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New physics-based machine-learning method speeds search for 2D quantum materials

Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a new computational approach to help identify two-dimensional materials that may host unusual quantum behavior. The work, published in Science Advances, focuses on materials with “flat bands,” electronic states where electrons have very little kinetic energy. In these materials, interactions between electrons can become much more important, creating conditions linked to phenomena such as magnetism, unconventional superconductivity and topological electronic behavior.

Finding real materials with flat bands from large datasets is difficult. Conventional searches often rely on density functional theory calculations, which can reveal a material’s electronic structure but are time-consuming when applied across thousands of possible candidates.

The Manchester team took a different route. They developed a physics-informed scoring system that captures two signatures of flat-band behavior, low band dispersion and a strong peak in the density of states, then trained a model to estimate that score directly from atomic structure.

NASA’s Lucy finds a wobbling peanut-shaped asteroid with signs of ancient water

A bizarre wobbling asteroid revealed by NASA’s Lucy mission is exposing hidden clues about ancient water, cosmic collisions, and the origins of the solar system. NASA’s Lucy spacecraft discovered that asteroid Donaldjohanson is a wobbling, peanut-shaped relic born from a violent collision and slowly reshaped by the subtle force of sunlight. It also carries traces of ancient water, making it an important clue to the solar system’s mysterious past.

Even relatively small asteroids can have surprisingly eventful histories. NASA’s Lucy spacecraft recently revealed that asteroid Donaldjohanson is a wobbling, peanut-shaped object that has been shaped by collisions, sunlight, and even a brief encounter with liquid water long ago.

The asteroid formed about 155 million years ago when fragments from a violent collision gradually came together. Since then, a subtle but persistent force generated by sunlight has altered its rotation, while traces of ancient water remain preserved in its rocky surface.

Hidden metastases reveal clues to colorectal cancer recurrence

Researchers identified a six-gene signature in microscopic colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases that may help predict recurrence after treatment. The findings suggest these tiny, often undetectable tumor deposits could serve as a tissue-based marker of residual cancer cells, recurrence risk and chemotherapy resistance.

Published today in Cancer Cell, the comprehensive spatial analyses of CRC metastases used advanced genomic technologies to uncover insights into how micrometastases evolve, evade the immune system and persist after treatment.

The study was co-led by Dipen Maru, M.D., professor of Anatomical Pathology; Scott Kopetz, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and associate vice president for Translational Integration; Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Genomic Medicine, executive director and head of the Center for Cellular Language Intelligence, associate member of the James P. Allison Institute, and focus area co-lead with the Institute for Data Science in Oncology; together with co-first authors Yang Liu, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow of Genomic Medicine, and Akshaya Jadhav, M.D., research scientist in Translational Molecular Pathology.

Ancient rocks reveal Earth’s past warm periods were cooler than thought

Earth’s temperature has been much cooler in the past than previously thought, meaning it could be moving toward the warmest it’s ever been.

Research at the University of Leeds used a new method to understand how warm Earth’s temperature has been over the Phanerozoic period—from around 540 million years ago to the present day.

Studies previously estimated that the planet’s temperature could have reached up to 20 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels during some geological periods, and maybe even up to 30 degrees above preindustrial in earlier times when the first animals evolved.

The silent hormone: How adrenal tumors quietly raise cardiovascular risk over time

A major new study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, has shown that cortisol levels in patients with adrenal tumors are far less stable than previously assumed. The study also found that those in whom cortisol remains persistently elevated carry a significantly greater risk of worsening high blood pressure and a heavier overall cardiometabolic burden.

Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone,” is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands that acts as a master regulator of metabolism, blood pressure and immune function. When benign tumors form on the adrenal glands (found incidentally in 3%–7% of adults), they can cause the body to produce cortisol independently of normal regulatory controls, a condition known as mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS).

Until now, it was unclear how cortisol levels in these patients change over time, and what that means for their long-term health.

Safety, Tolerability, and Metabolic Effects of Long-Acting Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine in HIV Care: A Comprehensive Review

The use of long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine (LA CAB/RPV) is a novel approach to manage human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This injectable regimen offers benefits such as an improved quality of life, reduced stigma and enhanced treatment satisfaction by minimising the need for daily medication adherence. This review summarises the findings of clinical trials and real-world studies on the safety, tolerability and metabolic effects of LA CAB/RPV, which are areas that have received less extensive coverage in previous reviews. Clinical trial data suggest that LA CAB/RPV is generally safe and well tolerated. The most common side effects were injection site reactions, affecting 70–97% of participants. However, these were typically mild and short lived, rarely leading to treatment discontinuation in fewer than 2–3% of cases.

Small aquatic robots that assemble into reconfigurable structures on the water

Most people think of the waterfront as the edge of the city. A team of MIT researchers sees it as a dynamic, Lego-like construction site. Their new system, called “FloatForm,” is a swarm of small square robotic boats that assemble themselves into larger structures on the water, break apart and reassemble into something new, all with minimal human direction.

Each robot, about the size of a dinner plate at 21 centimeters square (8.3 inches square), is a self-contained vessel with its own thrusters, sensors and magnetic latches. Together, they hint at a future in which floating infrastructure could become more adaptive: a temporary platform after an emergency, a market on a canal or a stage that appears for a festival and dissolves when the crowd goes home.

“Our FloatForm project envisions a future where the waterfront becomes a programmable extension of the city, where autonomous boats can self-organize into bridges, platforms, and other useful structures on demand,” says Daniela Rus, the Panasonic Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “This kind of distributed robotics opens new possibilities for mobility, emergency response, public space, and infrastructure on water.”

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