The program uses milestone‑based Other Transactions Agreements to move prototypes toward commercial platforms, signaling a...
This Common Teenage Behaviour May Rewire The Brain For Anxiety
A rat study published in Biological Psychiatry shows that binge‑drinking during adolescence slashes neuronal connections in the amygdala by roughly 40 percent. The alcohol exposure lowers levels of the Arc protein, which is essential for forming those connections, and triggers...
SMILE to Capture First X‑ray View of Earth’s Magnetic Shield
SMILE is set to make the first X-ray observations of Earth’s magnetic shield, capturing how solar wind and plasma blasts hit the boundary that deflects charged particles. spaceweather
HbA1c Links Periodontitis and Diabetes, Guiding Treatment
The role of HbA1c in the bidirectional relationship between periodontitis and diabetes and related interventions: a narrative review https://t.co/TedgND7iYF
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WEATHERING EXTREMES: Scientists Challenge ‘Business as Usual’, Calling for Southern-Led Climate Scenarios to Tackle the Crisis
South Africa is battling floods, drought and early snowfall, underscoring a climate‑driven polycrisis that mirrors conditions across the Global South. A new paper in *One Earth* argues that the Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) guiding global climate policy are built on...
Plant Nitrate Intake Linked to Reduced Dementia Deaths
Plant but not animal sourced nitrate intake is associated with lower dementia-related mortality in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study https://t.co/WFiNSBa8Ni
Unsaturated Fats Improve Sleep and Gut Health in Aging Flies
Dietary unsaturated fatty acids distinctly associate with the early age sleep–wake cycle and gut integrity in aged fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster https://t.co/4HzgwbAgR5 https://t.co/LGpfDjfeXu
Watch NASA's New Mars Helicopter Rotor Break the Speed of Sound (Video)
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory completed 137 supersonic rotor tests in a Mars‑simulated chamber, pushing blade tips to Mach 1.08. The data indicate a potential 30% lift boost, enabling future Mars helicopters to carry heavier science payloads and larger batteries. Engineers also...
Joining CNN Sunday to Discuss Ebola PHEIC
I’m scheduled for around 5:30 PM Eastern this Sunday PM @CNN to discuss the Ebola PHEIC and all things infectious
Scientists Discover Entirely New Material Created in First Nuclear Explosion
Scientists led by Luca Bindi of the University of Florence have identified a previously unknown clathrate crystal formed inside a copper‑rich droplet of trinitite, the glassy residue from the 1945 Trinity nuclear test. The material, a cage‑like structure that traps...
Just Two Radiotherapy Sessions Over Eight Days Effectively Treat Prostate Cancer Without Additional Side Effects
Researchers at the ESTRO 2026 Congress reported that a two‑session, MRI‑guided radiotherapy regimen over eight days matches the safety and efficacy of the conventional five‑session schedule for localized prostate cancer. The HERMES randomized trial involving 46 patients showed comparable toxicity, urinary...
Advancements and Insights Into Life Expectancy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients
A new JAMA Internal Medicine cohort study finds chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) shortens life expectancy even among adults who have never smoked. The analysis, which adjusted for age, socioeconomic status and comorbidities, shows that mild‑to‑moderate airflow obstruction carries a...
Researchers Built a Switch 1,000 Times Faster than Today's AI Chips, and It Barely Generates Any Heat
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a magnetic spintronic switch that flips binary states in 40 picoseconds—about 1,000 times faster than today’s fastest AI accelerators. The device, built from a manganese‑tin antiferromagnet, consumes only a fraction of the energy and...
Chinese Team Sets 27.17% Record for Inverted Perovskite Cells
Chinese researchers achieve world-record efficiency of 27.17% for inverted perovskite solar cell #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/9gv84zD7sb
Antarctic Drill Retrieves 1.2‑Million‑Year Air Record, Redefining Climate History
A team from the British Antarctic Survey’s Beyond EPICA project has extracted a 1.2‑million‑year‑old ice core from Little Dome C, delivering the oldest continuous atmospheric record ever recovered. The find pushes back the paleoclimate window by 400,000 years, offering new data...
UC Davis Study Finds 8% Choline Deficit in Brains of Anxiety Patients
Researchers at UC Davis Health published the largest brain‑scan meta‑analysis to date, revealing that people with anxiety disorders have about 8% lower choline levels in the prefrontal cortex. The finding, based on 712 participants, could reshape how clinicians and meditation...