Improving the Reliability of Circuits for Quantum Computers
MIT and Lincoln Laboratory have unveiled a new method to detect and quantify second-order harmonic corrections that cause two‑Cooper‑pair tunneling in superconducting quantum circuits. By fabricating a test device that suppresses single‑pair tunneling while allowing the double‑pair process, the team pinpointed wire inductance—not the Josephson junction itself—as the dominant source of these distortions. The ability to measure the strength and origin of these corrections enables engineers to design circuits that compensate for them, improving fidelity as quantum processors scale. The findings appear in Nature Physics and are backed by U.S. government funding.
JAXA Mach 5 Aircraft Engine Successfully Tested
Japan’s aerospace agency JAXA, together with Waseda University, has successfully completed the first Japanese combustion test of a Mach 5 ramjet engine. The test reproduced conditions of 5,400 km/h at 25 km altitude, confirming the engine’s heat‑resistance and thrust performance. Researchers say the...
Chip-Processing Method Could Assist Cryptography Schemes to Keep Data Secure
MIT engineers unveiled two low‑cost hardware innovations that could reshape security and computing at the edge. First, they devised a twin physical‑unclonable‑function (PUF) fabrication method that splits a chip so each half shares a unique fingerprint, enabling direct authentication without...
CEA-Leti and NcodiN Partner to Industrialise 300 Mm Silicon Photonics
CEA‑Leti announced a series of strategic collaborations aimed at scaling next‑generation silicon photonics and memory technologies. In partnership with French startup NcodiN, the institute will transfer the company’s nanolaser‑enabled optical interposer to a 300 mm silicon‑photonic process, targeting sub‑0.1 pJ/bit links for...
Beyond High-NA EUV: Particle Accelerator Technology Promises Exciting Future for Lithography
TAU Systems CEO Jerome Paye proposes compact laser‑wakefield acceleration (LWFA) free‑electron laser sources to replace traditional EUV lithography. High‑NA EUV is hitting both physical and economic limits, prompting a search for brighter, tunable light. LWFA can deliver orders‑of‑magnitude higher photon...
EktaH Links Novel Obesity Drug to Fat Loss, Muscle Retention in Early-Phase Trial
EktaH disclosed early‑phase data for two oral candidates that activate fat‑taste receptors CD36 and GPR120, aiming to treat obesity by restoring lipid sensing. In a four‑week dose escalation study, the CD36/GPR120 agonist NKS‑5 reduced fat mass by 4.30% and modestly...
Ultrasound-Activated Nanoparticles Shine a Light Deep Within Living Tissues
Stanford researchers have demonstrated that ultrasound can activate mechanoluminescent nanoparticles to emit blue light deep within living tissue. By coating Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy particles with a biocompatible film and injecting them into mice, they produced programmable 490 nm illumination in organs such as...
How Climate Change Could Help Hantavirus Find More Hosts
A cruise ship departing Ushuaia was forced to return after an outbreak of Andes hantavirus, the only known hantavirus that can spread between humans. The virus, carried by rodents, has killed three passengers and infected several others, highlighting the rarity...
Virologist Accused of Starting COVID-19 Will Fight U.S. Ban on Funding
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to debar Ralph Baric, a leading coronavirus virologist at UNC, cutting off his federal funding for at least three years. The action stems from accusations that Baric’s 2014 mouse experiments with...
This Common Breakfast Food May Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer’s
Researchers at Loma Linda University tracked nearly 40,000 adults for over 15 years and found that regular egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Eating at least one egg five days a week reduced the risk...
Most Dementia Patients Have Multiple Brain Diseases. How Should They Be Treated?
Researchers are recognizing that most dementia patients harbor multiple neurodegenerative pathologies, a phenomenon called copathology. New blood‑ and spinal‑fluid tests aim to detect overlapping protein deposits such as amyloid, tau, alpha‑synuclein, and TDP‑43 in living patients. An upcoming clinical trial...
