Meet Rassvet, Russia’s Answer to Starlink
Russia’s Bureau 1440 launched the first 16 Rassvet broadband satellites on 23 March 2026, marking the start of a planned low‑Earth‑orbit constellation. The government‑backed project aims for 300‑350 satellites by 2030, delivering up to 1 Gbps speeds and 70 ms latency across the nation. Funding combines a $1.34 billion state grant with an additional $4 billion slated from private sources. Rassvet is positioned as a dual‑use system for civilian internet and military communications, directly challenging SpaceX’s Starlink in strategic and commercial arenas.
EU Warns on Solar Geoengineering but Research Debate Grinds On
EU foreign ministers issued their first joint statement warning that large‑scale solar radiation modification (SRM) poses significant climate, environmental, security and geopolitical risks. The declaration calls for a moratorium on SRM deployment, applies the precautionary principle, and urges the EU...
MS Cases Rise in England as Survival Improves but Inequalities Remain
Multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence in England more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, rising from just under 22,000 to over 37,000 diagnosed patients, with estimates suggesting roughly 190,000 people now live with the disease. Survival has improved markedly; cohorts diagnosed...
The Sky Today on Friday, May 8: Face-On Spiral Face-Off
On the moonless early‑evening of May 8, amateur astronomers can target two prominent face‑on spiral galaxies. The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) sits 3.5° southwest of Alkaid and shines at magnitude 8.4, displaying an 11‑arcminute disk that is visible in modest 6‑inch scopes. Its...
Bandgap-Engineered Indoor Perovskite Solar Cell Achieves 37.44% Efficiency
An international team engineered the bandgap of methylammonium‑free perovskite absorbers to align with indoor LED spectra, achieving a record 37.44% power conversion efficiency under low‑intensity lighting. The 1.72 eV composition delivered consistently high performance across a range of lux levels and...
In Mozambique, Four Isolated Mountains Yield Four New Chameleon Species
Scientists have described four new chameleon species endemic to four isolated granite inselbergs in northern Mozambique. The species—Nadzikambia franklinae, N. goodallae, N. nubila and N. evanescens—were identified through DNA and morphological analysis during surveys from 2014 to 2018. Their names...
African Elephant Genomes Reveal Ancient Mixing — and Modern Pressures
A continent‑wide genomic study of 232 African elephants across 17 countries confirms deep divergence between savanna and forest species while revealing historic hybridization in overlapping habitats. Recent gene flow was detected in regions such as Garamba and Queen Elizabeth parks,...
Infineon Rad-Hard Chips Performed Flawlessly on Artemis II
NASA’s Artemis II mission completed a 10‑day crewed flight that set a new record for distance from Earth, while simultaneously proving the reliability of Infineon Technologies’ radiation‑hardened semiconductor portfolio. Infineon’s IR HiRel rad‑hard devices powered critical Orion systems, including power supply, control...
Prospects for Algae Nutritional Supplementation of Beef Cattle: Your Questions Answered
A commercial trial in Central Queensland tested AlgaeFeed, a chlorella‑based liquid supplement, on 200 steers during the winter dry season. Supplemented cattle gained an average of +0.1 kg per head per day, while the control group lost –0.7 kg, creating a 0.8 kg/day...
University Explores Endometriosis and Cancer Link
Researchers at the University of Northampton are investigating whether endometriosis contributes to the development and spread of ovarian cancer. Led by immunology lecturer Danielle Jex, the team is examining chemical signals released by endometriosis cells that might help cancer cells...
Indonesia’s Space Ambitions: To Sign the Artemis Accords or to Wait?
The United States is urging Indonesia to join the Artemis Accords, the lunar‑exploration framework signed by 64 nations as of May 2026. Indonesia already enjoys a long‑standing space partnership with the U.S., dating back to the 1976 Palapa‑1 satellite and a...
Follistatin-344: Myostatin Signaling, Tissue Plasticity, and Molecular Modulation Research
Follistatin-344, a 344‑amino‑acid precursor of the follistatin family, binds and neutralizes key TGF‑β ligands such as myostatin and activins. Structural studies show it wraps these ligands, preventing receptor engagement and downstream SMAD signaling. In pre‑clinical models, overexpressing Follistatin‑344 or its...
