Earth formed from material exclusively from the inner solar system, planetary scientists show
Analysis of isotopic data from meteorites indicates that Earth's material originated almost entirely from the inner solar system, with less than 2% contribution from beyond Jupiter. This suggests minimal exchange between inner and outer solar system reservoirs, likely due to Jupiter acting as a barrier. Most volatile elements, including water, must have been present in the inner solar system during Earth's formation.

Paolo A. Sossi et al, Homogeneous accretion of the Earth in the inner Solar System, Nature Astronomy (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02824-7

Things to know about rare earth elements

Rare earth elements, comprising 17 metals including the lanthanides, are essential for modern technologies due to their unique magnetic, conductive, and optical properties. Despite their name, they are relatively abundant but challenging to mine safely. Global supply is not limited to one country, though China dominates processing. Recovering rare earths from mine waste offers a sustainable supply option.
What are rare earth elements? Where do they come from? What's the big deal?

1. Everyday devices are possible because of rare earths
The phrase "rare earth elements" generally refers to 17 chemical elements, including Scandium, Yttrium and a 15-member family from atomic number 57 (Lanthanum) to 71 (Lutetium) called the lanthanides.

Many of them share magnetic, conductive and optical properties that make them useful as coatings and additives in alloys and glass and other materials used in a wide range of modern technology. These include jet engines, LED bulbs, fiber-optic cables, lasers and a lot of military technology.

"In some of those applications, it's safe to say rare earths are irreplaceable.
For example, neodymium and praseodymium make super powerful magnets that have enabled the miniaturization of technologies in phones and computers. These really powerful magnets make the magic happen in high-speed trains and MRI machines, too."

Not every application feels particularly high-tech. Seat belts in cars also use rare earth magnets.

"It's not due to a particular engineering need either. It turns out that when folks were developing the seat belt retracting mechanism, that was the type of magnet they had on the shelf."
2. 'Rare' is a misnomer
Rare earths are not, in fact, particularly rare. The rare earths name is a holdover from the 18th century, when Yttrium was discovered by a miner in Sweden. These elements were "rare" then, because nobody had seen them before. But now we know they can be found around the globe.

"Seventeen elements is actually a sizable chunk of the periodic table.
We're talking about a fair amount of the stuff that makes up Earth's crust, from an elemental and mineralogical standpoint. The rare earths that we use most commonly are as abundant as copper or lead."

They're just not particularly fun to dig up.

"The geological conditions that cause rare earths to come together in higher concentrations can also concentrate radioactive materials.
hat makes them hard to mine safely, and can really increase costs."

That doesn't mean rare earths are expensive. They're actually relatively cheap, trading at prices far lower than precious metals like gold or platinum. In China, which has 30% of the world's proven rare earth reserves, mines typically discard as much as half of the rare earths they dig up, because prices aren't high enough to put the effort into recovering more.
Part 1

3. Rare earths may seem so scarce because 'Avatar' was so popular
In December 2009, the sci-fi film "Avatar" was released, and it remained the most popular film in U.S. theaters for months. The plot was built around humans displacing a native race on another planet to make way for mining a fabulously valuable material called "unobtanium."

In 2010, in the real world, a diplomatic dispute led China to cut off Japan's access to rare earth elements—a very temporary blow (the embargo didn't even last as long as "Avatar" did as the No. 1 film) to Japanese tech manufacturers.

"There were headlines that said something like "China cuts off access to unobtanium.
"Our popular imagination was kind of primed by the movie, and then this short-term crisis happened. The narrative—which has continued to support a lot of other politics over the years—stuck, and it's been hard to get unstuck."

4. It's unlikely one country would just turn off the rare earths tap
While China does have ample rare earths reserves, we know the elements are distributed all around the world. Aside from China's willingness to take on the environmental price of rare earths mining, the real source of the country's market dominance is the expertise and infrastructure it has developed to process what it mines.

"Where China does have an outsized share of the rare earth economy is in the crucial intermediate steps involved in transforming a rock in the ground into useful technological components.
Other countries and industries have supported the establishment of China's rare earths strength by continuing to trade for the materials, and maintaining those trading relationships is important for everyone.

"Price squeezes and supply chain concerns tend to be episodic rather than sustained. Buyers and sellers like to be connected. If you're a seller located in China with buyers located outside China, you don't want to be cut off. There's pressure in China to avoid longer-term trade wars that might hurt domestic businesses."
5. Abandoned mines could be a rare earths gold mine—and sustainable solution—for the U.S.
A recent study showed that much of the domestic demand for rare earths (and other important minerals) can be satisfied by recovering the rare earth elements from the waste piled up around old and active mines in the United States.

"A lot of these materials are already present in what was cast off by other mines. Maybe we could actually get what we need by cleaning up these long-standing, problematic, abandoned mine waste sites. It could literally be trash to treasure."

Source: https://news.wisc.edu/five-things-to-know-about-rare-earth-elements/

Part 2

Binding to RNA is not enough—changing its shape is what makes a drug work, study reveals
Small molecules that merely bind to RNA rarely alter its function, whereas those that induce changes in RNA structure have a greater functional impact. Modulating RNA folding, rather than just binding, is crucial for effective RNA-targeting drugs. A new framework is proposed to identify small molecules capable of altering RNA structure, aiming to improve RNA-targeted drug development.

Chundan Zhang et al, RNA functional modulation by Mitoxantrone via RNA structural ensemble repartitioning, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70801-9

Soil bacteria break down toxic chemicals in the environment

Many aromatic compounds, such as phenols, cresols and styrenes, are toxic to organisms and harmful to the environment. They can accumulate as a result of industrial processes and harm ecosystems. Soil bacteria can help to break them down.

Soil bacteria such as Rhodococcus opacus 1CP possess large, redundant genomes encoding multiple enzymes that enable the breakdown of toxic aromatic compounds like phenols, cresols, and styrenes. These redundancies allow bacteria to adapt to varying environmental conditions and maintain pollutant degradation, even when specific enzymes are inactive, by activating alternative metabolic pathways.

Selvapravin Kumaran et al, Whole-genomic and transcriptomic analyses elucidate p-cresol and styrene degradation metabolism in Rhodococcus opacus 1CP, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2026). DOI: 10.1128/aem.00045-26

Why a man's health before pregnancy matters for the next generation

Men's health and life experiences before conception significantly influence pregnancy outcomes and child development. Factors such as age, nutrition, substance use, mental health, and environmental exposures can affect sperm and gene expression, impacting offspring health. Supportive partner relationships and early-life experiences also shape family well-being across generations.

 original article.

The four types of dementia most people don't know exist
Dementia encompasses over 100 types, with Alzheimer's disease accounting for about 60% of cases. Less common forms include posterior cortical atrophy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, FTD-MND, and progressive supranuclear palsy, each presenting distinct symptoms beyond memory loss, such as visual, motor, or behavioral changes. Early recognition of these subtypes is crucial for appropriate care.

original article.

 Evacuating in 90 seconds? New simulations show the safest cabin layout

In case of an emergency, the  Aviation Administration requires aircraft to be able to evacuate within 90 seconds. However, as the median age of the global population increases, the growing number of elderly airline passengers poses new challenges during emergency situations.

In AIP Advances, an international collaboration of researchers simulated 27 different evacuation scenarios in the case of a dual-engine fire in an Airbus A320, one of the most common narrow-body aircraft in the world. They compared three different cabin layouts with three different ratios of passengers over the age of 60 and three different distributions of those passengers.

While a dual-engine fire scenario is statistically rare, it falls under the broader category of dual-engine failures and critical emergencies in aviation.

In seeking the most efficient combination of factors, the researchers created full-scale computer-aided design models of the A320 cabin and used Pathfinder—the industry-standard software for evacuation modelling—to simulate passengers' behaviour. They found the proportion and location of elderly passengers have the largest effect on evacuation time.

The fastest option—a layout that accommodates a total of 152 passengers with two rows of first-class seats at the front, and 30 elderly passengers evenly distributed throughout the cabin—still required 141 seconds for all the passengers to reach the ground, much longer than the AA mandates.

