On this episode of Cultivate Curiosity, our host Jacie takes us on a journey through a few spectacular upcoming astronomical events. From February’s dazzling planetary alignments and bright Venusian glow to March and April’s upcoming eclipses and meteor showers, we explore the science behind these celestial events and how to best view them. Whether you’re an avid stargazer or just looking up with curiosity, this episode will inspire you to keep your eyes on the sky!
A new blood test developed by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) shows promise for the early detection of pancreatic cancer, a disease notorious for its high mortality rates due to late diagnosis.
The test, named PAC-MANN, which stands for “protease activity-based assay using a magnetic nanosensor,” could provide a critical tool for doctors.
It can potentially lead to improved survival rates for patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most prevalent and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.
Aging is a natural process, but for centuries, humans have been searching for ways to slow it down or even reverse it. Recent advancements in stem cell research and regenerative medicine have given scientists unprecedented insights into aging and potential interventions. With breakthroughs in cellular therapy, gene editing, and tissue engineering, we are closer than ever to finding ways to rejuvenate the human body. But how close are we to reversing aging, and what challenges remain?
Stem cells are the body’s raw materials from which all other specialized cells are generated. They have the unique ability to divide and create identical copies of themselves (self-renewal) or differentiate into specialized cell types. However, as we age, our stem cells decline in both number and efficiency, contributing to tissue degeneration, slower healing, and an increased risk of age-related diseases.
Researchers have been investigating how stem cells can be manipulated to repair damaged tissues, regenerate organs, and potentially reverse signs of aging. By harnessing stem cells, scientists aim to restore youthful function in various tissues and organs, offering promising anti-aging therapies.
Soft robots excel in safety and adaptability, yet their lack of structural integrity and dependency on open-curve movement paths restrict their dexterity. Conventional robots, albeit faster due to sturdy locomotion mechanisms, are typically less robust to physical impact. We introduce a multi-material design and printing framework that extends classical mechanism design to soft robotics, synergizing the strengths of soft and rigid materials while mitigating their respective limitations. Using a tool-changer equipped with multiple extruders, we blend thermoplastics of varying Shore hardness into monolithic systems. Our strategy emulates joint-like structures through biomimicry to achieve terrestrial trajectory control while inheriting the resilience of soft robots. We demonstrate the framework by 3D printing a legged soft robotic system, comparing different mechanism syntheses and material combinations, along with their resulting movement patterns and speeds. The integration of electronics and encoders provides reliable closed-loop control for the robot, enabling its operation across various terrains including sand, soil, and rock environments. This cost-effective framework offers an approach for creating 3D-printed soft robots employable in real-world environments.
Soft mechanism driven robots, made via multi-material 3D printing, combine soft and rigid components for robust, adaptable locomotion. This framework balances flexibility and strength, enabling effective operation across varied terrains.
Light-sensitive nanoparticles promise a wide range of applications, for example in the field of sensor technology or energy generation. However, these require knowledge and control of the processes taking place within them. Plasmons, collective electron movements in the nanoparticle which transport energy, are essential in the behaviour of such nanoparticles.
Time-resolved experiments in the attosecond range reveal now that the importance of electronic correlations in these plasmons increases when the size of a system decreases to scales of less than one nanometre.
The study, published in the journal Science Advances (“Correlation-driven attosecond photoemission delay in the plasmonic excitation of C 60 fullerene”), was led by the University of Hamburg and DESY as part of a collaboration with Stanford, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Northwest Missouri State University, Politecnico di Milano and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD).
Summary: New research provides direct evidence that the gut microbiome communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve. Using germ-free mice, scientists observed significantly reduced vagal nerve activity, which returned to normal after introducing gut bacteria.
When antibiotics were used to eliminate bacteria in normal mice, vagal activity dropped but was restored when microbiome-derived intestinal fluids were reintroduced. Specific metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, were identified as key activators of vagal neurons.
These signals extended to the brainstem, confirming a clear gut-to-brain pathway. The findings advance understanding of the gut-brain axis and may lead to new treatments for neurological and gastrointestinal disorders.
An international team of researchers, including those from the University of Michigan, have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to witness the birth of planets around the young star system PDS 70.
PDS 70, located 370 light years away, is about 5 million years old and is one of the most extensively studied young stellar systems. It is the only known protoplanetary disk system where multiple planets have been detected within the disk from which they are forming.
This system allows scientists to observe planet formation and evolution in their early stages. In PDS 70, a disk of gas and dust surrounds the star with a big gap in the middle where two planets, PDS 70 b and PDS 70 c, form. This gap acts as a planetary construction zone, where the new worlds gather material to grow.
Before arriving at Janelia three years ago, Postdoctoral Scientist Antonio Fiore was designing and building optical instruments like microscopes and spectrometers. Fiore, a physicist by training, came to the Pedram Lab to try something new.
“I focused on the physics rather than investing in the biological applications of the optics I was developing,” Fiore says. “I came to the Pedram Lab in search of a different kind of impact, joining a team that explores areas of biology that need new tools, while keeping a connection to light microscopy.”
So far, Fiore’s new direction is paying off.
A team of physicists at Fudan University, working with colleagues from Henan University, both in China, and from Nanyang Technological University, in Singapore and Donostia International Physics Center, in Spain, has developed a way to generate topological structures in surface water using gravity water waves. In their study published in Nature, the group used their technique to generate structures such as wave vortices, skyrmions and Möbius strips.
Prior research has shown that various types of waves can be used to achieve desired goals in a variety of applications; optical tweezers, for example, are used to capture and manipulate individual or groups of molecules to create materials or test molecular properties. Sound waves can be used to control much larger particles, or even objects, such as the membrane in a stereo speaker.
For this new study, the research team found a way to generate topological structures on the surface of water by taking advantage of the noise that develops when waves are laid on top of one another, giving them topological properties that can be used to generate wave fields.
In today’s AI news, OpenAI will ship GPT-5 in a matter of months and streamline its AI models into more unified products, said CEO Sam Altman in an update. Specifically, Altman says the company plans to launch GPT-4.5 as its last non-chain-of-thought model and integrate its latest o3 reasoning model into GPT-5.
In other advancements, Harvey, a San Francisco AI startup focused on the legal industry, has raised $300 million in a funding round led by Sequoia that values the startup at $3 billion — double the amount investors valued it at in July. The Series D funding round builds on the momentum and reflects investors’ enthusiasm for AI tools …
Meanwhile, Meta is in talks to acquire South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI, according to people familiar with the matter, a deal that could boost the social media giant’s custom chip efforts amid a shortage of Nvidia chips and a growing demand for alternatives. The deal could be completed as early as this month.
Then, AI took another step into Hollywood today with the launch of a new filmmaking tool from showbiz startup Flawless. The product — named DeepEditor — promises cinematic wizardry for the digital age. For movie makers, the tool offers photorealistic edits without a costly return to set.
In videos, join IBM’s Boris Sobolev as he explains how model customization can enhance reliability and decision-making of agentic systems. Discover practical tips for data collection, tool use, and pushing the boundaries of what your AI can achieve. Supercharge your AI agents for peak performance!