Burning Paper Mill Waste Could Be Europe’s Fix for Timber Treatment
University of Copenhagen researchers have secured a DKK 15.5 million (~$2.2 million) Innovation Fund Denmark grant to commercialise “hyperlignification,” a process that uses dissolved lignin from paper‑mill waste to treat pressure‑treated timber. The method can saturate wood with high‑concentration lignin, reducing fungal decay...
AI Images Are Getting Harder to Spot, but Physics Still Gives Them Away if You Know Where to Look
AI image generators have eliminated classic artifacts such as malformed hands, gibberish text and unrealistic grain, making synthetic pictures look cinematic and convincing. However, a new study in Science shows that these models remain blind to fundamental physics, so measurements...
Re: Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression versus Placebo Surgery for Subacromial Pain Syndrome: 10 Year Follow-Up of the FIMPACT Randomised, Placebo Surgery...
The author applauds the FIMPACT trial’s 10‑year follow‑up, which retained 87% of participants, but argues that extensive crossovers blur the original "ASD versus placebo" comparison. By year ten, the analysis effectively compares patients who received arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD) early...
Nutrition and Body Image Program Improves Recovery for Women with Substance Use Disorders
A new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior evaluated the Healthy Steps to Freedom (HSF‑10) program, a 10‑week group intervention for women in substance‑use treatment. Among 607 participants, the program led to measurable gains in nutrition habits,...
NSF Green Bank Observatory Shares Images, Data From Artemis II Mission
The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Observatory has released high‑resolution radio images and S‑band telemetry data captured during NASA’s Artemis II crewed lunar‑flyby mission. Using its 100‑meter Robert C. Byrd telescope, the observatory tracked the spacecraft in real time and now...
Research Links Muscle Loss, Weaker Grip and Slower Walking Pace to Higher Risk of Stroke
A new UK Biobank analysis published in *Stroke* links muscle loss, weaker grip strength, and slower walking pace to a markedly higher risk of stroke. Adults with low muscle strength faced a 30% rise in overall stroke risk, while a...
Biocomputing: The Race for Energy Efficiency, Storage Capacity, and Machine Sentience
Biocomputing splits into molecular DNA storage and neural organoid intelligence, each targeting niche roles in the computing stack. DNA can store up to 17 exabytes per gram but still costs roughly $800 million per terabyte, positioning it as a high‑density, deep‑archive...
Methylmercury May Harm Metabolism Beyond Its Known Neurological Effects
A new pre‑clinical study shows methylmercury can bind to specific apolipoprotein E (ApoE) isoforms, with ApoE2 and ApoE3 exhibiting stronger affinity than ApoE4. Using computer modelling and ApoE‑knockout mice, researchers found that methylmercury exposure triggers higher cholesterol, liver injury markers, oxidative...
Space Is Becoming Climate Infrastructure, And China Knows It
China is transforming space into a sovereign, multi‑layered infrastructure, rapidly expanding launch capacity, navigation, communications and Earth‑observation constellations. In 2025 it reported 92 launches, a 35% rise, and plans continued crewed missions, reusable rockets and satellite internet. The United States...
Blood Test May Improve Early Tuberculosis Detection Among Household Contacts
A prospective study of more than 2,000 household contacts in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Mozambique evaluated the Cepheid Xpert MTB‑HR blood test, a three‑gene host‑response assay, for early tuberculosis detection. The assay demonstrated good accuracy in identifying active TB and showed...
Researchers Create Detailed Map of Smell Receptors in Mouse Nose
Harvard researchers mapped 5.5 million olfactory neurons from over 300 mice, revealing that smell‑receptor neurons are arranged in precise horizontal stripes from the top to the bottom of the nose. This spatial organization mirrors analogous odor maps in the olfactory bulb,...
Neurons for Seeing and Imagining
A study in Science recorded 714 neurons in the ventral temporal cortex of 16 epilepsy patients. Researchers found 456 category‑selective cells, with 80% encoding objects along low‑dimensional axes derived from deep neural networks. This axis‑based code enabled reconstruction of viewed...