A New Tectonic Plate Boundary Could Be Forming in Southern Africa
Researchers analyzing gases from five hot springs and three geothermal wells in Zambia’s Kafue Rift have identified mantle‑derived helium‑3 and carbon isotopes, indicating deep mantle fluids are reaching the surface. The findings provide the first geochemical proof of an active,...
The Silent Majority: How Astrocytes Shape the Brain Across Scales
A new Nature paper reveals that astrocytes form precise, brain‑wide networks linked by gap junctions, challenging the view of glia as mere support cells. Lead researcher Melissa Cooper engineered a molecular sensor that tags molecules crossing these junctions in awake...
Untangling Genetic Effects, and More
Researchers introduced a novel cousin‑pair design using Denmark’s national birth registry to untangle maternal genetic and environmental contributions to autism risk. The study found that direct genetic effects—such as epilepsy and personality disorders—are shared with both male and female siblings,...
‘I Couldn’t Breathe’: The Sinister Spread of France’s Killer Seaweed
Brittany’s coast is being choked by massive blooms of the green seaweed Ulva armoricana, which release toxic hydrogen sulfide as they decompose. The gas has been linked to at least five human deaths and numerous animal fatalities since 1989, including...
Geologists Say a New Tectonic Plate Could Be Forming in Zambia
Scientists studying geothermal springs in Zambia have detected unusually high helium‑3 isotope ratios, indicating mantle fluids reaching the surface and confirming an active continental rift in the Kafue Rift. The findings suggest the Southwest African Rift Zone may be entering...
Solving Hard Problems in Soft Electronics
Camille Cunin, a recent MIT Materials Science PhD, created polymer‑metal “mille‑feuille” composites that enable soft, stretchable organic transistors for bioelectronic applications. Her work tackles the dual challenge of conducting electrons and ions in hydrated, flexible environments, a key hurdle for...
Why Are some People Mosquito Magnets? Clues Are Emerging
Scientists are pinpointing why certain individuals attract more mosquito bites, focusing on a blend of odor compounds, body heat, and carbon dioxide. A recent study identified 27 volatile chemicals that mosquitoes detect, with 1‑octen‑3‑ol from skin oil being especially enticing,...
37-Year Study Shows Forest Restoration Doesn’t Harm Spotted Owls
A 37‑year Oregon State University and U.S. Forest Service study identified fire refugia where northern spotted owl habitat persists through repeated wildfires, proving forest restoration can coexist with owl protection. By mapping low‑severity burn areas—especially near drainage bottoms—the research shows...
Nicotinamide Nanotubes Restore Brain Cell Energy After Acute Injury
Researchers reported that nicotinamide‑loaded peptoid nanotubes (NAM‑PNTs) restore cellular energy in acute neonatal brain injury models. The nanostructures deliver an NAD⁺ precursor directly to microglia, boosting ATP, reducing inflammatory cytokines, and improving tissue histology after a single systemic dose. Efficacy...
Digital Aging Twin Measures How Organs Age at Different Speeds Across Adulthood
Researchers from China’s Aging Biomarker Consortium unveiled the Digital Aging Twin, a computational framework that predicts biological age and organ‑specific aging rates using 240 physiological and multi‑omics measures from 2,019 healthy adults. The system features a three‑tier clock architecture, with...
'Lemon-on-Sticks' Phenotype Indicates Poor Prognosis in Heart Failure
Researchers presented a new “lemon‑on‑sticks” phenotype—low body‑mass index combined with high waist‑to‑hip ratio—that identifies heart‑failure patients at markedly higher risk. Analyzing 1,467 BIOSTAT‑CHF participants, the subgroup showed the highest NT‑proBNP levels, pronounced congestion and an inflammatory profile. Compared with the...
Hantavirus Is Very Different to COVID. Here’s Why the ‘Andes Virus’ Won’t Cause the Next Pandemic
A recent outbreak of the Andes hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius has resulted in nine cases—seven confirmed and two probable—with three deaths. While Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to transmit between humans, spread requires close, prolonged...