Previous studies have shown that cognitive decline in elderly populations can affect situational awareness and delay decision making, and that reduced dexterity can be exacerbated during high-stress situations.
The researchers hope that incorporating this information into their findings—for example, by offering additional safety briefings to elderly passengers—will help further accelerate the deboarding process.

Children, infants, and pregnant women also introduce unique physical capabilities and behaviours that add another vital layer to evacuation modelling, which the group plans to investigate in their future work.

Effect of elderly passenger distribution on A320 aircraft evacuation under dual-engine fire scenarios, AIP Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1063/5.0310405

Why Does the Middle East Have the Largest Oil Reserves?

Scientists capture atoms in motion

Researchers have captured the exact atomic movements that write data to next-generation memory devices, which could pave the way for smaller, faster and more energy-efficient electronics.

Using advanced electron microscopy the research team captured atomic-scale movements inside promising memory materials, known as fluorite-type ferroelectrics, that could overcome current limits to how small and efficient memory devices can become.
Everyday technologies, such as smartphones, medical devices, wearable electronics and contactless IC cards used in public transport, store data as billions of digital 1s and 0s. In these materials, the physical position of an atom acts like a "switch"—and moving an atom just a fraction of a nanometer is what flips a data bit from a 0 to a 1.

This research shows exactly how that physical movement happens in real time. Until now, scientists couldn't directly see how this switching actually happened, in fractions of a second.

They discovered that switching doesn't happen in a single step, but through previously unseen intermediate atomic structures, and that the process can be controlled by changing the material's composition.

Kousuke Ooe et al, Direct observation of cation-dependent polarisation switching dynamics in fluorite ferroelectrics, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70593-y

Animals are powerful landscape engineers shaping the Earth's surface, global study finds

Wild animals significantly modify Earth's surface by altering soil and sediment through activities such as burrowing and feeding. A global meta-analysis by researchers analyzed data from 64 studies covering 61 species of wild animals across freshwater and terrestrial environments
Animal activity increases soil porosity and reduces fine material, influencing erosion and landscape development. These effects are more pronounced in freshwater ecosystems (136% change) than terrestrial ones (66%), highlighting animals as key geomorphic agents.

Wild animals are not just inhabitants of the natural world. Many also act as natural landscape engineers, reshaping Earth's surface as they burrow, feed, and build shelters that move soil and sediment across ecosystems. From animals disturbing riverbeds to burrowing species redistributing soil, wildlife constantly modifies the physical structure of landscapes through everyday activities.
The research found that animals consistently increased the porosity of soils and sediments and reduced the amount of fine material present. These changes influence how water and sediment move through ecosystems and can affect processes such as erosion, river behaviour and landscape development.
The new study provides quantitative evidence of how strongly animal activity can modify geomorphic processes across ecosystems.

Z. Khan et al, Signatures of Wild Animal Life in Earth's Landscapes, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface (2026). DOI: 10.1029/2025jf008351

Antibacterial soaps and wipes can fuel antimicrobial resistance, scientists warn

An international team of scientists is warning that everyday antibacterial soaps, wipes, sprays, and other "germ-killing" products are quietly contributing to the global rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) while providing no added health benefit for most consumer uses.

Widespread use of antibacterial soaps, wipes, and other consumer products containing biocides such as quaternary ammonium compounds is contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) without providing added health benefits for most uses. These chemicals promote bacterial resistance, including cross-resistance to antibiotics, and persist in the environment. Health authorities recommend plain soap and water for routine handwashing.
The authors summarize numerous laboratory and real-world studies showing that environmental levels of these chemicals cause resistant bacteria to survive and spread, promote cross-resistance to important antibiotics, and cause lasting genetic changes to microbes, including the exchange of resistance genes.

Over time, these shifts can allow resistant strains to dominate. This translates to the spread of antibiotic resistant genes that threaten the effectiveness of antibiotics when we really need them and can contribute to rising deaths.
Evidence shows biocides in many consumer products provide no added health benefit, but the biocides do raise concerns about AMR and toxicity.

Targeting Biocide Overuse in Consumer Products Will Strengthen Global AMR Action, Environmental Science & Technology (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c17673

Vibrations in your skull New tool for Biometric authentication

A team of researchers has developed a security system that could change how people log in to virtual and augmented reality platforms by eliminating passwords, personal identification numbers and eye scans and replacing them with something far more seamless.

A new authentication system uses unique vibration patterns from breathing and heartbeats transmitted through the skull, detected by motion sensors in XR headsets, to identify users. This software-only approach achieved over 95% accuracy in authenticating users and over 98% in rejecting unauthorized access, offering secure, continuous, and hardware-free biometric verification.

The system, a software program called VitalID, is based on the team's discovery of a new biometric: tiny vibrations generated by breathing and heartbeats that resonate through the skull in patterns unique to each person's bone structure and facial tissues.
The human body is always moving in tiny ways, even when a person is sitting still. Each breath and each heartbeat create very small vibrations inside the body. Those vibrations travel up through the neck and into the head.

When they reach the skull, they cause it to vibrate slightly. Because every skull has a different shape, thickness and bone structure, the vibrations change in unique ways as they move through each person's head. Soft tissues in the face, such as muscle and fat, also influence how the vibrations travel.

As a result, each person produces a distinct vibration pattern. Motion sensors built inside virtual reality headsets can detect these tiny patterns and assess them like a fingerprint to determine who is wearing the device.
We do not need to add any device or additional hardware. It requires only software.
In testing across 52 users over a 10-month period using two popular XR headsets, the system correctly authenticated legitimate users more than 95% of the time and rejected unauthorized users more than 98% of the time.

The researchers built a filtering system that removes interference from extraneous head and body movement, allowing the headset to focus only on the tiny vibrations in the skull caused by breathing and heartbeat. They then used advanced computer models to analyze those vibration patterns.

Because the vibrations travel internally through bone and tissue, they may also be more difficult to spoof. Someone might imitate another person's breathing rhythm but cannot easily replicate the biomechanical properties of another person's skull.

The headset would continuously confirm identity in the background simply by sensing the subtle vibrations that come with being alive.

Tianfang Zhang et al, Harnessing Vital Sign Vibration Harmonics for Effortless and Inbuilt XR User Authentication, Proceedings of the 2025 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security (2025). DOI: 10.1145/3719027.3765060

AI's growing role in scientific peer review

Large language models can enhance scientific peer review by identifying objective errors and inconsistencies, improving draft quality, and alleviating reviewer workload. However, AI is less effective at subjective judgments, such as assessing novelty or significance. Human oversight remains essential, with transparency about AI involvement and accountability for final decisions. AI's role in science is expected to expand.

There is tremendous interest in using AI, especially language models, to support research and peer review and speed up the scientific process. A key advantage is that AI can act like a rapid, always-available critic, a sort of pre-submission review process—before scientists officially send in a paper for publication. AI can be quite good at assessing drafts for gaps and limitations, so researchers can preemptively address them. This can improve the quality of first drafts submitted for publication and reduce the back-and-forth later. And on the reviewer side, the pressure is real: As submissions grow, human reviewers are very much overburdened, which can lead to lower-quality reviews and frustration for authors.

IN their tests researchers found that  besides spotting gaps and limitations, AI can be quite good at the more objective, verifiable aspects of review. 

 AI is strongest on objective, checkable inconsistencies and technical issues and weaker on subjective judgments about the novelty or significance of the research.

The researchers say that AI should support and inform—not fully replace—human decision-making.

A human, or team of humans, must make the final editorial decisions and scientists must stand behind the work. AI can offer comments on early drafts, point out omissions, and suggest improvements in the writing and the research—but the scientists must remain accountable for incorporating and synthesizing feedback from the AI and human reviewers. 

Scientists have to be up-front about how and where AI has assisted in the research itself and in the writing and review of the papers. They should acknowledge exactly how AI was involved and what tools were used in the paper. It comes down to accountability and a clear chain of responsibility and that final decisions are still made by humans.