Physiological Age and Homeostatic Dysregulation Following Child Maltreatment in Youth
Researchers examined 461 children aged 8‑13 to determine how child maltreatment influences two pediatric biological‑age measures: the Klemera‑Doubal Method (KDM) physiological age and homeostatic dysregulation (HD). While overall maltreatment did not shift KDM age, it modestly increased HD, indicating greater...
World-Leading Climate Centre Takes Trump Administration to Court
The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) sued the National Science Foundation (NSF) in March to halt the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. The administration, via the NSF, seeks to transfer...
Screening for Photoreceptor Survival
Researchers used human retinal organoids to screen compounds that affect cone survival under glucose starvation. They identified two kinase inhibitors, CS‑KI‑1 and CS‑KI‑2, targeting CK1 and MAPK11, that protected cones and rods in vitro and in a mouse model of...
A Couple of Couplings
Landemard et al. used high‑density electrophysiology and functional ultrasound to map neurovascular coupling across the mouse brain. They found that bulk neural activity is a poor predictor of blood‑volume changes, prompting analysis of specific neuronal subpopulations. Both whisking‑related excited and inhibited...
The Choreography of Cerebral Vasculature Development
A new study published in Cell provides the first comprehensive map of post‑natal cerebral vascular development in mice. By integrating multimodal imaging and transcriptomics, the researchers delineated three sequential phases: an initial uniform vessel spread driven by Vegfa, a regional...
Elevated Consumption of Soy and Legumes Associated with Reduced Risk of Hypertension
A new meta‑analysis of 12 prospective cohorts covering over 150,000 people finds that high consumption of legumes and soy foods is linked to substantially lower hypertension risk. Participants eating large amounts of legumes experienced a 16% risk reduction, while soy...
AI Tool Unifies Fragmented Cell Maps Into Spatial Atlases Across Tissues
A new AI-driven framework called SpaMosaic unifies fragmented spatial multi‑omics datasets by aligning RNA, protein, chromatin accessibility and histone‑modification layers across batches and technologies. The tool combines contrastive learning with graph neural networks, outperforming existing integration methods on mouse brain...
Children in Low-Income Countries Face Nearly Six Times Greater Risk of Death Following Emergency Surgery
A new global health study reveals that children undergoing emergency surgery in low‑income countries face a mortality risk nearly six times higher than peers in high‑income nations. The analysis, based on data from more than 200,000 pediatric cases across 50...
Dirty Mind? Study Suggests Gut Movement May Flush Excess Material From Our Brains
Penn State researchers discovered that the brain’s subtle forward motion during walking is driven by abdominal muscle contractions, transmitted via the vertebral venous plexus. High‑resolution imaging and pressure sensors on mice showed the brain shifts milliseconds before each step, confirming...
How Sunburn Inspired a New Way to Store Energy
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara, led by chemistry professor Grace Han, have demonstrated a molecular solar‑thermal (MOST) energy‑storage system that achieves an unprecedented 1.65 MJ kg⁻¹ energy density—about 1.6 times that of the best lithium‑ion batteries. The system uses DNA‑inspired molecules that twist when...
Macrophages Use Cell Volume Changes to Sense Danger and Amplify Inflammation
Researchers at the University of Manchester found that loss of the volume‑regulated anion channel (VRAC) prevents macrophages from correcting swelling under hypo‑osmotic stress, triggering type I interferon signaling and amplifying inflammation. The swelling reprograms gene expression toward antiviral and pro‑inflammatory pathways....
Australian Quantum Technology to Support National Defence Strategy
Australia’s QuantX Labs has launched TEMPO, a quantum clock that delivers up to ten times the precision of conventional GNSS timing systems, now operating in orbit. The technology promises more resilient communications, accurate navigation and robust satellite‑ground synchronization, especially when...
Spermidine Halts Liver Fibrosis by Cell Signal Remodeling
Researchers have demonstrated that spermidine, a naturally occurring polyamine, can halt the progression of liver fibrosis by reprogramming cellular signaling pathways. In mouse models, spermidine treatment reduced collagen deposition and restored normal liver architecture within eight weeks. The study identified...
