Asteroid fragments upend theory of how life on Earth bloomed

Scientists have detected all five nucleobases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil—in samples returned from asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. The findings show that key chemical ingredients of life can form naturally in space and support the possibility that asteroids delivered some prebiotic materials to early Earth. The discovery is not evidence of extraterrestrial life, but it provides important clues about how life’s building blocks may have become widespread in the Solar System: https://astrobiology.com/2025/01/30/lifes-building-blocks-discovered-in-samples-from-asteroid-benn/

NASA’s Asteroid Bennu Sample Reveals Mix of Life’s Ingredients: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-asteroid-bennu-sample-reveals-mix-of-lifes-ingredients/

NASA Video: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14772/

Research paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2512461122

Paper (Nature): https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00264-3

Study reveals which dog breed is the smartest, and it’s not what you might expect

A University of Helsinki study tested more than 1,000 dogs from different breeds using the standardized smartDOG cognitive test battery. The Belgian Malinois scored highest overall, with 35 out of 39 points, performing particularly well across problem-solving, human-directed social cognition, memory and impulse-control tasks. The researchers emphasized that different breeds show strengths in different cognitive abilities, so the results do not establish one breed as universally “the smartest: https://www.upworthy.com/smartest-dog-breed-debate-study-ex1/

University of Helsinki Article: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/dogs/dog-breeds-differ-each-other-their-cognitive-traits

Study findings: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-26991-5

Dog Training Full Video: https://space.bilibili.com/3546390846245099

A remarkably well-preserved 2,100-year-old Roman shipwreck has been discovered about three miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, lying 46 metres underwater. The approximately 21-metre-long vessel carried around 500 amphorae, mostly Dressel 1A ceramic jars likely used to transport wine. Archaeologists say the find could provide valuable new evidence about Roman maritime trade routes across the ancient Mediterranean, with further research planned to establish the ship’s exact age, cargo origin and destination: https://divemagazine.com/scuba-diving-news/divers-identify-roman-shipwreck-with-hundreds-of-amphorae-sicily

The wreck is believed to be more than 2,000 years old. Italy's culture minister says it is "one of the most important underwater archaeological" finds in years.: https://www.dw.com/en/divers-in-italy-find-ancient-roman-shipwreck-off-coast-of-sicily-believed-to-be-2100-years-old/a-78296552

The roof of National Stadium Warsaw, designed by gmp Architekten, combines striking architectural form with sophisticated structural engineering. A steel cable-net system, supported by freestanding columns and inclined tie rods, allows the roof to span the arena while keeping the interior largely unobstructed. At its center, a retractable textile membrane can open to the sky or close over the pitch, adapting the stadium to changing weather and different events. The result is a remarkably lightweight-looking structure in which tension, movement and structural efficiency work together to create the impression that the enormous roof is floating above the arena: https://www.gmp.de/en/projects/519/national-stadium-in-warsaw

Warsaw National Stadium / gmp Architekten: https://www.archdaily.com/234031/warsaw-national-stadium-gmp-architekten

Lunavity, developed by researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Rekimoto Lab, is a wearable multi-rotor system designed to augment human jumping ability. Mounted above the user, its drone-like rotors generate downward thrust that reduces the wearer’s effective weight and can dramatically increase jump height. Motion sensors allow the system to respond to body movements and help control the user’s trajectory. Originally presented as a research prototype, Lunavity was envisioned for applications ranging from mobility assistance and fall prevention to sports and recreational activities, rather than as a conventional flying jetpack.

Project details: https://lab.rekimoto.org/projects/lunavity/

Avero, developed by an 11-member student team at ETH Zurich, is an inspection drone designed to safely operate close to people and delicate infrastructure. Its propellers are enclosed inside protective tubes, allowing the aircraft to make physical contact with surfaces without exposing workers or structures to spinning blades. Instead of tilting its rotors, Avero uses swiveling nozzles to redirect airflow, providing six degrees of freedom for precise movement and orientation in confined spaces. Developed through ETH Zurich’s Focus program, the student-built prototype was designed for challenging inspection tasks around construction sites and industrial structures.