Following on this work, many conferences and journals are now exploring using LLMs to assist the review process.

Nitya Thakkar et al, A large-scale randomized study of large language model feedback in peer review, Nature Machine Intelligence (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s42256-026-01188-x

In one recent large-scale randomized experiment, the results of which were published in Nature Machine Intelligence, researchers provided AI assistance to human reviewers on roughly 20,000 reviews to assess AI's impact on review quality. 

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Premature and small births are linked to lifelong learning problems

Preterm birth and low birth weight are consistently associated with lower IQ and persistent educational disadvantages, particularly in mathematics, from early childhood into adulthood. The severity of these challenges increases with earlier gestational age and lower birth weight, underscoring the importance of early identification and ongoing support to improve long-term outcomes.
Being born early or at a lower weight is linked to lower IQ scores and poorer educational outcomes in school and beyond, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
In this research, known as an umbrella review, the team examined what previous studies had discovered about preterm birth and low birth weight and long-term development. This involved going back to the original numbers and recalculating the results using a single, consistent method to ensure accuracy. They looked at five different life stages, from babies under two years old to adults over 18.

This meta-analysis confirmed that both preterm birth and low birth weight are linked to disadvantages that persist over time. In particular, babies born before 28 weeks or weighing less than 1 kg at birth showed larger academic disadvantages on average than babies born at term with normal birth weight.

The most affected subject was math, with significant gaps in calculation and problem-solving skills. Stark differences were also seen in reading, comprehension, spelling and identifying words.

These challenges were often most visible during primary school and closed slightly during teenage years. However, some of these learning difficulties reappear once a person reaches adulthood, as the study authors note in their paper. "These disadvantages generally increased with earlier gestational age and lower birth weight. Although some associations appeared to attenuate during adolescence, evidence of persistent disadvantages into adulthood was observed for several outcomes."

The research team believes their findings show that the impact of being born early or much smaller than average can have lifelong consequences. For some, this may mean fewer job opportunities or earning lower salaries than their peers.

Mingzheng Hu et al, Cognitive and Educational Outcomes After Preterm Birth or Low Birth Weight, JAMA Pediatrics (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.0533

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How time and space become one inside your brain—and what it means for Alzheimer's

If you develop Alzheimer's disease, you not only lose your sense of time, but you also lose your sense of place.

Neural circuits in the retrosplenial cortex process time and space using similar activity patterns, indicating these dimensions are integrated in the brain. This shared mechanism helps explain why both temporal and spatial orientation deteriorate together in Alzheimer's disease, highlighting the need to understand healthy episodic memory networks to address dementia.

All memories are made up of different components. You don't just remember what you had for dinner yesterday, but also the time and place. We often think of time and space as separate categories, a distinction created by philosophers and physicists that is incredibly practical for organizing our lives. But our brain cells don't see it that way.
These cells don't distinguish between a step forward in space or a second passing in time. Instead, they simply record a continuously changing stream of information from our senses, tracking events as they unfold. To the brain's internal network, time and place are effectively two sides of the same coin.
In Alzheimer's disease, it is therefore not surprising that both are affected; when the neural network is damaged, our sense of 'where' and 'when' begins to unravel together.
Remembering where, when and how something happened is called episodic memory. In your brain, billions of nerve cells form large networks, passing signals like a relay race to process information from your senses, the sounds, smells, and sights of your life.

We already know that cells which link memories to time and space are found in the hippocampus.
But this group of researchers had a theory that another area of the brain is also involved, namely the retrosplenial cortex. Located at the back of the cerebral cortex near the hippocampus, this area was previously only known for linking memories to place.
To test if this area also tracks time, the team designed a memory challenge for mice. The task required them to hold a specific odor in their "working memory" during a brief period. Their study is published in Cell Reports.
The most striking discovery was that the retrosplenial cortex uses the same "neural script" for both space and time. The researchers found that the sequence of neuronal activity in the retrosplenial cortex looks almost identical whether a mouse is physically running through a room or simply holding a memory in its mind for five seconds.
This discovery brings us back to the tragic reality of Alzheimer's disease, where those affected struggle to anchor themselves in both time and place. By showing that the brain uses the same "neural script" for both, this research explains why these two senses often fail together.
This work also challenges how we perceive the world around us. While we use the concepts of time and space to organize our lives, this distinction is largely a human construct. In fact, some modern theories in physics are moving away from using time and space as the fundamental building blocks of the universe. It appears the brain's internal wiring mirrors this deeper reality.

Anna Christina Garvert et al, Area-specific encoding of temporal information in the neocortex, Cell Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115363

Unexplained sky flashes from the 1950s: Independent analysis supports their existence

Historical observations from an observatory in Germany have now independently verified evidence for brief, mysterious flashes of light in the night sky, first picked up by an American astronomical survey in the 1950s. Through fresh analysis of a German survey from the same period, independent researcher Ivo Busko, a now-retired developer at NASA, has uncovered striking new support for these puzzling signals. The results have been published as a preprint on arXiv.

In2019, an international team of astronomers launched the VASCO Project, aiming to identify unusual phenomena hidden within vast archives of historical data. In particular, their work focused on astronomical transients: objects that suddenly appear in the sky in some images, but vanish in subsequent observations.

An especially exciting result emerged in 2025, when researchers analyzed photographic plates captured as part of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. Carried out in California throughout the 1950s, this ambitious program produced nearly 2,000 images of the night sky using long-exposure plates. Within these images, the team found clear evidence of transients with strange appearance and behavior, captured at a time that predates the launch of any human-made satellites.

Crucially, the spatial spread of light from these sources appeared too sharp to be explained by normal stars or distant astronomical objects. Combined with the way the plates recorded their brightness, the signals suggested that the flashes lasted for less than a second, despite being embedded within exposures lasting tens of minutes.

Unless they arise from some as-yet unknown astrophysical phenomenon, one especially captivating possibility remained: that the flashes were produced by artificial objects, either briefly orbiting Earth or passing nearby.

Part 1

Until now, however, the Palomar observations had not been independently confirmed. To address this gap, Busko turned to a completely separate dataset: archival photographic plates taken at the Hamburg Observatory in Germany during the same period in the 1950s. These plates captured many of the same regions of sky and were later digitized by the APPLAUSE Archive, making them accessible for modern analysis.

By comparing pairs of plates taken in close succession—each exposed for around 30 minutes before being replaced—Busko was able to search for fleeting changes between images.

His results revealed clear evidence of transients that are remarkably similar to those reported by the VASCO team, providing the first independent confirmation of the phenomenon using a different method and dataset.

For now, only a small fraction of the Hamburg plates have been examined. But with further improvements to the analysis techniques, Busko is hopeful that more subtle examples of these flashes could be uncovered across the archive, strengthening the statistical significance of the findings.

Artificial objects?
While astronomers may never know exactly what caused these events, both the VASCO results and Busko's independent analysis point toward a consistent interpretation: that the flashes could have originated from flat, rotating objects orbiting close to Earth, briefly reflecting sunlight toward the ground. For some, this leaves open a more speculative possibility: that these mysterious signals may even hint at artificial objects which were sent to Earth deliberately.

Ivo Busko, Searching for Fast Astronomical Transients in Archival Photographic Plates, arXiv (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2603.20407

Part 2

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Pesticides and cancer: Study reveals the biological mechanisms behind an environmental health risk
A new study, published in Nature Health, reveals a strong link between exposure to agricultural pesticides in the environment and the risk of developing cancer. By combining environmental data, a nationwide cancer registry, and biological analyses, researchers have shed new light on the role of pesticide exposure in the development of certain cancers.
Pesticides are widely present in food, water, and the environment, often in the form of complex mixtures. Until now, it has been difficult to accurately assess their effects on human health, as most studies focus on isolated substances and experimental models that are far removed from real-world exposure conditions.

