The Size of Tropical Vegetation Gross Primary Production
A new Nature paper re‑examines recent claims that tropical vegetation’s gross primary production (GPP) is far higher than satellite‑derived estimates. While satellite observations place global GPP at 120‑140 petagrams of carbon per year (PgC yr⁻¹), Lai et al. modelled it at 157 ± 8.5 PgC yr⁻¹, with tropical fluxes of 79 PgC yr⁻¹—up to 85% higher. The authors demonstrate that Lai’s extrapolation relies on a leaf‑relative‑uptake (LRU) to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) relationship measured at a single boreal site and omits vapor pressure deficit (VPD) effects. Their analysis underscores the need for spatially diverse validation when scaling OCS‑based GPP estimates globally.
The Representational Geometry of Emotional States in Basolateral Amygdala
Researchers used a virtual burrow assay and two‑photon calcium imaging to examine how the basolateral amygdala (BLA) encodes emotional states in head‑fixed mice. While individual BLA neurons displayed mixed selectivity for valence, stimulus identity, and behavioral state, the collective activity...
A Brainstem Pathway Underlying Vagal Modulation of Somatic Pain and Affective States
The paper identifies a caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS)‑to‑periaqueductal gray (PAG) circuit that mediates vagal modulation of somatic pain and affective states. Using optogenetic activation, fiber photometry, and monosynaptic rabies tracing, the authors show that stimulating cNTS‑PAG neurons...
Printable 3D Metalenses Bring Full-Colour VR Displays Closer to Scalable Nanomanufacturing
Researchers published a scalable method for three‑dimensional achromatic metalenses using grayscale electron‑beam lithography combined with nanoimprint replication. Height‑encoded nano‑templates provide precise multi‑wavelength phase control, achieving diffraction‑limited focusing across RGB with Strehl ratios above 0.8 and efficiencies near 12 %. The process...
Strain Creates Moiré 2D Materials without Twisting or Stacking, Opening More Scalable Route
Cornell researchers have demonstrated a strain‑based method to generate moiré superlattices in molybdenum disulfide without the need for twisting or stacking atomically thin layers. By patterning metal stressor films on the crystal, they create controlled biaxial and uniaxial strain that...
Male Bowerbirds Hope to Dazzle Females with Bright Human-Made Items
A new study by University of Exeter shows urban great bowerbirds in Queensland incorporate far more human-made objects into their courtship bowers than rural counterparts. Researchers surveyed 61 males, finding urban birds used on average 90 items per bower—up to...
Psychologists Identify the Dark Traits Behind an Extremist Mindset
Psychologists led by Marija V. Čolić published a study in Personality and Individual Differences showing that dark personality traits, especially sadism and Machiavellianism, combine with group‑focused moral foundations to predict a militant extremist mindset. Two surveys of 309 and 540...
Small Magellanic Cloud Is Being Pulled Apart, Reshaping How Astronomers Read Its Past
A decade‑long VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds (VMC) has charted the motions of millions of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) with unprecedented precision. The data reveal a galaxy‑wide outward drift of about 17 km s⁻¹, a clear signature of...
James Webb Space Telescope Takes Fingerprints Of 3I/ATLAS
The James Webb Space Telescope captured the first chemical fingerprint of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in two December observations, mapping water, carbon dioxide and methane around its nucleus. Using the MIRI instrument’s medium‑resolution spectrometer, JWST detected methane directly for the first...
Proteins Can Be Selectively Controlled with Radio Waves
Scientists at the Technical University of Munich have demonstrated that flavoprotein proteins can be manipulated with radio waves, altering their quantum spin states and luminescence. By irradiating cryptochrome‑derived proteins with blue light to generate spin‑correlated radical pairs, the team showed...
NASA Space Roboticist Challenge
NASA’s Fly Foundational Robots (FFR) mission will launch a seven‑degree‑of‑freedom robotic arm to low‑Earth orbit and is now inviting U.S. researchers to propose on‑orbit experiments. Interested principal investigators, post‑docs, professors and graduate students must first register for eligibility by Sept. 23,...
Immunotherapy Added to Radiation Therapy Boosts Survival in Localized Prostate Cancer
A phase‑3, double‑blind trial of 745 men with intermediate‑ or high‑risk localized prostate cancer showed that adding the adenoviral immunotherapy aglatimagene besadenovec (CAN‑2409) to standard radiation therapy significantly improved disease‑free survival. Only 23% of patients receiving aglatimagene experienced progression, recurrence...
