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Get hand-picked daily summaries of the best, most informative science and engineering articles from around the web. Browse recent summaries, then jump to the original source when you want the full article.

Latest story• Mar 5, 2026

Scientists discover a hidden force that helps wire the brain

Scientists discovered that Piezo1, a protein in developing brains, connects physical and chemical signals that guide neuron growth. When brain tissue becomes stiffer, Piezo1 detects this change and triggers cells to produce chemical guidance molecules like Semaphorin 3A, which direct axons along proper pathways. This protein also maintains tissue stability by regulating adhesion proteins that keep cells connected....

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World-largest: China’s 792 million kWh compressed air energy station now fully operational

China's largest 600 MW compressed air energy storage station in Jiangsu Province is now operational, using underground salt caverns to store energy and generate 792 million kWh annually.

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Newly discovered ripples in spacetime put Einstein’s general relativity to the test

Scientists have released a new catalog of gravitational waves that more than doubles the known detections of these spacetime ripples created when black holes and neutron stars collide. The expanded dataset reveals a universe...

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Watch How Planet-Hopping Microbes Can Survive Asteroid Strikes

Johns Hopkins researchers found that Deinococcus radiodurans bacteria survived simulated asteroid impacts up to 1.4 gigapascals, supporting the theory that life could travel between planets on asteroids.

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Life on Mars could reach Earth by riding asteroid impact debris, new study suggests

Johns Hopkins researchers discovered that Deinococcus radiodurans, Earth's most resilient bacterium, can survive the crushing pressures of asteroid impacts that blast debris from Mars into space. The experiment showed over half...

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This molecule puts a new twist on the Möbius strip

Scientists created the first half-Möbius molecules, featuring a twisted structure that requires four trips around to return to the starting point compared to two trips in traditional Möbius strips. These 13-carbon ring molecules...

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How Fat Is Schrödinger's Cat?

Scientists have successfully created quantum "cats" so large they can be seen with the naked eye, pushing the boundaries of one of physics' most famous thought experiments into the macroscopic world. Erwin Schrödinger devised...

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Neutrinos could explain why matter survived the Big Bang

Scientists from Indiana University and international partners combined data from two major neutrino experiments, NOvA in the US and T2K in Japan, to investigate why the universe contains matter instead of being empty after the...

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Laser printed hydrogel implant could transform bone repair

ETH Zurich scientists created a 97% water hydrogel implant that mimics natural bone healing using laser printing technology. Laboratory tests show bone cells successfully colonize the biodegradable scaffold, potentially replacing...

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Norway’s solid-state hydrogen storage system could store summer solar power for winter use

Norwegian startup Photoncycle raised $17.5 million to develop solid-state hydrogen storage systems that store summer solar energy for winter heating. The technology helps reduce fossil fuel dependence and cut household energy...

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When was the last time Antarctica was ice-free?

Antarctica was last completely ice-free 34 million years ago, when global temperatures were 14 degrees Fahrenheit warmer and the continent resembled northern Canada's tundra and forests. The ice sheet formation resulted from...

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What It’s Like to Have a Brain Implant for 5 Years

Rodney Gorham has used Synchron's experimental brain implant for five years, making him one of the longest users of such technology. The 65-year-old ALS patient controls computers and home devices through thoughts alone via the...

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NASA fixes Artemis II rocket for April launch to take astronauts around moon

NASA fixed a helium-flow problem caused by a dislodged seal on its Artemis II rocket, which will carry four astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years. The mission targets April launch windows after completing...

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Scientists make a first-of-its-kind connection between an aircraft and a geostationary satellite

ESA successfully established the first gigabit-per-second laser connection between a fast-moving aircraft and a geostationary satellite 36,000 kilometers above Earth, transmitting data at 2.6 gigabits per second without errors...

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NotebookLM can now summarize research in ‘cinematic’ video overviews

Google's NotebookLM now creates fully animated videos from research notes using multiple AI models including Gemini 3. The cinematic feature is available today for English-speaking Google AI Ultra subscribers over 18.

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Bill Gates-backed nuclear startup TerraPower just got cleared to start building its first power plant

TerraPower, Bill Gates's nuclear startup, received federal approval to build the first new commercial nuclear reactor in the U.S. in nearly a decade. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission unanimously approved construction of the...

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Does that use a lot of energy?

A comprehensive tool compares electricity consumption for hundreds of household items, from 10-watt LED bulbs to 9,500-watt electric showers, helping users understand energy usage and costs.

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World’s smallest OLED pixel could transform smart glasses

German physicists have created the world's smallest OLED pixel at 300 by 300 nanometers, potentially revolutionizing smart glasses with ultra-compact displays. The breakthrough uses specially designed optical antennas and an...

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China Built an Underground Hypergravity Machine

China completed installation of the world's most powerful hypergravity machine, CHIEF1900, in Hangzhou, generating 1,900 g-tonnes of force to accelerate natural processes from centuries into days. The $285 million facility uses a...

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The Euclid and Hubble telescopes reveal two new detailed images of the Cat’s Eye Nebula

The Hubble and Euclid telescopes have captured stunning new images of the Cat's Eye Nebula, a planetary nebula located 4,400 light-years from Earth that forms when dying stars expel gas into space. Euclid's image reveals a...

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A chemical ‘Goldilocks zone’ may limit which planets can host life

Scientists discovered that planets need a precise "chemical Goldilocks zone" of oxygen levels to retain essential nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen in their mantles, where life can access them. Computer simulations of tens...

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Pioneering gene therapy may treat a deadly seizure disorder

Zorevunersen gene therapy reduced seizures by 59-91% in 81 Dravet syndrome patients by targeting the underlying SCN1A gene mutation, offering unprecedented hope for this often fatal childhood disorder.

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'Truly extraordinary': Mega-laser shooting at us from halfway across the universe is the brightest 'cosmic beacon' we've ever seen

Astronomers found the brightest hydroxyl megamaser ever seen, a natural laser beam from colliding galaxies 8 billion light-years away, amplified by gravitational lensing and revealing insights into ancient galaxy formation.

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Can the Most Abstract Math Make the World a Better Place?

Physicist John Baez shifted from pure mathematics to using abstract mathematical tools for environmental problems and climate change, demonstrating how theoretical concepts can address real-world sustainability challenges.

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