This new study adopts an innovative, integrative approach that accounts for the complexity of real-world exposures experienced by populations.
This is the first time researchers have been able to link pesticide exposure, on a national scale, to biological changes suggesting an increased risk of cancer.
The study shows that certain tumors, although they affect different organs, share common biological vulnerabilities linked to their cellular origin that can be weakened by pesticide exposure. Notably, the liver is a key organ in the metabolism of chemicals and is considered a sentinel site for environmental exposure.

Molecular analyses conducted show that pesticides disrupt processes that help maintain cell function and cellular identity. These biological changes appear before cancer develops, suggesting early, cumulative, and silent effects. They could make tissues more vulnerable to other risk factors, such as infections, inflammation, or environmental stressors.
The results challenge conventional toxicological approaches, which are based on the evaluation of isolated substances and the establishment of thresholds considered safe. They highlight the importance of considering pesticide mixtures, environmental exposure, and real-world socio-ecological contexts.

Mapping pesticide mixtures to cancer risk at country scale with spatial exposomics, Nature Health (2026). www.nature.com/articles/s44360-026-00087-0

Why has it taken so long to return to the moon?
The long gap between Apollo and renewed lunar missions is primarily due to shifting political priorities, inconsistent funding, and lack of sustained strategic purpose, rather than technological limitations. Competing national interests, changing administrations, and budget constraints repeatedly disrupted lunar ambitions. Artemis aims to overcome these challenges through international and commercial partnerships.

original article.

AI maps science papers to predict research trends two to three years ahead
Artificial intelligence combining large language models and machine learning can systematically analyze scientific literature, mapping concept relationships to predict emerging research trends two to three years in advance. This approach highlights novel topic combinations and supports researchers in identifying innovative directions and interdisciplinary opportunities within rapidly expanding fields.

The number of scientific papers is growing so rapidly that scientists are no longer able to keep track of all of them, even in their own research area. Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in collaboration with scientific partners, have shown how new research ideas can still be obtained from this wealth of information. Using artificial intelligence (AI), they systematically analyzed materials science publications to identify potential new avenues of research. Their results have been published in Nature Machine Intelligence.

Thomas Marwitz et al, Predicting new research directions in materials science using large language models and concept graphs, Nature Machine Intelligence (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s42256-026-01206-y

Language processing requires rapid cross-talk across brain regions, researchers discover
Language processing involves rapid, coordinated activity across multiple brain regions rather than a single area. Concrete words engage both sensory and language regions, while abstract words rely more on language-related areas. Brain responses to words of varying concreteness remain stable across individuals, and disrupting different regions impairs word classification, indicating distributed processing.

Multiple regions of the brain engage in fast-moving conversations to understand language, researchers have discovered, dispelling a prior school of thought that only one region of the brain was responsible for language processing. The research was published in PLOS Biology.
The team found that concrete words activated regions of the brain that process sensory experiences and regions responsible for language, while abstract words relied more heavily on language-related areas of the brain. For words that fell in between, the team found that the patients' brain responses were stable regardless of individual, subjective ratings.
Even if a person thinks of the word 'magic' in purely physical terms, their brain seems to still activate some of the abstract features associated with the word 'magic.'"

Additionally, researchers found that whether the participants were reading purely abstract or purely concrete words, multiple regions of the brain communicated with each other to process them.
In a separate part of the study, researchers asked participants to classify ambiguous words while they stimulated different parts of the brain with small electrical pulses to temporarily disable their processing. When different regions were stimulated, participants had a harder time making decisions about how to classify the words, reaffirming that multiple areas are responsible for decoding language.

The research has important clinical implications for patients with aphasia, or the inability to speak, as well as dementia and brain injuries.

Elliot Murphy et al, Frontotemporal network interactions causally support rapid concreteness judgments during reading, PLOS Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003723

How disinfectants influence microbes across hospital rooms

Just because a topical antiseptic is swabbed on the skin doesn't mean it stays on the skin. In a new study scientists investigated how a powerful antiseptic, called chlorhexidine, affects bacteria in hospital environments. To prevent infections, hospitals heavily rely on chlorhexidine wipes to sterilize patients' skin before procedures.
Through laboratory experiments, the researchers discovered that traces of chlorhexidine linger on surfaces much longer than previously known—long enough to help microbes build tolerance. By analyzing samples from a medical intensive care unit (MICU), the team also found chlorhexidine-tolerant bacteria spread throughout the hospital environment through touch—and, surprisingly, through the air.

The findings offer new insights into how disinfectants interact with microbes in indoor environments and could help inform strategies for preventing infection and antimicrobial resistance.

Even though chlorhexidine is applied to patients' skin, researchers saw evidence that it affects the microbes in the room all around the patients.
Widely used in health care since the 1950s, chlorhexidine is an important chemical for preventing infections in hospitals. Health care workers use products containing chlorhexidine in routine medical care, including the daily bathing of MICU patients, preparing skin before surgery or catheter insertion, sterilizing equipment and washing hands. It's also commonly used in prescription mouthwashes for dental care and in veterinary clinics.

Chlorhexidine is used in environments where patients are incredibly vulnerable, and physicians want to make sure microbial exposures are highly controlled.
It's a well-regulated chemical and really important for keeping high-risk patients safe. But after chlorhexidine is applied to the skin, it appears to live a second life.
Part 1

n the laboratory, the researchers applied chlorhexidine to common materials—plastic, metal and laminate—often found in hospitals. Then, they cleaned those surfaces with chlorhexidine-free disinfectants typically used to sterilize hospital environments.

Even after these cleaning treatments, chlorhexidine residue lingered on surfaces after 24 hours. The residue levels were too low to kill bacteria but high enough to expose them to the chemical. In these conditions, surviving microbes can develop tolerance to the disinfectant.
To explore what happens under those sub-lethal conditions, the team exposed several clinically relevant bacteria, including Escherichia coli, to trace concentrations of chlorhexidine. Even after a full day of exposure, the microbes survived.
Then the researchers conducted an environmental survey inside a MICU, collecting nearly 200 samples from hospital bed rails, keyboards, doorsills, light switches and sink drains. From those samples, they isolated more than 1,400 bacteria, and about 36% exhibited some level of tolerance to chlorhexidine.
While bacteria showed up all over the MICU, sink drains stood out as the biggest hotspot. Compared to dry surfaces, drains contained far higher levels of bacteria, including strains capable of tolerating much higher concentrations of chlorhexidine.
In perhaps the most surprising finding, the team found bacteria with signs of chlorhexidine tolerance in samples collected from the top of doorsills.
Because people rarely touch doorsills, the finding suggests bacteria might have hitched a ride on airborne particles, like dead skin cells. According to the researchers dust on doorsills can trap these particles circulating in the air.
While chlorhexidine remains necessary and effective in clinical settings, the findings underscore the message that antimicrobial chemicals can have unintended consequences.
Unless a person is actively sick or immune compromised, the environment around them does not need to be disinfected. To prevent antimicrobial resistance, the researchers recommend using plain soap and water to clean our homes and offices.
We don't need to expose ourselves and our environments to these chemicals because those exposures are not necessarily benign, they conclude.

Hospital environments harbor chlorhexidine tolerant bacteria potentially linked to chlorhexidine persistence in the environment, Environmental Science & Technology (2026). On medRxiv DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.07.24315058

Part 2

EPA moves to designate microplastics and pharmaceuticals as contaminants in drinking water
The EPA has proposed adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its Contaminant Candidate List for drinking water, marking the first time these substances are formally recognized as potential threats. This action initiates a process that could eventually lead to regulatory limits, though historically few contaminants on the list have been regulated. The draft list also includes PFAS, disinfection byproducts, 75 chemicals, and nine microbes.

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed Thursday to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on a list of contaminants in drinking water for the first time, a step that could lead to new limits on those substances for water utilities.
Studies have looked at the prevalence of microplastics in drinking water and in people's hearts, brains and testicles. Doctors and scientists are still assessing what it means in terms of human health threats, but say there's cause for concern. There is also growing worry about pharmaceutical drugs that get into the water supply because humans excrete them and conventional wastewater treatment plants fail to remove them.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-epa-microplastics-pharmaceuticals-con...

