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Demonstration of a next-generation wavefront actuator for gravitational-wave detection

In the last decade, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the European Virgo Observatory have opened a new observational window on the universe. These cavity-enhanced laser interferometers sense spacetime strain, generated by distant astrophysical events such as black hole mergers, to an RMS fluctuation of a few parts in 1021 over a multi-kilometer baseline. Optical advancements in laser wavefront control are key to advancing the sensitivity of current detectors and enabling a planned next-generation 40 km gravitational wave observatory in the United States, known as Cosmic Explorer. We report an experimental demonstration of a wavefront control technique for gravitational-wave detection, obtained from testing a full-scale prototype on a 40 kg LIGO mirror. Our results indicate that this design can meet the unique and challenging requirements of providing higher-order precision wavefront corrections at megawatt laser power levels while introducing extremely low effective displacement noise into the interferometer. This technology will have a direct and enabling impact on the observational science, expanding the gravitational-wave detection horizon to very early times in the universe, before the first stars formed, and enabling new tests of gravity, cosmology, and dense nuclear matter.

Venus flytrap’s touch response traced to specialized ion channel in sensory hairs

Plants lack nerves, yet they can sensitively detect touch from other organisms. In the Venus flytrap, highly sensitive sensory hairs act as tactile sensing organs; when touched twice in quick succession, they initiate the closure cascade that captures prey. However, the molecular identity of the touch sensor has remained unclear.

HIV mystery uncovered: How the virus reprograms host cells to create perfect hiding places

For over three decades, HIV has played an elaborate game of hide-and-seek with researchers, making treating—and possibly even curing—the disease a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to achieve.

But scientists at Case Western Reserve University have made a breakthrough discovery that could fundamentally change strategies for treating HIV.

The team identified for the first time how HIV enters a in infected cells that allows the virus to “hide” from the immune system and current treatments.

Enlarged cancer cell nuclei may limit spread rather than signal severity

In tissue biopsies, cancer cells are frequently observed to have nuclei (the cell’s genetic information storage) that are larger than normal. Until now, this was considered a sign that the cancer was worsening, but the exact cause and effect had not been elucidated.

In a new study, a KAIST research team has found that cancer cell nuclear hypertrophy is not a cause of malignancy but a temporary response to replication stress, and that it can, in fact, suppress metastasis. This discovery is expected to lead to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer and metastasis inhibition.

The research team, led by Professor Joon Kim of the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, in collaboration with the research teams of Professor Ji Hun Kim and Professor You-Me Kim, confirmed that DNA replication stress (the burden and error signal that occurs when a cell copies its DNA), which is common in , causes the “actin” protein inside the nucleus to aggregate (polymerize), which is the direct cause of the nuclear enlargement.

51% of Japanese game makers use generative AI

51% of Japanese developers use generative AI in game development.

In new research from Tokyo Game Show organizer Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA), as reported by The Nikkei, of the 54 Japanese companies polled between June and July 2025, over half used genAI. Primarily, it’s used to assist with generating visual assets, images, and character art, as well as story generation, in-game text, and support with programming.

The 2025 CESA Video Game Industry Report also revealed that 32% of respondents were also using AI to develop in-house development engines.

Criticality in Nature’s Strongest Force

Experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider give the first hints of a critical point in the hot quark–gluon “soup” that is thought to have pervaded the infant Universe.

The strongest force of nature—the one holding nuclear matter together—is described by the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The fundamental particles of QCD are quarks and gluons, which are normally bound within composite particles called hadrons—the most well-known of which are protons and neutrons. Only at extreme temperatures around 1012 K (a million times hotter than the core of the Sun) can quarks and gluons become deconfined, leading to a new phase of matter called the quark–gluon plasma. At vanishing densities, the transition between confined hadrons and the quark–gluon plasma is known to be ill-defined—happening across a wide range of temperatures rather than at a specific temperature. But theory predicts that at large densities and moderately high temperatures, a critical point exists, where the “fuzziness” disappears and a clear distinction can be made between the gas-like hadrons and the liquid-like quark–gluon mix [1–3].

PA-915 molecule shows long-lasting antidepressant effects without common side effects in mice

Depression and anxiety disorders are among the most widespread mental health disorders, with estimates suggesting that they affect around 264 million and 284 million people worldwide, respectively. Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in everyday activities, while anxiety disorders are marked by high levels of nervousness, worry and fear, either in specific situations or generalized.

Today, there are several for both depression and , including both pharmacological drugs and specific types of psychotherapy. Yet available therapeutic strategies are not effective for all affected individuals; thus, identifying alternative treatments could be highly advantageous.

Researchers at the University of Osaka, Kobe University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine and other institutes have recently developed a called PA-915, which could hold some promise for the treatment of depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders. In a paper published in Molecular Psychiatry, they showed that the molecule suppressed both anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors in mice who were placed under high levels of stress.

Building better batteries with amorphous materials and machine learning

Lithium-ion batteries power most electronics, but they have limited energy density—they can store only a certain amount of energy per mass or volume of the battery.

“In order to store even more energy with the same mass or volume, you will have to explore alternative energy storage technologies,” says Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Materials Engineering, IISc.

Gopalakrishnan and his team have studied how to boost the movement of ions in , which can have a higher energy density.

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