Postbiotics Use Reduces Gingival Inflammation - Japan Study
A double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trial in Japan found that a gummy containing 500 mg of heat‑inactivated Lactiplantibacillus pentosus ONRICb0240 significantly reduced gingival inflammation over six weeks. Participants taking the postbiotic showed bleeding on probing fall from 17.6% to 12.3% and a Gingival...
RNA Therapy Slows Harmful Heart Remodeling After Heart Attack in Clinical Trial
A Phase II international trial (HF‑REVERT) tested CDR132L, an antisense inhibitor of microRNA‑132, in 294 patients who suffered a heart attack. The drug was administered in three intravenous doses alongside standard heart‑failure therapy and proved safe, with no liver, kidney or...
Plants May Literally Hear the Sound of Approaching Rain, Study Finds
Researchers at MIT have demonstrated that rice seeds respond to the sound of rain, with heavy rain acoustics increasing germination rates by more than 30%. The team linked this response to the vibration of starch‑filled statoliths inside seed cells, which...
Moolec Science Advances GLA-Rich Safflower Oil for Use in Pet Food, Nutrition & Green Energy
Molecular farming pioneer Moolec Science announced the completion of phase one industrialisation of its GLASO1 platform, a GLA‑rich safflower oil, after a record 2025 campaign that delivered high‑purity oil with about 45% gamma‑linolenic acid. The product secured USDA APHIS approval,...
Bacterial−viral Conflicts Shape Cholera Evolution
Recent Nature studies reveal an evolutionary arms race between Vibrio cholerae and its bacteriophages that shapes cholera’s genetic landscape during the ongoing seventh pandemic. Genomic sequencing of isolates from South Asia shows recurring phage‑driven mutations that alter bacterial virulence and...
Animal-Testing Alternatives Will Require a Cultural Change in Research Institutions
New‑approach methodologies (NAMs) are gaining traction as alternatives to animal testing, backed by recent commitments from the US, UK and Canadian governments to fund their development and regulatory integration. While the science is advancing, the authors argue that institutional culture—routines,...
Dynamic Immune and Metabolic Dysregulation in Women with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Longitudinal Transcriptomic Insights Following Sexual Assault
A longitudinal RNA‑sequencing study examined blood samples from 65 women with post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 65 healthy controls, with follow‑up after one year of sertraline or interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT‑PTSD). Baseline analyses revealed down‑regulated immune pathways and up‑regulated erythropoietic and...
Human Gloss Perception Reproduced by Tiny Neural Networks
Researchers trained extremely shallow convolutional neural networks on thousands of human gloss judgments and found that even a single‑kernel model can predict perceived glossness with about 75% of the human‑to‑human consistency ceiling. Networks with three convolutional layers approach the full...
Social Functioning in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Researchers conducted the largest systematic review and meta‑analysis of social functioning in autism, integrating 2,622 behavioural studies that encompassed 94,114 autistic and 172,847 neurotypical participants across 32 countries. The analysis identified five clustered social domains and found a substantial overall...
Reconnecting Body and Brain: Europe's Breakthrough in Reversing Paralysis
European researchers have unveiled a fully implantable brain‑spine interface that bridges damaged neural pathways, allowing paralysis patients to move voluntarily. The EU‑funded ReverseParalysis project demonstrated the technology in four patients, with two regaining the ability to stand and walk and...
Engaging with the Arts Linked to Slower Aging at the Biological Level
University College London researchers found that regular engagement in arts—reading, music, museum visits—correlates with a slower biological aging pace. Analyzing data from 3,556 UK adults using seven epigenetic clocks, participants who engaged in arts at least weekly aged about 4%...
New Research May Lead to Hearing Aids with the Ability to Select One Voice Among Many
Researchers at Columbia University have demonstrated a brain‑controlled hearing‑aid prototype that uses auditory‑cortex signals to isolate a single speaker in a noisy environment. By monitoring neural activity, the system automatically amplifies the desired voice while suppressing others, improving comprehension and...