New research suggests the immune system has its own daily cycle

The brain's immune defenses, particularly in the olfactory bulb, exhibit daily rhythms, with antiviral gene expression peaking around dusk. Immune responses and microglial activity vary depending on the time of pathogen exposure, indicating that circadian timing influences susceptibility to respiratory infections and related neurological effects.
New research reveals that the brain's immune defenses operate on a daily schedule, a finding with potential implications for how we think about respiratory infections and their neurological consequences.
The study shows that the mouse olfactory bulb, a brain region directly connected to the nasal cavity and a known entry point for viruses like influenza and herpes simplex, rhythmically ramps up antiviral gene expression around dusk, and mounts markedly different immune responses to a nasal viral mimic depending on time of day.
The team also found distinct subpopulations of microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, whose responses varied with the timing of the challenge.
The findings suggest that when a person is exposed to a respiratory pathogen, it may matter as much as the pathogen itself and could help explain why shift workers and others with disrupted circadian rhythms face elevated risks of infection and inflammatory disease.

Gregory L. Pearson et al, Time of day alters olfactory bulb immune state with ramifications for intranasal inflammatory challenge, Cell Reports (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117133

Study suggests people are losing 338 spoken words every year and have been for at least 15 years
Analysis of spoken word counts from 2005 to 2019 indicates a consistent annual decline of 338 words per person, with daily averages dropping from about 16,000 to 12,700 words. The reduction is more pronounced in younger adults and is attributed to fewer incidental face-to-face interactions, likely influenced by technology. The trend is observed in Western societies, with unknown global applicability.

Valeria A. Pfeifer et al, Sliding Into Silence? We Are Speaking 300 Daily Words Fewer Every Year, Perspectives on Psychological Science (2026). DOI: 10.1177/17456916261425131

Quantum physics can confirm where someone is located

Scammers and spies beware: Scientists have uncovered a way to verify someone’s location using the weird world of quantum mechanics. The experimental technique makes use of a phenomenon called entanglement, in which properties of two subatomic particles are linked no matter how much distance lies between them.
How does quantum verification work? The method involves two people who are seeking to verify the location of a third party in between them. The verifiers each send the person a random number, and one verifier sends half of an entangled pair of photons. The person being checked out needs to use the random numbers to measure their photon at the same time as the verifier. If this person is where they claim to be, a series of such measurements should show a strong correlation with measurements of the photons taken by the verifier. If an imposter at a different location intercepts the photon, the correlation won't be as strong, indicating that something is awry.
Reliably verifying someone’s location from afar is no easy task in the modern era. If this method pans out, one day quantum weirdness could help prevent certain types of phishing attacks, or it could ensure that only people inside a secure facility can send certain messages or commands.

Abigail Gookin et al. Device-Independent Quantum Position Verification. Global Physics Summit, Denver, March 18, 2026.

G.A. Kavuri et al. Quantum Position Verification with Remote Untrusted Devices. arXiv:2601.16892. Submitted on January 23, 2026.

An injectable particle could make surgery safer for infants
Biomedical researchers have designed an injectable microgel to help reduce bleeding in infants who require surgical care. In an animal model, the engineered microgel reduced bleeding by at least 50%. The paper, "Hemostatic B-Knob Triggered MicroGels (BK-TriGs) to Address Bleeding in Neonates," is published in the journal Science Advances.
When adults cut themselves, a multi-step process called hemostasis stops the bleeding from the injured blood vessel. But hemostasis in infants is different from hemostasis in adults. This difference can be problematic if infants require surgery to address significant medical problems. In surgeries, patients normally receive blood from adult donors to compensate for blood lost during the operation.

"But if you give adult blood to an infant, the difference in adult hemostasis versus infant hemostasis can lead to too much clotting.
That can increase the likelihood of thrombosis, where blood clots form in the lungs or elsewhere and put the baby at risk.
So researchers wanted to develop a therapeutic intervention that would reduce bleeding and—by extension—reduce the need for infants to receive adult blood transfusions during surgery.
To that end, the researchers developed a material called B-knob triggered microgels (BK-TriGs).

Fibrin is the main clotting protein in human blood. There is a short amino acid sequence called a "B peptide' that links together fibrin molecules to create blood clots where they are needed—and these B peptides play a particularly important role in hemostasis for infants. The BK-TriGs are engineered particles that are studded with those B peptides.
The particles can absorb water and become squishy hydrogels, which mimic the mechanical properties of natural platelets in a way that maximizes the ability of the B peptides to create fibrin networks and stanch bleeding.

The researchers first tested the BK-TriGs by using microfluidic devices that allowed them to conduct in vitro testing to see how the microgels affected clotting in blood plasma from human adults and infants.
They found that BK-TriGs worked better at improving blood clotting in infant plasma than in adult plasma.
Part 1

To further test the efficacy of the BK-TriGs, the researchers worked with lab mice that were genetically engineered to not make fibrinogen, the precursor to fibrin. This allowed the researchers to first introduce infant fibrinogen into the lab mice so that the mice exhibit a form of hemostasis similar to infants.
They found that the BK-TriGs outperformed any of the other options they tested at reducing blood loss.

Nooshin Zandi et al, Hemostatic B-Knob Triggered MicroGels (BK-TriGs) to Address Bleeding in Neonates, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady7698. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ady7698

Part 2

Physicists Found Something That Can Move Faster Than Light: The Darkness Inside It
For the first time, physicists have observed that 'holes' in light can move faster than the light itself.

They're known as phase singularities or optical vortices, and since the 1970s, scientists have predicted that, just as eddies in a river can move faster than the flowing water around them, so too can whirlpools in a wave of light outrun the light they're embedded within.

This does not break relativity, which states that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. That's because the vortices carry no mass, energy, or information, and their motion is based on the evolving geometry of the wave pattern rather than any physical motion through space.

However, capturing this phenomenon in action has been difficult to accomplish because it unfolds on extremely small scales of space and time. The achievement is a triumph of electron microscopy.
The discovery reveals universal laws of nature shared by all types of waves, from sound waves and fluid flows to complex systems such as superconductors.
This breakthrough provides us with a powerful technological tool: the ability to map the motion of delicate nanoscale phenomena in materials, revealed through a new method (electron interferometry) that enhances image sharpness
Although to our eyes light appears uniform, it has a lot going on that we cannot easily discern. Light can be subject to disturbances similar to those seen in other systems dominated by flow dynamics, including a type of phase singularity scientists call optical vortices.

Light can behave both as a particle and a wave; an optical vortex forms when the wave twists as it travels, like a corkscrew. At the very center of that twist, the light cancels itself out, leaving a point of zero intensity – a kind of dark "hole" in the light.

It's mathematically understood that two singularities in a reference frame will be drawn together, gaining speed as they approach, reaching velocities that appear to exceed the speed of light in a vacuum.

"As opposite-charged singularities approach each other, their paths in spacetime must form a continuous curve at the annihilation point, forcing their acceleration to unbounded velocities right before the annihilation," the researchers explain in their paper.
Part 1

It has been observed in other systems, but studying how this scenario might play out in a light field is somewhat trickier. Much work has been done in physics labs to study it, but observations of optical vortices have been limited by the technology's inability to keep up with the speed at which vortex formation, motion, and collision unfold.

To overcome these limitations, researchers recorded the behavior of optical vortices in a two-dimensional material called hexagonal boron nitride.

This material supports unusual light waves called phonon polaritons – hybrids of light and atomic vibrations – that move much more slowly than light alone and can be tightly confined. This creates intricate interference patterns filled with many vortices, allowing the researchers to track their motion in detail.
The second, crucial part was capturing those dynamics in real time. The team deployed a specialized high-speed electron microscope with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution, which recorded events unfolding over just 3 quadrillionths of a second.
They ran the experiment many times, each time recording at a slight delay compared to the previous run. By stacking together the hundreds of images generated this way, the researchers created a timelapse of the vortices as they hurtled towards and annihilated each other, their velocities very briefly reaching superluminal speeds in the process.