Rocket Lab Announces Five-Launch Neutron Deal as It Continues Aiming for Late 2026 Debut
Rocket Lab announced a block sale of five Neutron and three Electron launches to an undisclosed customer, marking its largest contract to date and surpassing the prior $190 million Haste sub‑orbital deal. The company reported a $2.2 billion backlog, with launch services...
High Cognitive Scores Might Predict Depressive Relapse
A new BMJ Mental Health study of 1,800 UK Biobank participants shows that, contrary to long‑standing assumptions, higher cognitive performance predicts a greater risk of depressive relapse in people with a history of major depressive disorder. Thirty‑three percent of the...
Two Mechanisms Vie to Deliver First Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Drug
The article is BioCentury’s cookie policy, outlining five cookie categories—strictly necessary, functional, marketing, advertising, and analytics—and describing their purposes for site operation, personalization, outreach, and data collection. It explains how each type works, the data it handles, and the impact...
Eating Eggs Could Cut Alzheimer’s Risk by 27%
Researchers at Loma Linda University analyzed data from about 40,000 older adults over a 15‑year span and found that eating at least one egg per day was linked to a 27% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Even modest consumption—1‑3 eggs...
Fermilab Marks Major Milestone for World-Leading DUNE Experiment
Fermilab and the Sanford Underground Research Facility celebrated the start of moving 10 million pounds of steel beams underground to build DUNE’s far‑detector structures. The steel, an in‑kind donation from CERN, marks the first time the European lab has contributed infrastructure...
Astellas Touts Data From Early Test of Stem Cell-Derived Eye Therapy
Astellas Pharma announced early-stage data from its stem cell‑derived retinal therapy, aimed at treating age‑related macular degeneration (AMD). In a small cohort receiving the highest dose, patients showed statistically significant gains in best‑corrected visual acuity and no serious safety signals....
A Bizarre 'Decapitated' Asteroid Likely Made the Moon's Largest Impact Crater. NASA's Artemis Astronauts May Land Near the Proof
A new study using high‑resolution 3‑D simulations argues that the Moon’s South Pole–Aitken basin was formed by a 260‑km differentiated asteroid that was ‘decapitated’ on impact, leaving its iron core to carve the basin’s tapered shape. The shallow, north‑to‑south impact would...
These Whales Are Screaming in the Strait of Gibraltar
A 2025 study in the Journal of Experimental Biology examined whether the critically endangered long‑finned pilot whales in the Strait of Gibraltar exhibit the Lombard effect amid intense ship noise. Researchers attached suction‑cup recorders to 23 whales, gathering 1,432 calls...
US Air Force Sets Its Sights On Space Solar Power
The U.S. Air Force has awarded its first contract to startup Overview Energy to demonstrate space‑solar technology that beams power from geosynchronous orbit to Earth. Overview, which raised $20 million from investors, plans to launch satellites in 2028 and deliver megawatt‑scale...
Novel Nanoparticle Therapy Using Manganese Could Improve Cancer Treatment
Researchers at the University of Michigan and MD Anderson have engineered a manganese‑based nanoparticle named CRYSTAL that activates the cGAS‑STING immune pathway without provoking systemic inflammation. Preclinical studies across several tumor models, including advanced triple‑negative breast cancer, demonstrated robust, sustained...
Ultrasound Waves Rupture COVID-19 and Flu Viruses without Damaging Cells
Researchers at the University of São Paulo have shown that high‑frequency ultrasound waves (3–20 MHz) can rupture the envelopes of SARS‑CoV‑2 and H1N1 viruses while leaving human cells unharmed. The effect, termed acoustic resonance, exploits the spherical geometry of enveloped viruses,...
Garlic Compound May Hold Clue to Slowing Muscle Aging
Japanese researchers identified S‑1‑propenyl‑L‑cysteine (S1PC), a compound in aged garlic extract, as a potent activator of the LKB1 enzyme that boosts eNAMPT secretion and NAD+ production. In aged mice, long‑term S1PC supplementation lowered frailty scores, increased muscle force, and restored...
Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol May Motivate People to Drink Less, Study Says
A Stanford-led study tested eight new alcohol warning labels that explicitly cite cancer, liver disease, dementia and hypertension. Over 1,000 weekly drinkers viewed the labels, and all outperformed the generic 1989 warning in teaching new health risks and boosting motivation...