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The signals that drive many of the brain and body's most essential functions—consciousness, sleep, breathing, heart rate and motion—course through bundles of "white matter" fibers in the brainstem, but imaging systems so far have been unable to finely resolve these crucial neural cables. That has left researchers and doctors with little capability to assess how they are affected by trauma or neurodegeneration. In a new study, a team of MIT, Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital researchers unveil AI-powered software capable of automatically segmenting eight distinct bundles in any diffusion MRI sequence.

For many years, the deep ocean has been seen as a nutrient-poor environment where microbes living in the water survive on very limited resources. But new research from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) challenges that idea. A study led by SDU-biologists at the Department of Biology shows that nutrients might not be so sparse after all in the deep and that microbes have access to a hitherto unknown source of dissolved organic food.

Sensors small enough to disappear into the body, microrobots that move without wires, and smart systems hidden inside everyday materials—all require a battery to function. As electronics shrink towards the micrometer scale, conventional batteries become bulky, impractical, or impossible to integrate into these tiny devices.

In a new study published in Cell, scientists in the Bork Group at EMBL Heidelberg reveal that microbes living in similar habitats are more alike than those simply inhabiting the same geographical region. By analyzing tens of thousands of metagenomes, the team found that while most microbes adapt to a specific ecosystem, a rarer subset known as "generalists" can thrive across very different habitats.

A research team has used advanced 3D printing techniques to develop low-temperature, "sinterless" silica glass. They converted 3D-printed objects into silica glass structures at significantly lower temperatures than traditional sintering, offering a promising route for efficient and precise glass manufacturing. Their research is published in the journal Polymers.

Globally, more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and less than 10% is recycled. Much of the rest ends up burned, buried or drifting through waterways, a problem that's only getting worse.

Lucid dreaming (LD) is one of the most fascinating parts of human consciousness, where you realize you are actually dreaming while you're still asleep and, in some situations, can decide what happens next. There is a growing interest in lucid dreaming among scientists, but research is often scattered across different fields and long-term evidence of how it affects our health is lacking. So, a group of researchers conducted a massive review of existing studies to pull all the evidence together and discovered that this state of mind could help treat mental health issues like chronic nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A novel study uncovers how a subtle chemical tweak transforms the naturally occurring phytotoxin into a powerful molecular glue, 12-deoxyfusicoccin (12-dFC), that locks 14-3-3 proteins onto the intrinsically disordered translational repressor GIGYF2 in human cells. Through integrated proteomic, biochemical, and functional analyses, the work reveals an AMPK-driven stress pathway that 12-dFC exploits to shut down protein synthesis, rewire metabolism, and halt cell proliferation, pointing to an unexpected and promising strategy for targeting cancer cells.

An international team of researchers has developed a breakthrough method for producing MXenes—an important family of two-dimensional materials—with unprecedented purity and control. The new "gas–liquid–solid" process enables the synthesis of pure MXenes with uniformly distributed halogen atoms on the surface and a precisely tunable surface composition. The method dramatically boosts their electrical conductivity and opens the door to high-performance electronics, sensors, and energy technologies.

When actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought a low-level Welsh soccer club in 2021, their goal was not just to save a sports team. In the FX docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham," which chronicles the stars' efforts to revitalize Wrexham AFC, the pair has been explicit about their hopes to uplift the surrounding community as well.

A research team led by Prof. Zhang Tianshu from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a low-stress electro-optic switch based on large-aperture β-barium borate (BBO) slab crystals and integrated it into an Nd:YAG hybrid-cavity Innoslab laser system. Their study, published in Optics Express on January 13, addresses long-standing challenges in high-energy laser systems, particularly those related to switching modulation consistency and operational stability.

Quantum materials and superconductors are difficult enough to understand on their own. Unconventional superconductors, which cannot be explained within the framework of standard theory, take the enigma to an entirely new level. A typical example of unconventional superconductivity is strontium ruthenate, SRO214, the superconductive properties of which were discovered by a research team that included Yoshiteru Maeno, who is currently at the Toyota Riken—Kyoto University Research Center.