The experiment took place in a two-dimensional context. The next step, the researchers say, is to try to extend their work into higher dimensions to observe more complicated behavior. They also say the techniques they developed could help address some of the current limitations of electron microscopy.

"We believe these innovative microscopy techniques will enable the study of hidden processes in physics, chemistry, and biology," the researchers say, "revealing for the first time how nature behaves in its fastest and most elusive moments."

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10209-z

Part 2

**

India’s air combat strategy during Operation Sindoor is drawing global attention, and now a former US combat pilot has called it a “genius move.” The focus is on how Indian Rafale jets used advanced decoy systems to confuse enemy radars and missiles. Instead of relying only on speed and firepower, Indian pilots deployed towed decoys and dropped fuel tanks at the right moment, creating multiple false targets in the sky. This made it difficult for enemy systems to identify the real aircraft. The result? Missiles were likely tracking expendable objects instead of actual jets. The tactic also created confusion on the battlefield, making it harder for the opponent to assess damage accurately. This is modern warfare, where technology, deception, and timing matter as much as weapons. Operation Sindoor has now become a case study in how India is adapting to next-generation air combat with precision and planning.

Ghostly particles: Dark radiation may have masqueraded as neutrinos
New research suggests that neutrinos in the early universe may have transformed into a previously unknown form of radiation. The study offers a new way to explain certain puzzling observations about how the universe evolved.
Neutrinos are among the most abundant particles in the universe. Often described as ghostlike because they interact so weakly with matter, neutrinos play an important role in shaping how cosmic structures form and evolve.

Recent analyses of cosmological data suggest that neutrinos may interact with one another more strongly than predicted by the standard model of particle physics, although laboratory experiments place strict limits on such interactions.

The new study offers a possible explanation for this apparent mismatch. According to the researchers, the cosmological signals interpreted as evidence for strongly interacting neutrinos could instead be produced by an additional component of radiation in the early universe.

Because cosmological observations mainly measure the total amount of fast-moving radiation, they cannot easily distinguish neutrinos from other lightweight particles that behave similarly.
They propose that some fraction of neutrinos converted into a different type of light, fast-moving radiation known as dark radiation, during the universe's earliest moments.
The transformation must have taken place after Big Bang nucleosynthesis, but before the formation of the cosmic microwave background.

In this scenario, dark radiation could mimic the cosmological effects attributed to interacting neutrinos while avoiding the experimental constraints that apply to neutrinos themselves.
If this dark radiation mechanism occurred, it could also influence several ongoing puzzles in cosmology. These include uncertainties in neutrino masses and the long-standing Hubble tension, which is the discrepancy between different measurements of how quickly the universe is expanding.
Future observations may help test the idea.

Anirban Das et al, Impostor among Neutrinos: Dark Radiation Masquerading as Self-Interacting Neutrinos, Physical Review Letters (2026). DOI: 10.1103/jprg-jll6. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2506.08085

**

Microscopic mechanism of 'quantum collapse' in real-world environments uncovered for the first time

A research team has, for the first time in the world, elucidated the microscopic mechanism by which quantum order is lost and collapses in "open quantum environments" existing in nature. Since perfectly isolated quantum systems cannot exist in reality, this study is expected to provide a decisive breakthrough in bridging the gap between ideal quantum theory and quantum technologies that must operate in real-world environments.

"High-order harmonics," generated when intense light is irradiated onto solid materials, have high academic and industrial value, as they are used for material characterization as well as for generating ultrafast pulses and high-energy light. However, during this process, a phenomenon known as "ultrafast electronic decoherence" occurs, in which the intrinsic quantum state becomes disrupted within an extremely short timescale of 1–2 femtoseconds. The fundamental cause of this phenomenon had remained unknown despite more than a decade of extensive research worldwide.
To solve this puzzle, researchers developed and applied a novel computational approach based on the "Lindblad master equation," overcoming the limitations of conventional quantum master equations. This enabled the establishment of a microscopic theoretical research framework that can precisely account for not only electron–electron interactions but also interactions between electrons and their surrounding environment.
The team analyzed the phenomena of "superradiance" and "broadband emission" observed in the process of high-order harmonic generation in solids, and newly found that interference occurs between the two, leading to mutual cancellation.

As a result, they confirmed that interactions with the environment (such as superradiance) in open quantum environments play a decisive role in governing ultrafast electronic decoherence in solids, thereby resolving a long-standing challenge in the field.
Through this study, they have found that ultrafast electronic decoherence in solids—long regarded as a mystery for over a decade—originates from environmental interactions in open quantum systems.

Gimin Bae et al, Superradiance and Broadband Emission Driving Fast Electron Dephasing in Open Quantum Systems, Advanced Science (2026). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202522729

How one 'forever chemical' can disrupt a baby's facial development
Researchers have long associated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," with certain severe birth defects, but exactly how these pollutants harm a developing fetus has remained mostly a mystery. New research now provides the first clear molecular explanation, showing how one PFAS, called perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), can trigger craniofacial abnormalities before birth. The research was published today in Chemical Research in Toxicology.
Most people are exposed to small amounts of PFAS in everyday life but higher exposure can occur through contaminated water, living near manufacturing sites or certain jobs like firefighting and ski waxing, which is why it's so important to understand the chemicals better.
There are approximately 15,000 PFAS used in consumer and industrial products, but scientists are increasingly finding that only some pose serious health risks. In this study, researchers tested 139 commonly found PFAS and discovered PFDA as the most toxic during fetal craniofacial development.
They found even tiny amounts of PFDA were enough to cause visible facial changes, with the risk increasing by 10% at extremely low exposure levels.
They found that PFAS disrupts retinoic acid, a molecule essential for shaping the face and head during early pregnancy. Retinoic acid regulates hundreds of genes and its levels must be controlled. Because a fetus cannot produce or safely eliminate excess retinoic acid, it relies entirely on the mother to maintain the homeostatic balance of the hormone.

The researchers discovered PFDA blocks CYP26A1, a key enzyme responsible for breaking down excess retinoic acid. When this enzyme is inhibited, retinoic acid levels can rise too high, disrupting normal facial development. PFDA also suppresses the genes that produce this enzyme through a separate biological pathway, delivering a "double hit" to the system that regulates early development.
As a result, severe craniofacial abnormalities can develop, including underdeveloped eyes and abnormal jaw formation, which were the most common effects of PFDA exposure during fetal development.

Michaela Hvizdak et al, New Mechanistic Evidence for Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA) Teratogenicity via CYP26A1-Mediated Retinoic Acid Metabolism and Signaling, Chemical Research in Toxicology (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.5c00468 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.5c00468

Why cutting down rainforests may be driving 28,000 heat deaths a year

Tropical deforestation significantly increases local temperatures by reducing the cooling effects of forest canopy and evapotranspiration. This regional warming exposes over 300 million people to higher heat stress, contributing to an estimated 28,000 heat-related deaths annually across the tropics, highlighting deforestation as a critical public health issue.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02411-0

How a common herbicide affects honeybee brains and behaviour

Exposure to glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, reduces honeybee foraging by 13% and alters brain neurochemistry, even at sublethal levels. These changes may compromise colony stability, pollination effectiveness, and honey production, indicating that glyphosate poses a greater risk to honeybee health than previously recognized.

Laura C. McHenry et al, Sublethal glyphosate exposure reduces honey bee foraging and alters the balance of biogenic amines in the brain, Journal of Experimental Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1242/jeb.250124

Bacteria are weaving forever chemicals directly into their cell membranes, study finds
Bacteria can incorporate polyfluoroalkyl carboxylates, a type of PFAS, directly into their cell membrane lipids. This process demonstrates a biological interaction with these persistent environmental contaminants and suggests a potential microbial role in PFAS transformation, though complete degradation and disposal remain unresolved challenges.