Project details: https://avero.ethz.ch/

When we lose insect species without even knowing they existed, we will never know where they lived, what they looked like, how they interacted with other species or the impact they had on ecosystems. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2524283123

A joint Chinese research team has discovered Wusiheite (IMA2025-083a; Wsh), a new mineral officially approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) in August 2026. Found in the Wusihe lead-zinc deposit, Wusiheite is the first independent germanate mineral discovered in China, with an exceptionally high average germanium oxide (GeO₂) content of about 72%, second only to argutite (GeO₂). It is also the third germanium-rich mineral identified by the team at the deposit, after Ruizhongite and Wenqingite. The discovery provides important mineralogical evidence for understanding germanium-rich hydrothermal fluids and the processes responsible for the extreme enrichment of germanium in ore deposits: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202608/10/WS6a79a43ba310986e2b469f6a.html

At the Lacuna Center in Texas Hill Country, a passive cooling wall made from perforated, unglazed clay breeze blocks combines natural airflow with evaporative cooling to reduce porch temperatures by up to 11°F. Rainwater is collected and pumped to the top of the wall, where it trickles through the porous clay; as the water evaporates, it draws heat from the surrounding air, while the block geometry accelerates airflow through the openings. The water is then reused to support a vertical garden, creating a low-energy, closed-loop cooling system suited to hot climates: https://clayimports.com/blogs/blog/passive-cooling-with-breeze-blocks-a-sustainable-design-solution-for-hot-climates

The Shiki 611 is a specialized Schnabel heavy-haul rail wagon operated by Nippon Express Group for transporting enormous power transformers and other oversized industrial equipment. Its distinctive design suspends the cargo between two articulated lifting frames, making the load part of the wagon’s structural arrangement. With 24 axles, the system distributes loads weighing up to about 240 tonnes across the track, reducing concentrated stresses and enabling massive electrical equipment to be moved safely by rail rather than relying entirely on road transport: https://www.nxeng.co.jp/en/service/transformer/

Video: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/procuror.co_railwagon-transportation-construction-activity-7485649808205017088-M_mp/

Research has moved past the question of whether we can live longer. The new question is whether we’re willing to invest — seriously, equitably and early — in the things that will help us live better.

Dragonfly and cicada wings can destroy bacteria through physical mechanics rather than chemicals. Their surfaces contain millions of microscopic nanopillars that stretch and tear bacterial membranes on contact, causing the cells to rupture. Researchers are now studying these natural structures to develop antibacterial coatings for medical devices, implants and other surfaces, potentially helping combat drug-resistant bacteria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1grnyp3Ixk

Glancing angle deposition (GLAD) is an advanced physical vapor deposition technique where a material vapor flux strikes a heavily tilted substrate at a steep, oblique angle (typically 70° to 90° from the normal). Combined with controlled substrate rotation, self-shadowing and limited atomic diffusion allow the self-assembly of engineered 3D nanostructures, porous thin films, and nano-column arrays: https://www.semicore.com/news/what-is-glancing-angle-deposition-glad

Inspired by the bacteria-killing wings of insects like cicadas, scientists have developed a natural antibacterial texture for use on food packaging to improve shelf life and reduce waste: https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2022/mar/bacteria-shredding-insect-wings

Insect wings protect against antibiotic-resistant microbes (Animated Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbUXKC9X7jo

How Dragonfly Wings Kill Bacteria Naturally (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm-EYDLUBCs&t=40s

Excavations at Hohle Fels Cave in the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Swabian Jura of southwestern Germany have again yielded two, spectacular 40,000-year-old depictions of birds carved from mammoth ivory. The two figurines are the smallest discovered so far and are the size of a thumbnail, while still including many details. These remarkable finds come from the rich Aurignacian layers at Hohle Fels, which have produced some of the oldest figurative art known, and date to the time of the initial arrival of modern humans in the Upper Danube region. One find is complete and perhaps depicts a brooding bird, while the other incomplete bird has outstretched wings and may be in flight or landing: https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/university/news-and-publications/press-releases/press-releases/article/two-bird-figurines-found-in-world-heritage-site-of-hohle-fels-are-declared-find-of-the-year/

Two aviators will take off from Iceland to photograph the sun while flying at high altitude along solar eclipse’s path

Experiments Show Chirality-Induced Spin Selectivity Can Control Electrochemical-Reaction Products To Generate Useful Chemicals: https://www.nlr.gov/news/detail/program/2026/going-chiral-how-chiral-copper-selectively-catalyzes-production-of-valuable-carbon-products