Pregnant women react more positively than non-pregnant women when exposed to audio recordings, videos, and images of infants. This suggests that pregnancy mentally prepares women to process infant signals, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen and the Psychiatric Center Copenhagen published in Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood.

Researchers have created a process using liquid metals, powered by sunlight, that can produce clean hydrogen from both freshwater and seawater. The method allows researchers to "harvest" hydrogen molecules from water while also avoiding many of the limits on current hydrogen production methods. It offers a new avenue of exploration for producing green hydrogen as a sustainable energy source.

Blood vessels in the brain are highly interconnected and efficient in actively regulating blood flow. Yet, the mechanisms that regulate flow are not well studied on a holistic level. To determine how the brain can reliably control such a seemingly complicated network, UC San Diego Professor of Physics David Kleinfeld and Postdoctoral Scholar Ji Xiang formulated a mathematical model that uses the measured connections among vessels to predict the impact of a change in a single vessel on the flow through all the other vessels.

People are more likely to act helpfully in situations where there are poorer choices to give to others, according to a new study that tested willingness to help others in different contexts.

While the global shift toward plant-based living continues to accelerate, a critical question has lingered for parents and pediatricians: Can a vegan or vegetarian diet support the rapid growth required in the first two years of life? A landmark study of nearly 1.2 million infants led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers and the Nutrition Division of the Israeli Ministry of Health suggests the answer is a reassuring yes. The research, published last week in JAMA Network Open, found that infants from vegan and vegetarian households follow growth trajectories nearly identical to their omnivorous peers by age two.

The boreal forest—the world's largest terrestrial biome—is warming faster than any other forest type. To understand the changing dynamics of boreal forests, Min Feng and colleagues analyzed the biome from 1985 to 2020, leveraging the longest and highest-resolution satellite record of calibrated tree cover to date. The study, published in Biogeosciences with four co-authors from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, confirms a northward shift in boreal forest cover over the past four decades.

Individuals with strong attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, related to inefficient cognitive executive function, may experience a surprising benefit: a natural inclination toward a type of intuitive thinking that supports creative breakthroughs, according to a new study from Drexel University researchers.

A new study led by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center found that blood-based DNA markers known as protein epiScores can help predict which colorectal cancer patients face a higher risk of cancer recurrence or death. Results of the study were published in Clinical Epigenetics.

Smart AI voice concierges are increasingly being deployed for routine tasks once held by hotel front desk staff. From requesting extra towels to asking for a late check-out, many of these common guest inquiries are now being handled by in-room voice AI devices, a kiosk or through the hotel's mobile app or website.

As artificial intelligence advances, computers demand faster and more efficient memory. The key to ultra-high-speed, low-power semiconductors lies in the "switching" principle—the mechanism by which memory materials turn electricity on and off. A South Korean research team has successfully captured the elusive moment of switching and its internal operational principles by momentarily melting and freezing materials within nano-devices—phenomena that were previously difficult to observe. The study provides a foundational blueprint for designing next-generation memory materials that are faster and consume less power based on fundamental principles.

Many people may have a dim view of their fat tissue, yet scientists have come to recognize adipose as a necessary and metabolically active organ, carrying out many vital functions within the body. In the case of obesity, too much fat can contribute to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Intriguingly, for people with certain rare genetic and autoimmune disorders, such as familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 (FPLD2), the abnormal loss and distribution of adipose tissue can also lead to diabetes and metabolic disease.

Physical forces from gravity, muscle contraction, and more have strong impacts on how the cells in our bodies behave. For instance, weight-bearing exercise helps stave off osteoporosis because cells in our bones sense that force and build more bone to support it. Cells of our arteries sense the force from high blood pressure, which triggers biological responses to bring blood pressure down.