Yongchao Xie et al, Bacteria covalently incorporate polyfluoroalkyl carboxylates into membrane lipids, Nature Microbiology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-026-02301-x

AI makes rewilding look tame—and misses its messy reality
AI-generated images of rewilded British landscapes tend to depict sanitized, orderly scenes lacking ecological complexity, messiness, and controversial species. These images often exclude humans, decay, and less charismatic wildlife, reflecting the sanitized visuals promoted by environmental organizations. Accurate, ecologically rich depictions require highly specific prompts, limiting their accessibility to non-experts.

original article.

New study finds eye focuses using color signals, not just sharpness

The human eye functions like an exceptionally precise, high-end camera, one with a resolution of around 576 megapixels. What makes it intriguing is that although our eyes can focus on light at only one wavelength at a time, the result isn't fragmented or blurry. What we see feels seamlessly sharp and rich in details. This raises the question of which color it chooses to focus on when the scene we are looking at has multiple colors. A recent study published in Science Advances presents a mechanism that guides the choice.

The researchers discovered that the eye chooses its focus to maximize the quality of signals in specific neural pathways called color-opponent channels. These channels are neural pathways that combine signals from the three types of cone photoreceptors—long, medium, and short—into distinct patterns for color processing. These combinations create three channels: red–green, blue–yellow, and finally black–white, which represents brightness. Each channel operates in opposition, meaning that the two colors in a pair, such as red and green, cannot be perceived simultaneously.

This new discovery challenges the leading theory on which color the eyes choose to focus on.

In the real world, objects are almost never perfectly in focus, and the eyes constantly adjust to see objects clearly at different distances via a process called accommodation. This lack of focus is because visible light is made up of many different wavelengths, and each one bends slightly differently as it passes through the eye. Short wavelengths, such as blue light, focus closer to the lens; while longer ones, such as red light, focus farther away. Since the retina sits at a fixed distance behind the lens, not all wavelengths can be in focus at once, which creates a multi-colored blur known as longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA).

Previously scientists thought that the eyes' choice of colour on which to focus hinged on achieving the best possible visual acuity—our ability to see fine details. The idea was that this mechanism worked by maximizing luminance contrast, enhancing the overall brightness and clarity of an image. However, this new discovery challenges that long-held notion.

The new study questions the prevailing theory, suggesting that brightness and contrast alone don't fully explain how the eye focuses on colored objects. There must be color-processing mechanisms at play too. To test this, the researchers used a combination of specialized hardware, personalized eye mapping, and computer simulations.

The results showed that the human eye doesn't just focus on light to make images as sharp and bright as possible, as scientists long thought. Instead, the eye picks which color on which to focus based on what allows the brain's color-processing pathways to work most efficiently.

The team also found that instead of focusing on extreme wavelengths like blue, the eye often chooses a middle wavelength like greenish-yellow as a compromise. This approach keeps the main image sharp while leaving the blue areas slightly blurry, resulting in a stronger, clearer signal for the brain to process.

Benjamin M. Chin et al, Focusing on color: How the eye chooses which wavelength to see best, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aea5693

Virus from seafood is linked to a persistent eye disease in humans
A virus that typically infects marine animals, such as shrimp and fish, has jumped to humans and is causing chronic eye disease in some people, according to a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology. In recent years, the number of people in China with a condition called persistent ocular hypertension viral anterior uveitis (POH-VAU) has been increasing with no clear explanation as to why. Symptoms include extremely elevated eye pressure and inflammation.
Researchers suspected that covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV) might be the cause since patients with the condition consistently tested negative for common eye viruses such as herpes or shingles. And earlier investigations had identified unknown virus particles in the eye tissue of a few patients that looked similar in shape and size to CMNV.

To investigate further, scientists in China recruited 70 people diagnosed with the condition between January 2022 and April 2025.

The team examined patient tissue removed during eye surgery with electron microscopes and saw similar virus particles about 25 nanometers in size. No CMNV-like particles were found in the control group of healthy volunteers. To confirm the virus's identity, they used a special gold-labeled antibody that only binds to CMNV. Sequencing its genetic material revealed a 98.96% match to the version found in aquatic animals.

"This study reveals that an aquatic animal virus is associated with an emerging human disease," wrote the scientists in their paper.
The researchers interviewed the patients about their lives, and nearly three-quarters were either handling raw seafood without gloves or were eating raw aquatic animals. "Frequent unprotected processing of aquatic animals and consumption of raw aquatic animals were commonly reported exposure events," added the team.

To confirm that the virus was actually causing the disease rather than merely being present, the team conducted cell culture studies and infected mice with the virus. These rodents developed the characteristic symptoms of the condition seen in human patients, such as elevated intraocular pressure.
This is the first study to show that a virus originating from aquatic animals can be associated with a specific eye disease in humans. And it may not just be a problem in China.

As part of their study, the researchers conducted a global survey to see how far the viruses had spread. CMNV was found in 49 species, including crabs and mollusks, across Asia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica and the Americas.

Shuang Liu et al, An emerging human eye disease is associated with aquatic virus zoonotic infection, Nature Microbiology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-026-02266-x

Fabian H. Leendertz et al, Aquatic virus transmission to humans, Nature Microbiology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-026-02306-6

How microbes survive in the plastisphere
Microbes inhabiting the plastisphere—biofilms on ocean plastic—possess larger genomes with more functional gene copies than marine plankton, enabling enhanced nutrient uptake, carbon utilization, UV protection, and alternative energy use. These adaptations support survival in nutrient-poor, high-UV environments and may create eutrophic niches, potentially impacting ocean ecosystem health.

Stefan Lips et al, Metagenomic analyses of the plastisphere reveals a common functional potential across oceans, Environmental Pollution (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127830

15 years after the eradication of rinderpest, lessons still ring true

Permanently wiping out a disease is tricky business. Polio, measles, mumps—all have effective vaccines, yet they persist in certain pockets around the world. To date, the World Health Organization considers just two viruses as successfully eradicated: smallpox and rinderpest.

Rinderpest, a highly contagious cattle disease, was officially eradicated in 2011, marking it as one of only two viruses eliminated globally. Success was achieved through a combination of technological advances, such as a heat-stable vaccine, and community-based strategies, including participatory epidemiology and targeted vaccination in remote areas. These approaches remain vital for controlling current and future animal diseases.
Rinderpest, a German word meaning "cattle plague," can be traced back as early as the Roman Empire. In the centuries when the virus was active, it ran through herds from Europe into Asia and Africa. When the disease struck, it often killed the entire herd.

The disease was so economically devastating that it's recognized as the cause of several historic famines. In the 18th century, rinderpest killed 200 million cows in Europe.

Part 1

In the 19th century—after colonialism spread the disease—rinderpest culled about 90% of plow oxen in Ethiopia. Rinderpest itself has no effect on human health, but the resulting famine killed one-third of Ethiopia's population.
"Without cattle to plow fields and fertilize crops with dung, the once-fertile Ethiopian lands became a graveyard
Attempts to develop a vaccine, which began as early as the 18th century, provided some protection, but not a full cure. It wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that the first effective vaccines were introduced. Shortly after, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization began a worldwide campaign to inoculate animals, shipping vaccines and brokering meetings between countries to discuss collaborative vaccination campaigns.

Soon, the number of global rinderpest infections fell precipitously, but occasional outbreaks continued.
Complete eradication remained out of reach until a technological breakthrough—along with what Mariner and other researchers have called "social innovations"—made it possible.

Most vaccines require refrigeration, and the rinderpest vaccine was no exception. But in many places where the disease was common—rural areas with cattle ranching—refrigerated shipping was expensive and complex.

It was extremely challenging to keep the vaccine cold while traveling to isolated areas then.
It required refrigeration facilities, ice machines, cold boxes, and fleets of vehicles. They needed an easier way to deliver the vaccine.
In the 1980s, researchers earned grant funding to experiment with ways to make a vaccine that did not require refrigeration. His team worked for two years and eventually developed a method to freeze-dry the vaccine. As a result, it could stay effective at temperatures as high as 98 degrees Fahrenheit and could last 30 days without refrigeration.

