Imagine smartphones that can diagnose diseases, detect counterfeit drugs or warn of spoiled food. Spectral sensing is a powerful technique that identifies materials by analyzing how they interact with light, revealing details far beyond what the human eye can see.

Traditionally, this technology required bulky, expensive systems confined to laboratories and industrial applications. But what if this capability could be miniaturized to fit inside a smartphone or wearable device?

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have combined miniaturized hardware and intelligent algorithms to create a powerful tool that is compact, cost-effective, and capable of solving real-world problems in areas such as health care, food safety and autonomous driving. The research is published in the journal Science Advances.

Researchers found that lycopene enhances BDNF expression, a key protein involved in brain health, which appears to be suppressed in depression.

Lycopene’s Potential as an Antidepressant

Lycopene, a natural compound found in plants, may have antidepressant effects, according to emerging research. A new study published on January 22 in Food Science & Nutrition explores how lycopene influences brain function to counteract symptoms of depression.

So-called Rayleigh–Bloch waves can release an enormous amount of energy that can damage technical systems under certain circumstances. They only exist below a precisely defined cut-off frequency; above this, they disappear abruptly. Strangely enough, however, there are isolated high frequencies at which they can also be detected.

Mathematicians from the Universities of Augsburg and Adelaide have recently proposed an explanation for this puzzling phenomenon. Together with researchers from the University of Exeter, they have now been able to prove experimentally that their theory is indeed correct. The study has just been published in the journal Communications Physics.

Suppose you had a gigantic barbecue grill that could easily accommodate several hundreds of sausages. Then, you could not only use it to invite your children’s entire school to a barbecue. The numerous stainless steel struts aligned parallel to each other are also ideal for generating Rayleigh–Bloch waves.

New genetic research from the University of Florida may help make key crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers more resistant to disease and environmentally resilient as well as increase their nutritional value.

“Our research illustrates the remarkable potential of combining deep taxonomic expertise with cutting-edge biotechnology,” author Fabio Pasin told the Chinese Academy of Sciences, via Phys.org. “By focusing on the Solanaceae family, we can enhance not only widely recognized crops but also bring underutilized species into the agricultural mainstream, improving food security and enriching nutritional diversity across the globe.”

Researchers used recombinant virus technologies to give new breeds of plants particular traits. This method is very specific about promoting certain traits in new breeds. Scary as it might sound to use an engineered virus to change the DNA of our food, it’s a way of improving biodiversity in agriculture when farming has become more and more homogeneous and thus vulnerable.

In today’s AI news, OpenAI said on Tuesday it will develop artificial intelligence products for South Korea with chat app operator Kakao. In a whirlwind tour through Asia, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman is also scheduled to visit India on Wednesday where he is seeking to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In other advancements, Tana is emerging from stealth, announcing $25 million in funding from an interesting list of backers to get started. Tana is part automated-list builder and note taker, part application enabler, and part organizer. It can listen to conversations or voice memos directed to Tana itself, transcribing them and turns them into action items.

Then, OpenAI filed a new application to trademark products associated with its brand — “OpenAI” — with the USPTO. Normally, this wouldn’t be newsworthy. Companies file for trademarks all the time. But in the application, OpenAI hints at new product lines both nearer-term and of a more speculative nature.

And, a South Korean startup called Cinamon is ramping up efforts to claim a part of this burgeoning market — it recently raised an $8.5 million Series B round to continue building its animated video generation platform “CINEV,” slated to be launched in beta in the first half of 2025.

In videos, watch World Wide Technology Co-Founder and CEO Jim Kavanaugh and NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang talk about the evolution and future of AI. During the discussion, Jim and Jensen will also provide practical tips for implementing AI at scale within the enterprise.

Teaching healthy lifestyle behaviors to very young children is foundational to their future habits. Previous evidence suggests that philosophical thinking (PT) can help children develop moral values, cognitive skills, and decision-making abilities.

A recent study published in BMC Public Health explores the role of PT in assisting preschoolers to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors. Some of these habits include being physically active, eating healthy, washing hands properly, having respect for one’s body, being aware of one’s needs, feelings, abilities, and responsibilities, getting sufficient sleep, and sharing one’s thoughts with others.

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn.

Biopunk androids replicants.

What happens when humans begin combining biology with technology, harnessing the power to recode life itself.

What does the future of biotechnology and genetic engineering look like? How will humans program biology to create organ farm technology and bio-robots. And what happens when companies begin investing in advanced bio-printing, artificial wombs, and cybernetic prosthetic limbs.

Google’s X “moonshot factory” this week announced its latest graduate. Heritable Agriculture is a data-and machine learning-driven startup aiming to improve how crops are grown.

As the firm noted in an announcement post published Tuesday, plants are incredibly efficient and impressive systems. “Plants are solar powered, carbon negative, self-assembling machines that feed on sunlight and water,” Heritable wrote.

Yet agriculture puts a massive strain on the planet and its resources, accounting for around 25% of anthropogenic greenhouse emissions. It’s the planet’s largest consumer of groundwater and can lead to soil erosion and water pollution via pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals.

A study published in the journal One Earth explores how marine biodiversity conservation, human health and well-being are connected. The results suggest that marine protected areas can be good for both planet and people.

These areas of the ocean are legally recognized by governments as being important for marine conservation. They are protected by putting limits on human activity within and around them.

Once a government declares a marine protected area, you usually can’t live in it, fish, build a beach resort, start a fish farm or drill for oil in it. The rules vary from place to place, but the idea is to allow nature to flourish by limiting human activity as much as possible.