For many Kentuckians with dementia, medical interventions may seem like the only choice, but a new University of Kentucky study shows that prioritizing joy and engagement through enrichment activities is vital for the health of both residents and the caregivers who support them. This research highlights how advancing Kentucky's health care means looking beyond standard measures to support the holistic well-being of the aging population.

A major study by an international team of researchers using data from the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft has revealed a lattice-like structure of crisscrossing reflected waves that flow downstream behind the moon in Saturn's equatorial plane, but also reach up to very high northern and southern latitudes. The analysis of data from four instruments aboard Cassini, collected over the mission's 13-year duration, demonstrates the crucial role that Enceladus plays in circulating energy and momentum around Saturn's space environment.

Led by Mathieu Beraneck, researchers at the University of Paris Cité/CNRS and the University of Barcelona explored the strength of the relationship between a type of inner hair cell in the ear and balance. Their work is published in eNeuro. Says Beraneck, "After 200 years of research on this system, still no one has demonstrated the quantity of hair cells necessary for balance, so our study is a first step in answering this long-standing question."

Just after 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, final beams of oxygen ions—oxygen atoms stripped of their electrons—circulated through the twin 2.4-mile-circumference rings of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and crashed into one another at nearly the speed of light inside the collider's two house-sized particle detectors, STAR and sPHENIX. RHIC, a nuclear physics research facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has been smashing atoms since the summer of 2000. The final collisions cap a quarter century of remarkable experiments using 10 different atomic species colliding over a wide range of energies in different configurations.

Goats are increasingly being used in efforts to manage invasive common buckthorn in Midwestern woodlands. New research demonstrates when and how they are best used.

Guaranteed income programs may reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition among low-income Black households in the state of Georgia, according to a new study led by the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

New research by scientists at the University of Liverpool looks at how artificial intelligence (AI) can help doctors make better choices when prescribing antibiotics for urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the world's most common bacterial infections. By improving the precision of antibiotic prescribing, the research aims to tackle the growing global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

After years of work building an exquisitely sensitive instrument, University of Chicago scientists stood and watched as it flew up and out of sight into the fiercely blue Antarctic sky. Launched on Dec. 20, it would travel for the next 23 days on a NASA balloon along the very highest reaches of the atmosphere, scanning the continent of Antarctica from its 120,000-foot vantage point for minuscule visitors from outer space known as neutrinos.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have led the clinical development of the first non-integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (INSTI) single tablet treatment for HIV, among growing concern for the potential of widespread INSTI-resistance in resource limited settings. The results of the landmark phase 3 trial, published in The Lancet, show that the once-daily, single tablet combination of doravirine with islatravir is an effective and safe treatment for HIV.

A new study reveals that Egyptians were using a mechanically sophisticated drilling tool far earlier than previously suggested. Researchers at Newcastle University, and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, have re-examined a small copper-alloy object excavated a century ago from a cemetery at Badari in Upper Egypt, and concluded it is the earliest identified rotary metal drill from ancient Egypt, dating to the Predynastic period (late 4th millennium BCE), before the first pharaohs ruled. The study is published in Egypt and the Levant.

The global demand for lithium has skyrocketed over the last several years due to the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market and grid-storage solutions. Currently, production capacity is limited and unlikely to meet future needs. However, researchers are making headway in innovative lithium capture technologies. A new study, published in Device, describes one such technology that extracts lithium from seawater more efficiently than previous extraction methods, with an added benefit of seawater desalination.

Contrary to popular belief, meditation isn't "thinking about nothing." In fact, a new international study on Buddhist monks shows that meditation is a state of heightened cerebral activity in which brain dynamics are profoundly altered. More specifically, the study found that practicing meditation is associated with modulations in neural oscillations, an increase in the complexity of brain activity and an alteration in "brain criticality," a state of equilibrium between chaos and order. These changes are thought to reflect a brain that is more alert, flexible, adaptive and efficient.

A Mayo Clinic study is providing new insights into how treatment sequence can affect survival in patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer, suggesting that many patients may benefit from receiving chemotherapy before surgery. The findings, published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, were based on more than 1,400 patients treated across Mayo Clinic's campuses in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida.