That innovation made it possible to deliver vaccines to a wider array of far-flung places, but it didn't necessarily make it easier.
So, the scientists engaged in a more targeted and strategic approach and went directly to those remote areas. Researchers helped train people in these communities to provide the vaccine and relied on their knowledge to decide how and when to distribute it. These efforts increased vaccination in herds that had been missed during previous campaigns. Locals then monitored for signs of disease after vaccination occurred.
The successful eradication, then, relied on both science and collaboration, and a tool called participatory epidemiology, which incorporates both researchers and stakeholders.

The elimination of rinderpest has had an enormous impact on the lives of people and their animals.

https://now.tufts.edu/2019/07/18/world-without-rinderpest

Part 2

AI uncovers hidden immune defenses inside bacteria

Researchers have discovered thousands of new proteins that protect bacteria from virus attacks using an AI system called DefensePredictor. What would usually take months of lab work can now be narrowed down to promising candidates in minutes.

Bacteria are under constant attack from viruses called bacteriophages. One of their most powerful defenses is CRISPR-Cas, a system that cuts up viral DNA to stop an infection and is now a valuable biotechnology tool for precisely editing genes in a lab.

Traditional methods of finding these defenses are long and laborious, equivalent to looking for a needle in a haystack. They involve searching for nearby known defensive genes and manually testing thousands of DNA fragments. But now, AI can take the strain.

To develop their machine learning tool, the scientists trained it on 17,000 different bacterial genomes, as they describe in a paper published in the journal Science. Because genes contain instructions for making proteins, the system identifies the proteins encoded in each genome and analyzes them using a protein language model called ESM2. It can distinguish between a normal protein and a defensive one by examining specific characteristics, such as gene length, nearby genes and patterns in the DNA sequences surrounding each gene.

To further refine DefensePredictor, the team trained it on 15,000 proteins already known to fight viruses and 186,000 normal proteins that perform everyday tasks. By comparing these two groups, the AI learned to rapidly distinguish defensive proteins from non-defensive ones.

Next came the system's big test. DefensePredictor scanned 69 diverse E. coli strains and identified 624 protein clusters as defensive. This included more than 100 that had no previously known connection to bacterial immune systems. The researchers then cloned 94 of these predicted systems into E. coli cells and exposed them to 24 different phages. Nearly 45% protected the bacteria from infection.

The results demonstrate that DefensePredictor is a powerful tool for discovering new prokaryotic immune systems

The researchers have released DefensePredictor as a resource for the global scientific community and will continue to refine it as new data arrives.

Peter C. DeWeirdt et al, DefensePredictor: A machine learning model to discover prokaryotic immune systems, Science (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.adv7924

Cell-by-cell analysis offers clues to pregnancy risks

The biological connection between a pregnant woman and her developing baby has been mapped in unprecedented detail by  scientists, revealing new cell types and insights into conditions such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and miscarriage.

Using advanced single-cell and spatial tools, the researchers analyzed about 200,000 individual cells and compared them with nearly 1 million cells in their original positions within the uterine and placental tissue. This enabled them to identify different cell types, track how they develop, and see how they are linked to pregnancy complications.

This work gives us a much clearer picture of this critical region than ever before.

The maternal-fetal interface is a temporary but essential structure composed of uterine and placental cells that forms about a week after fertilization and lasts throughout pregnancy. It supports fetal growth while maintaining the mother's health. Its complexity has long limited scientists' ability to study how healthy pregnancies develop and why complications arise.

By examining this tissue cell by cell across pregnancy, we can begin to understand both normal development and what may go wrong, say the researchers. 

Part 1

The atlas revealed a previously unknown maternal cell type located where fetal placental cells first enter the uterus. These cells appear to regulate how deeply placental cells invade uterine tissue, a process that is essential for establishing blood flow to the fetus.

The researchers found that these cells carry a cannabinoid receptor. Exposure to cannabinoid molecules caused them to further restrict placental cell invasion.

Population studies have linked cannabis use during pregnancy to poorer outcomes. This cell type may help explain the biological basis of that association.
To understand how complications arise, the team integrated genetic data from more than 10,000 patients. They mapped genetic risk signals for conditions including preterm birth, preeclampsia, and miscarriage onto regulatory regions of DNA that control gene activity. This approach allowed the researchers to identify the specific cell types and states most strongly associated with each condition.
The team then focused on preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening disorder marked by sudden high blood pressure. They found that the most affected cell types are involved in remodeling the mother's uterine blood vessels, a process required to supply adequate blood to the placenta.

The findings suggest that preeclampsia may result from disrupted communication between maternal and fetal cells that normally coordinate this process.

Having established a detailed map of healthy pregnancies, the researchers plan to study complicated pregnancies to identify potential targets for treatment.

Single-cell spatiotemporal dissection of the human maternal–fetal interface, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10316-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10316-x

Part 2

Some common IBS treatments are linked to a higher risk of death, say study

IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal condition.  There is no cure, but dietary modifications, behavioural therapy, and medications can help manage symptoms.

A large, long-term study led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University investigators suggests that some medications commonly prescribed to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—including antidepressants—may be associated with a small but measurable increase in the risk of death. The findings, published in Communications Medicine, are based on nearly two decades' worth of electronic health records from more than 650,000 U.S. adults with IBS, making it the largest real-world study to examine the long-term safety of IBS treatments.

The study does not establish that these medications directly cause death; rather, the observed associations may reflect higher rates of adverse outcomes, such as cardiovascular events, falls, and stroke, which were more frequent among exposed patients.

Researchers emphasized that while the increase in risk is significant and may sound concerning, the overall risk to any individual patient is small.

"IBS patients should not panic, but they do need to understand and weigh the small but meaningful risks when considering long-term treatments," the researchers  stress.

Association of pharmacotherapy with all-cause mortality among patients with irritable bowel syndrome, Communications Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s43856-026-01498-6

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Human-altered mountains drive most fatal landslides worldwide, analysis finds

A new study reveals that most fatal landslides occur in human-transformed environments. Conducted by an international team of researchers, the study provides a global overview of how human pressure modulates landslide occurrences. The paper is published in the journal Science Advances.

The most important finding of the study is that land-use-land-cover change has a substantially greater influence on landslide fatalities than physical factors such as topography and precipitation, especially in low- and lower-middle-income nations.

Landslides are among the most destructive hazards, typically killing over 4,500 people and causing $20 billion in damage annually. The starting point for this research was a critical global question: Why are landslides deadlier in certain regions than others with comparable terrain and climate?

As populations exposed to hazards in mountain areas have doubled since 1975, it's important to understand that human alterations to the land surface—such as clear-cutting, agricultural transition, and road construction—are drastically destabilizing hill slopes. This study highlights how increasing human-made pressure on nature exacerbates the vulnerability of socioeconomically disadvantaged people.

The researchers focused on mountainous landmasses across 46 countries, categorized by national income levels. They addressed a massive dataset comprising approximately 60 years of land-use-land-cover changes and 45 years of population dynamics. The team introduced a new metric, the total land-use-land-cover change, to quantify overall human alterations, integrating this with topography, precipitation, and exposure models.

The findings are striking: While high-income nations altered only 7% of their mountainscapes, low-income countries changed 50% of the mountain land cover of their countries. Such changes could include deforestation, and expansion of farmland and infrastructure.

In countries like Haiti, Sri Lanka, and El Salvador, this land-use-land-cover change correlates with a surge in fatal landslides and death tolls. However, this correlation weakens in wealthy nations such as Switzerland, Japan, and Italy, which experience fewer fatalities despite landslide-prone topography and climates.

Economically disadvantaged countries often also face substantial population pressures, unlike wealthier nations. These pressures lead to the rapid clearing of fragile mountainous areas for farming, informal housing, and basic infrastructure needs, the researchers say.

The authors of the study thus clearly demonstrate that minimal human intervention in land use in mountainous regions reduces the risk of fatal landslides.

Seçkin Fidan, Wealth and land cover change govern landslide fatalities on world's mountains, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec2739. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec2739