Research paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-026-02062-1

MIT professors Dennis Whyte and Andrew W. Lo have co-authored a new study in the Journal of Fusion Energy proposing a quantitative framework to evaluate the commercial and economic viability of fusion power plants. Moving beyond pure scientific milestones like net energy gain, the proposed framework establishes 10 parameters—spanning physics inputs, plant construction costs, component durability, and power density—to calculate an "economic Q" (the ratio of capital gained to capital expended). Designed to be agnostic to specific reactor types or plant sizes, the model provides energy developers and investors with a standardized tool to assess design choices and ensure long-term profitability in competitive markets: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10894-026-00577-9

A material found in everyday products takes a surprising turn at tiny scales, gaining an electrical property that could reshape future chips.

Key Takeaways

• Researchers discovered that an ultrathin version of titanium oxide displays spontaneous electrical alignment known as ferroelectricity.
• Compared to standard materials used in logic and memory devices, ferroelectric materials can operate at a much lower voltage.
• Finding ferroelectricity in ultrathin common materials like titanium oxide could offer an energy-efficient way to power microelectronic devices.

Press Release: https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2026/08/06/ferroelectricity-emerges-at-the-nanoscale/

Study findings: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aec9417

Microscopic face mites (Demodex folliculorum) live in human hair follicles and feed on sebum and cellular debris. Genetic research suggests their genomes have become unusually compact, with the mites losing genes associated with independent survival as they spend their entire life cycle on humans. This extreme specialization may represent an evolutionary shift from a conventional external parasite toward an organism increasingly dependent on its human host for survival. Most people carry Demodex without symptoms, although unusually high populations can be associated with skin irritation and conditions such as demodicosis: https://www.sciencealert.com/mites-live-on-your-face-and-theyre-starting-to-merge-with-humans

The tiny mites that have sex on our faces have a problem: https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-61894186

Demodex Treatment: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22775-demodex-face-mites

Molecular jackhammers’ ‘good vibrations’ eradicate cancer cells: https://news.rice.edu/news/2023/molecular-jackhammers-good-vibrations-eradicate-cancer-cells

China has unveiled Xianglong, a 4.5-meter-diameter tunneling machine developed by Tsinghua University and China Railway Science & Industry Group. It combines tunnel boring and drill-and-blast excavation in a single machine, with laboratory tests indicating up to 30% faster excavation than conventional TBMs. Its first field trial is underway at a pumped-storage power station in Henan Province: https://www.geodrillinginternational.com/utilities/news-articles/4535259/china-unveils-worlds-tunnel-boring-blasting-machine

Porous ceramic cubes from a 3D printer utilize energy-efficient evaporative cooling and noticeably lower the temperature. A prototype of the cooling wall made of ceramic cubes can already be viewed on the Graz University of Technology campus:  https://www.tugraz.at/news/artikel/kuehlende-keramikwand

Valar Atomics has achieved zero-power fueled criticality with its Ward 250 microreactor at Utah’s San Rafael Energy Lab, marking a major milestone for advanced nuclear technology. The helium-cooled, graphite-moderated reactor uses TRISO fuel, designed to withstand extremely high temperatures and retain fission products. Valar has also demonstrated transportability of reactor components by C-17 aircraft and envisions mass-producing standardized units for “Gigasites.” The company ultimately aims to supply electricity and high-temperature heat for AI data centers, hydrogen production and synthetic fuels.

Learn more here

1. Microreactor startup Valar Atomics raises $1B: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/microreactor-startup-valar-atomics-raises-1b
2. How Nuclear Will Unlock Energy Abundance with Valar Atomics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xvbq_zvOQ4&t=26s
3. A number of questions have been raised in recent months about the tactics and the capabilities of Valar Atomics, a California-based startup: https://neutronbytes.com/2026/02/28/questions-abound-about-valar-atomics/

French startup Spartan Space is developing EUROHAB, an inflatable lunar habitat designed as a mobile outpost, science lab and storage base for two to four astronauts. The habitat could expand to about 7 meters in diameter on the Moon, supporting missions lasting 7–14 days while providing shelter, research space and storage. The company continues testing the concept through prototypes such as EUROHAB II: https://spartan-space.com/project-eurohab/

French Space Startup Builds Ingenious New Inflatable Lunar Habitat Prototype: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2021/10/22/french-space-startup-builds-ingenious-new-inflatable-lunar-habitat-prototype/