Fathers' Diet Before Conception Could Significantly Affect Fetal Growth and Placenta Development
A University of Sheffield team found that male mice fed either a high‑fat Western‑style diet or a low‑protein diet for eight weeks before mating did not show reduced fertility, but their offspring’s placentas exhibited altered metabolism, structure, and gene‑expression patterns....
Ultra-Long-Acting Injectable GLP-1 RA Shows Promise for Supporting Weight Management in Individuals With and Without Type 2 Diabetes
Investigational ultra‑long‑acting GLP‑1 receptor agonist berobenatide demonstrated that a once‑monthly 4.8 mg injection produced up to 12.3% placebo‑adjusted weight loss after 28 weeks in overweight or obese adults without diabetes, with safety comparable to the GLP‑1 class. The Phase 2b VESPER‑3 trial...
Allen Institute Sets Sights on Treatments for Five Brain Diseases
The Allen Institute has launched the Brain Health Accelerator, a 14‑year, $400 million effort to develop genetic medicines for five neurodegenerative diseases—Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Lewy body dementia and ALS. Leveraging its single‑cell atlases and viral‑vector technology, the program aims to test...
Poor Sleep, Night Shift Work Linked to Higher Risk of Osteoarthritis
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine analyzed data from nearly 500,000 UK Biobank participants and found that adults who regularly get less than six hours of sleep or report poor‑quality sleep face a 20‑40% higher risk of hip or...
Rare Meteorite Provides Evidence of Giant Early Planet
Scientists have identified the Northwest Africa 12774 angrite meteorite as the first concrete proof of a lost planetary embryo that existed 4.5 billion years ago. High‑pressure, aluminum‑rich clinopyroxene crystals indicate formation under at least 17.5 kilobars, a pressure only possible inside a...
Sunspot Update: May Sunspot Activity Jumps
NOAA’s June update shows May 2026 sunspot numbers rose unexpectedly, though they remain below long‑term forecasts. The uptick interrupts a recent downward trend toward solar minimum, sparking speculation of a secondary peak in this cycle. Historical predictions have consistently missed actual...
New Research Challenges the Idea that Psychedelics Reduce Authoritarian Attitudes
A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology examined whether psychedelic use shifts authoritarian political attitudes. Analyzing three separate datasets—including a naturalistic online sample, a single‑blind trial with healthy volunteers, and a double‑blind RCT with depressed patients—the researchers found...
Real-Time Calibration Helps Fitness Trackers Better Match Lab-Tested Exercise Measurements
Researchers have created an enhanced wearable motion‑tracking system that uses fuzzy algorithms and real‑time sensor calibration to align fitness‑tracker data with laboratory‑grade measurements. In controlled tests, heart‑rate, calorie burn, speed and distance readings closely matched standard lab procedures. The breakthrough...
Irradiation May Help CAR-T Cell Therapy Work Better Against Solid Tumors
Researchers at Icahn School of Medicine discovered that focused irradiation can boost CAR‑T cell therapy against solid tumors. In mouse models of lung cancer and melanoma, a single 8 Gy dose prompted dendritic cells to “dress” themselves with tumor antigens, sustaining...
Celcuity Breast Cancer Drug Misses ‘Lofty’ Expectations in ASCO-Spotlighted Trial
Celcuity reported ASCO data showing its experimental PI3K inhibitor gedatolisib halved the risk of disease progression or death in a Phase 3 trial of HR‑positive, HER2‑negative, PIK3CA‑mutated breast cancer. Both the triplet (gedatolisib + hormone therapy + Ibrance) and doublet (gedatolisib + hormone therapy) regimens extended median...
QuiX Quantum Installs Real-Time Feed-Forward Control Unit for Photonic Computing Architecture
QuiX Quantum announced the first installation of its Feed‑Forward Control Unit (FFCU) within its universal photonic quantum computing stack. The rack‑mounted module combines dual FPGA processors with a 32‑by‑32 I/O matrix to deliver a deterministic 150‑nanosecond latency from photon detection...
Feds Failing in Bid to Take a Supercomputer From a Climate Research Center
In December the Trump administration announced plans to shut down the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and transfer its Wyoming supercomputing facility. UCAR, which manages NCAR for the NSF, sued and secured a preliminary injunction that blocks the transfer....
