Science News
Latest science news and updates
Total: 42
Chinese Scientists Publish Nature Paper on Durable, Flexible Organic Battery Cathode — A Potential Step Toward Greener, Safer Energy Storage
A Tianjin University-led team published a Nature paper describing a new organic cathode for lithium batteries claimed to be safe, heat- and freeze-resistant, and mechanically flexible. The development could advance greener, wearable-capable energy storage, but significant engineering and scaling challenges remain before commercial deployment.
MeerKAT and a Cosmic Lens Reveal the Most Distant Hydroxyl Megamaser Yet
Using MeerKAT and a powerful gravitational lens, astronomers have detected the most distant and brightest hydroxyl megamaser known, in a merging galaxy more than 8 billion light‑years away. The result demonstrates how sensitive radio arrays and lensing can probe molecular gas and extreme star formation at cosmological distances, opening new avenues for studying galaxy evolution ahead of the SKA era.
China’s Private ‘Artificial Sun’ Clears New Milestones as Start-ups Race to Commercialise Fusion
Energy Singularity’s HTS tokamak, Honghuang‑70, has achieved successive long‑pulse plasma runs — culminating in a 1,337‑second steady state — demonstrating engineering reliability in a privately built device. The results strengthen China’s private fusion push amid rising investment and new national law support, though net energy gain and reactor‑scale engineering remain unresolved challenges.
Primate Brains Build Two Separate 'Spaces' to Generalise — A Clue for Smarter AI
A Chinese research team recorded macaque brains during rule‑learning tasks and found two independent neural representational spaces: one encoding stable decision logic and another encoding variable sensory features. The separation helps primates transfer abstract rules to new situations and suggests a biologically inspired design principle for improving AI generalisation.
Primate Brains Separate Stable Rules from Changing Senses — A Blueprint for More Flexible AI
Chinese researchers report that macaque brains form two independent neural representational spaces — one encoding stable decision rules and the other encoding current sensory specifics — enabling rapid transfer of learned rules to new tasks. Published in Nature Communications, the study suggests a biological model that could inform AI architectures for better generalisation and adaptability.
Musk: SpaceX Will Prioritise a Moon City but Mars Program Remains On Track
Elon Musk says SpaceX has shifted near‑term emphasis to building a self‑sustaining lunar city within about ten years, but he insists Mars plans will continue and that the change should delay Martian autonomy by no more than five years. The move reframes commercial space priorities and could either supply crucial testbeds for Mars or divert resources from interplanetary development.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Delivers New Astronaut Team to the ISS, Underscoring U.S. Commercial Space Reliance
A Crew Dragon mission has delivered a new team of astronauts to the International Space Station, highlighting the operational success of NASA’s commercial crew model. The flight reinforces U.S. access to low‑Earth orbit while raising strategic questions about competition, resilience and the future of orbital infrastructure.
Helion Hits 150 Million °C in Prototype Push Toward 2028 Commercial Reactor Ambition
Helion Energy says its Polaris prototype reached 150 million °C, a milestone the company frames as a three‑quarters step toward temperatures it considers necessary for commercial fusion. The firm pursues an FRC design and direct magnetic‑to‑electric conversion, targets a 50 MW Orion plant for Microsoft by 2028, and faces significant technical and fuel‑supply challenges before true commercialization.
SpaceX’s Dragon Carries Multinational Crew to ISS in Another Boost for Commercial Spaceflight
SpaceX’s Dragon launched four astronauts from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station on February 13, beginning an eight‑month mission focused on experiments to support future Moon and Mars exploration. The flight highlights the maturation of commercial crew services and continued multinational cooperation aboard the ISS despite broader geopolitical tensions.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Delivers Four Astronauts to ISS for Eight-Month Science Push
SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon on 13 February from Florida, ferrying four astronauts to the International Space Station for an eight‑month mission centered on experiments that support lunar and Mars exploration, such as plant–bacteria research to improve food production. The flight highlights the growing role of commercial providers in sustaining human presence in low Earth orbit and testing technologies needed for deep‑space missions.
Activating a Brain Circuit Slashes Fat in Mice — A Promising But Distant Route to Treating Obesity
Researchers at Washington University found that activating a specific brain‑originating neural pathway rapidly reduced whole‑body fat in mice without dietary change, a result published in Nature Metabolism. The finding highlights a potential central mechanism for controlling adiposity, but major translational, safety and ethical hurdles remain before human therapies could emerge.
Behind Chang'e‑5’s Success: The Homegrown Technologies That Brought Lunar Soil Back to China
Chang'e‑5’s successful lunar sample return owed as much to specialised, domestically produced components as to mission planning. Radars, SAW filters, crystal oscillators, a microwave rendezvous radar and powered exoskeletons supplied by CASIC’s Second Academy were crucial to launch tracking, signal integrity, timing stability, orbital docking and capsule recovery.