A common kidney medication could be the key to treating a type of infertility that affects up to 3% of women under 40, according to a study published in Science.

The Winter Olympics and Paralympics are upon us once again. This year the games come to Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, where weather forecasts are predicting temperatures in the upper 30s to mid-40s Fahrenheit (1 to 10 degrees Celsius).

In late 2025, Interpol coordinated a global operation across 134 nations, seizing roughly 30,000 live animals, confiscating illegal plant and timber products, and identifying about 1,100 suspected wildlife traffickers for national police to investigate.

What do collecting old editions of Dungeons & Dragons monster manuals, securing the same tailgate spot for over 20 years and mastering yoga postures have in common? They are all forms of "serious leisure."

A new study reveals that certain brain regions are more active in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during cognitively demanding tasks. The findings could help inform new ways in which the condition is treated and assessed.

Some of us remember having more energy in our 20s. We could work late, sleep badly, have a night out, recover quickly and still feel capable the next day. By our 40s, that ease has often gone. Fatigue feels harder to shake. It's tempting to assume this is simply the aging process—a one-way decline.

A system developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo lets people collaborate with groups of robots to create works of art inspired by music. The new technology features multiple wheeled robots about the size of soccer balls that trail colored light as they move within a fixed area on the floor in response to key features of music including tempo and chord progression. A camera records the coordinated light trails as they snake within that area, which serves as the canvas for the creation of a "painting," or visual representation of the emotional content of a particular piece of music.

Advanced nuclear is within reach—and a new digital twin reveals how smarter plant operations can enhance the economic viability and safety of small modular reactors, or SMRs. In collaboration with the University of Tennessee and GE Vernova Hitachi, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently published research in the journal Nuclear Science and Engineering on a new risk-informed digital twin designed to enhance operational decision-making for the GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR design.

Demand for lithium is surging, as the world transitions to renewable energy and adopts new technologies. Lithium-ion batteries play a central role in this shift, powering everything from cars to portable electronics. To meet the increasing demand, companies are recycling lithium from old batteries and also looking for new sources and better ways to extract it. While recycling supports a circular economy, experts agree that recycled lithium alone will not meet projected future needs.

Researchers have fabricated a hair-thin microphone made entirely of silica fiber that can detect a large range of ultrasound frequencies beyond the reach of the human ear. Able to withstand temperatures up to 1,000°C, the device could eventually be used inside high-voltage transformers to detect early signs of failure before power outages occur.

Cinematic clips generated by ByteDance's latest artificial intelligence video model have sparked an online buzz for the Chinese company that recently ceded majority control of TikTok in the United States.

As cities grow denser and construction labor becomes harder to secure, the sector is under pressure to deliver projects faster, more efficiently and with fewer workers on site. In the past decade, 3D concrete printing (3DCP) has emerged as a promising solution to those challenges thanks to its high automation and formwork-free feature. However, 3DCP is still limited to non-structural applications for the built environment in Singapore.

In the 1960s, major oil-producing nations formed a cartel to drive up the price of oil. It worked. For decades, nations in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have agreed to manage supply and raise prices.

Wherever hydrogen is present, safety sensors are required to detect leaks and prevent the formation of flammable oxyhydrogen gas when hydrogen is mixed with air. It is therefore a challenge that today's sensors do not work optimally in humid environments—because where there is hydrogen, there is very often humidity. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, are presenting a new sensor that is well suited to humid environments—and actually performs better the more humid it gets.

Will artificial intelligence ever be able to reason, learn, and solve problems at levels comparable to humans? Experts at the University of California San Diego believe the answer is yes—and that such artificial general intelligence has already arrived. This debate is tackled by four faculty members spanning humanities, social sciences, and data science in a recently published Comment invited by Nature.

The growth and impact of artificial intelligence are limited by the power and energy that it takes to train machine learning models. So how are researchers working to improve computing efficiency to support the rising demand for AI and its requisite computing power?