Disease Detection Gets Boost From Keck’s New Brain Reference Map
Investigators at USC's Keck School of Medicine assembled diffusion MRI data from 54,583 individuals to create the most extensive reference model of brain white‑matter microstructure ever built. Published in Nature Communications, the model functions like growth charts, mapping typical development,...
Fluorescent Nanosensor Detects Key Gut Biomarker in Minutes for Faster Testing
A collaborative team from Singapore’s NIE‑NTU, MIT‑SMART and local hospitals has unveiled a fluorescent nanosensor that quantifies the gut‑derived metabolite indole‑3‑propionic acid (IPA) in minutes. The dual‑mode platform delivers a visible‑light readout for rapid lab screening and a near‑infrared signal...
Tadpoles Use a World War I Naval Strategy to Dazzle Predators
Researchers at Kyoto University discovered that Japanese tree‑frog tadpoles (*Dryophytes leopardus*) develop a bright orange tail with black spots when dragonfly nymph predators are present. In laboratory tanks, the orange‑tailed tadpoles attracted more predator strikes, but those attacks missed more...
Redesigning an Elusive Bacterial Enzyme Into an Efficient Green Catalyst
Researchers at Tokyo University of Science have re‑engineered the orphan Bacillus subtilis enzyme CYP107J1 into a hydrogen‑peroxide‑driven peroxygenase, eliminating the need for external redox partners. Two rational amino‑acid substitutions increased catalytic turnover 28‑fold on 4‑hexylbenzoic acid while preserving selectivity. The...
Machine Learning Model Accurately Predicts Long-Term Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
A new electronic‑health‑record based machine‑learning model predicts a patient’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes up to ten years in advance. The retrospective study analyzed 3,365,464 adults from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, achieving an area‑under‑the‑curve of 0.886 in training and 0.883...
Microsoft’s Quantum Chip Got an Upgrade. Critics Are Still Skeptical
Microsoft unveiled an upgraded quantum chip at its Build conference, swapping aluminum for lead superconductors to boost qubit parity lifetime from milliseconds to about 20 seconds—a 1,000‑fold increase. The improvement targets topological qubits that store information in Majorana modes, promising...
Microsoft’s Upgraded Majorana Quantum Computing Chip Fizzles with Physicists
Microsoft announced the Majorana 2 quantum chip, a topological device that it says can keep qubits coherent for up to a minute and could enable millions of qubits on a single wafer. The claim rests on a new preprint that replaces...
Colorado River Faces ‘Devastating Consequences’ If Another Dry Winter Lands, Experts Warn
A new Colorado River study warns that another arid winter could push Lake Mead and Lake Powell to near‑critical levels, jeopardizing water storage and hydroelectric generation. Even a wet winter would only provide a brief reprieve before over‑consumption returns reservoirs...
Sturgeon Fish Sex Sounds Like ‘Thunder’
Researchers recorded low‑frequency “thunder” sounds emitted by Atlantic sturgeon during Hudson River spawning. The grumbling noises, likely caused by males thrashing against females or swim‑bladder vibrations, represent the first acoustic documentation of this endangered species' mating. Scientists suggest the sounds...
Higher Water Temps in Southcentral Alaska Aiding Invasive Pike Feeding Patterns
A University of Alaska Fairbanks study shows rising water temperatures in Southcentral Alaska’s Deshka River are intensifying the feeding behavior of invasive northern pike. Analysis of stomach contents from 2021‑2022 compared with a decade‑old baseline reveals a 63% increase in...
Giant SpaceX Barge for Transporting Starship/Superheavy Arrives in Texas
SpaceX’s retrofitted 400‑foot barge, nicknamed “You’ll Thank Me Later,” arrived at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The vessel will transport Starship and Super Heavy rockets from the Boca Chica launch complex to Florida until SpaceX’s Kennedy Space Center factory is...
Twelve Scientific Payloads Experience Microgravity Aboard SubOrbital Express-5
SSC Space launched its SubOrbital Express-5 sounding rocket from Sweden’s Esrange Space Center, reaching 260 km altitude and delivering more than six minutes of microgravity. The mission, the 17th SubOrbital Express flight since 1987, carried twelve international scientific payloads supported in...
In a Surprise Launch, China Debuts Another Big Rocket Designed for Reusability
China launched the Long March 12B, a 72‑meter, kerosene‑fuel rocket designed for future booster recovery, marking the state‑owned sector’s lead in the country’s reusable launch race. The vehicle lifted off from the Gobi Desert without attempting a landing, but it carried grid...