Arts and Cultural Engagement ‘Linked to Slower Pace of Biological Ageing’
University College London researchers have found that regular engagement with the arts—whether creating music or visual art, or simply visiting galleries and museums—slows the biological aging process. The study, which examined epigenetic markers in a large UK cohort, showed that...
Testosterone Treatment Found to Improve Sexual and Physical Function for Men After Prostate Cancer Surgery
A randomized SPIRIT trial led by Shalender Bhasin showed that three months of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) markedly improved sexual activity, desire, physical function, and aerobic performance in men who had undergone radical prostatectomy. The study enrolled 136 men with...
How Underwater Speakers Are Helping Revive Coral Reefs Devastated by Climate Change
Scientists in Jamaica are deploying underwater speakers that emit recordings of thriving reefs for 14 hours daily, powered by solar‑float buoys. The initiative, led by Italian artist Marco Barotti, pairs the soundscape with 3‑D‑printed coral sculptures that serve as settlement...
The BioPharm Brief: Precision Medicine Expansion Accelerates Autoimmune and Targeted Oncology Development
The FDA broadened Vyvgart’s label to cover all adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis, removing the previous antibody‑status restriction. Zai Lab received fast‑track designation for its DLL3‑targeting antibody‑drug conjugate aimed at extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas, a disease with limited options. The...
These Small Ants Act Like Cleaner Fish
Biologist Mark Moffett documented the first known cleaning mutualism between desert harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) and much smaller cone ants. The larger ants pause at their nest entrance while the cone ants crawl over them, licking and nipping for 15...
What We Know About Hypoxic Conditioning for High-Altitude Climbing
Uphill Athlete has shifted from skepticism to offering a coached hypoxic conditioning program that tailors altitude exposure, timing, and monitoring to each climber. The new approach combines normobaric sleeping tents and intermittent hypoxic training, with daily SpO2, heart‑rate and recovery...
NASA Retaining Six-Month ISS Missions
NASA will keep a roughly six‑month crew rotation on the International Space Station, moving the SpaceX Crew‑13 launch to mid‑September and shortening Crew‑12’s stay to about seven months. The change is intended to maximize ISS utilization before its scheduled retirement...
City Birds Are More Afraid of Women than Men and Scientists Have No Idea Why
A study published in the journal People and Nature measured flight‑initiation distances of 37 urban bird species across parks in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland and Spain. Researchers found that men could approach roughly three feet closer before birds...
Should You Be Worried About Hantavirus?
The Washington Post’s "Make It Make Sense" podcast examined a recent hantavirus outbreak on the Hondius cruise ship, where several cases were confirmed. Hosts Adam O'Neal, James Hohmann, Carine Hajjar and Kate Andrews debated whether the situation warrants heightened concern...
SpaceX Will Reuse Cargo Dragon a Sixth Time on Upcoming Launch to ISS
SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon will launch its sixth mission, CRS‑34, carrying roughly 3,000 kg of scientific cargo to the International Space Station. The launch is slated for 7:16 p.m. ET Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, with a Wednesday backup if the window is scrubbed....
Jackie and Shadow’s Eaglets Can Now See Like Their Parents
Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 eaglets, Sandy and Luna, have reached the 35‑day milestone when their eyesight sharpens to near‑adult levels, allowing them to track moving objects like squirrels and airplanes. The birds use a characteristic head‑bobbing motion to calculate distance...
First Real-Time Brain-Controlled Hearing Device
Columbia University researchers have built the first real‑time brain‑controlled hearing prototype that can isolate a single voice in a noisy setting. By decoding intracranial EEG signals, the system identifies which speaker a listener is attending to and automatically amplifies that...
Behind the Scenes of NASA's Artemis II
NASA public‑affairs specialist Madison Tuttle witnessed the Artemis II splashdown aboard the USS John P. Murtha, coordinating broadcast and relaying real‑time data to the public‑affairs team. She described the re‑entry dynamics—25,000 mph, 5,000 °F heat shield, six‑minute communications blackout—and the flawless parachute deployment that led...