Genome Scientist Ana Pombo Joins Johns Hopkins Faculty
Ana Pombo, a leading molecular biologist who invented Genome Architecture Mapping (GAM), has joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Genome Biology. Her appointment spans the Department of Biology and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics,...
Strange Winds Reveal Strongest Hints Yet of Magnetic Activity in Exoplanets
Astronomers have detected unusually fast, ion‑driven winds on several hot‑Jupiter exoplanets, providing the clearest evidence yet that these worlds possess magnetic fields. Using high‑resolution spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope and ground‑based observatories, the team measured wind speeds exceeding 5 km s⁻¹...
The Thalion Initiative: A New Non-Profit With Big Ambitions
The Thalion Initiative, a newly launched non‑profit, aims to accelerate fundamental aging biology with a 15‑year, $710 million roadmap. Its first phase focuses on building a $100‑120 million, 200‑species, multi‑omics mammalian biobank and developing high‑resolution microscopy and mass‑spec tooling. Backed by a...
Budget-Friendly, Lab-Grown Steak with Realistic Texture
Israeli researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have introduced a plant‑derived cellulose scaffold preloaded with growth factors, slashing the amount of expensive proteins needed for cultivated meat by up to tenfold. The anisotropic scaffold guides bovine stem cells to...
Orangutan Poop Holds Surprising Clues About How Long They Breastfeed
Researchers used fecal proteomics to detect milk‑specific proteins in wild Bornean orangutans, revealing that infants continue nursing for at least 6.5 years. Over two‑and‑a‑half years, all 20 fecal samples from youngsters under that age contained milk markers. The study also...
Mystery Solved: Ocean's ‘Golden Orb’ Is Something Nobody Guessed
Marine scientists from NOAA Fisheries and the Smithsonian identified the enigmatic "golden orb" recovered off the Gulf of Alaska in 2023 as tissue from the deep‑sea sea anemone Relicanthus daphneae. The fist‑sized, bronze‑colored sample was collected about two miles (3.2 km)...
Kinase Droplets Activate Growth Signals, Path for Cancer Therapy
A MIT‑led study in Cell Reports shows that many kinases form liquid‑like condensates that concentrate ATP and substrates, dramatically increasing enzymatic activity. The researchers demonstrated this effect for focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Mst2 and Abl, finding that droplet formation can...
Emerging Therapies for CNS Tumours: Key Clinical Trial Updates to Watch at ASCO 2026
At ASCO 2026, pivotal CNS‑tumor trials were presented, confirming that extending temozolomide cycles, adding neoadjuvant temozolomide, or implanting carmustine wafers (MAGMA, JCOG1703) does not improve overall or progression‑free survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. In contrast, innovative approaches showed promise: a...
NASA Testing Wastewater Treatment Facility for Future Moon Base
NASA has shipped its Divergent Deployable Wastewater Treatment Facility from Kennedy Space Center to the University of North Dakota for analog testing. The mobile unit, housed in an 8.5‑by‑24‑foot trailer, separates urine, graywater, fecal and food waste and runs them...
Q&A: Are Plants the Key to Solving Energy and Food Crises Worldwide?
Costas Maranas of Penn State explains how synthetic biology, AI and systems biology are turning plants and their microbial partners into factories for biofuels, biodegradable plastics and other biorenewable chemicals. His team uses metabolic modeling and the CatPred AI platform...
WHO Releases Data on the Proportion of Microbiological, Chemical Hazards that Are Foodborne
The World Health Organization will publish its 2026 global food‑borne disease burden estimates on June 4, featuring new source‑attribution data for 29 viral, bacterial, parasitic and chemical hazards. The analysis relied on structured expert judgment from 146 specialists across all 194...
Can China’s Caesium-From-Brine Tech Cut Reliance on Canadian, Australian Ores?
Chinese researchers have unveiled a low‑temperature, metal‑organic framework adsorbent that can extract caesium from salt‑lake brine with a 99% recovery rate. The material selectively sieves caesium ions, operates at just 150 °C, and can be regenerated, offering a greener alternative to...
Fetal Brain Scans Can Predict a Toddler’s Vocabulary Size Years Before They Learn to Speak
A new study published in Developmental Science shows that the volume of the superior temporal gyrus measured in fetuses between 30 and 33 weeks gestation predicts how many words children will produce at 24‑36 months. The association was observed in...