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Science X provides daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest science innovations.
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A fully biodegradable smart sensor tag now enables real-time monitoring of temperature and humidity in sensitive shipments, with built-in memory to indicate if temperature limits were exceeded. doi.org/hbc485
Green electronics: Smart sensor tag protects sensitive goods
Researchers from Empa, EPFL and CSEM have developed a green smart sensing tag that measures temperature and humidity in real time—and can also detect whether a temperature threshold has been exceeded.
techxplore.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:00 AM
A fully biodegradable smart sensor tag now enables real-time monitoring of temperature and humidity in sensitive shipments, with built-in memory to indicate if temperature limits were exceeded. doi.org/hbc485
A new automated method enables large-scale production of lung organoids, offering a promising platform for testing experimental drugs and advancing personalized lung disease treatments.
Mini lung organoids made in bulk could help test personalized cancer treatments
A team of scientists have developed a simple method for automated manufacturing of lung organoids which could revolutionize the development of treatments for lung disease.
medicalxpress.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM
A new automated method enables large-scale production of lung organoids, offering a promising platform for testing experimental drugs and advancing personalized lung disease treatments.
Clinical use of nitrous oxide may provide rapid, short-term relief of depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder, including those with treatment-resistant depression. Further research is needed to assess long-term safety and optimal dosing.
Clinical use of nitrous oxide could help treat depression, major study shows
Patients with major depressive disorder, including those who have not responded to first-line antidepressants, may benefit from short-term nitrous oxide treatment, a major meta-analysis led by the University of Birmingham has found.
medicalxpress.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Clinical use of nitrous oxide may provide rapid, short-term relief of depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder, including those with treatment-resistant depression. Further research is needed to assess long-term safety and optimal dosing.
Sequencing 1,000 butterfly and moth genomes is advancing understanding of evolution, biodiversity, and climate resilience, providing critical data for conservation and ecosystem monitoring across Europe. doi.org/hbc3dg
Using 1,000 butterfly and moth genomes to investigate evolution and climate change resilience
A major milestone has been reached, with experts across Europe, including those at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK, sequencing 1,000 species of butterflies and moths.
phys.org
November 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Sequencing 1,000 butterfly and moth genomes is advancing understanding of evolution, biodiversity, and climate resilience, providing critical data for conservation and ecosystem monitoring across Europe. doi.org/hbc3dg
China’s flying car sector is advancing rapidly by leveraging strengths in electric vehicle technology, supply-chain efficiency, and government support, positioning itself as a global competitor.
Electric vehicle prowess helps China's flying car sector take off
A worker in white gloves inspects the propellers of a boxy two-seater aircraft fresh off the assembly line at a Chinese factory trialing the mass production of flying cars.
techxplore.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:10 PM
China’s flying car sector is advancing rapidly by leveraging strengths in electric vehicle technology, supply-chain efficiency, and government support, positioning itself as a global competitor.
Major climate policy models often overlook well-being impacts such as health, lost work hours, and food insecurity, potentially underestimating the full benefits of climate action. doi.org/hbc23g
Climate action saves lives. So why do climate models ignore well-being?
Climate change is already shaping our well-being. It affects mental health, spreads infectious diseases, disrupts work, damages food supplies and forces families to leave their homes because of conflict, hunger or flooding.
phys.org
November 30, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Major climate policy models often overlook well-being impacts such as health, lost work hours, and food insecurity, potentially underestimating the full benefits of climate action. doi.org/hbc23g
Disrupted circadian rhythms in the brain may prevent individuals with insomnia from mentally disengaging at night, offering insight into persistent nighttime alertness and potential new treatment approaches. doi.org/hbcrmv
New study shows why some minds can't switch off at night
Australian researchers have found compelling evidence that insomnia may be linked to disruptions in the brain's natural 24-hour rhythm of mental activity, shedding light on why some people struggle to "switch off" at night.
medicalxpress.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Disrupted circadian rhythms in the brain may prevent individuals with insomnia from mentally disengaging at night, offering insight into persistent nighttime alertness and potential new treatment approaches. doi.org/hbcrmv
A comprehensive molecular map of extracellular vesicles in human blood has been created, offering new insights into cellular communication and potential early detection of diseases. doi.org/hbc2sb
The body's molecular mail revealed: Scientists decode blood's hidden messengers
Every second, trillions of tiny parcels travel through your bloodstream—carrying vital information between your body's cells.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A comprehensive molecular map of extracellular vesicles in human blood has been created, offering new insights into cellular communication and potential early detection of diseases. doi.org/hbc2sb
Scaling laws have driven rapid advances in AI, but history shows such trends can encounter limits due to data, physical, or economic constraints, making indefinite improvement uncertain.
Can bigger-is-better 'scaling laws' keep AI improving forever? History says we can't be too sure
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman—perhaps the most prominent face of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom that accelerated with the launch of ChatGPT in 2022—loves scaling laws.
techxplore.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Scaling laws have driven rapid advances in AI, but history shows such trends can encounter limits due to data, physical, or economic constraints, making indefinite improvement uncertain.
Rapid X-ray pulses have enabled a 100-fold increase in photoionization efficiency by creating double core-hole states in highly charged krypton ions, advancing high-precision X-ray techniques. doi.org/hbc2qt
Rapid X-ray pulses enable 100-fold efficiency boost for photoionization
Speed matters. When an X-ray photon excites an atom or ion, making a core electron jump onto a higher energy level, a short-lived window of opportunity opens.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Rapid X-ray pulses have enabled a 100-fold increase in photoionization efficiency by creating double core-hole states in highly charged krypton ions, advancing high-precision X-ray techniques. doi.org/hbc2qt
Six key strategies have been identified to help households reduce food waste, focusing on visibility, comparison, understanding, motivation, regulation, and broader system goals. doi.org/hbc2qh
Six strategies identified to help households cut down on food waste
Researchers from the Center for Food Policy at City St George's, University of London and Scotland's Rural College have set out six key areas for action that could help households cut down on food waste in a new comment article published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Six key strategies have been identified to help households reduce food waste, focusing on visibility, comparison, understanding, motivation, regulation, and broader system goals. doi.org/hbc2qh
Analysis of samples from asteroid Bennu confirms the presence of amino acids and nucleobases, supporting the idea that key building blocks of life can form and be delivered by celestial bodies. doi.org/hbc2p5
Asteroid loaded with amino acids offers new clues about the origin of life on Earth
One of the most elegant theories about the origins of life on our planet is that it was kick-started by a delivery from outer space.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Analysis of samples from asteroid Bennu confirms the presence of amino acids and nucleobases, supporting the idea that key building blocks of life can form and be delivered by celestial bodies. doi.org/hbc2p5
New modeling suggests meltwater from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could help stabilize the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, though timing and speed of melting remain critical factors.
Saturday Citations: Cute squid with scary name; potential detection of dark matter; fate of the AMOC
This week, researchers reported that weight and health markers may rebound when patients stop using some of the new hormonal gastric inhibitory polypeptide drugs.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM
New modeling suggests meltwater from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could help stabilize the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, though timing and speed of melting remain critical factors.
New findings show that black holes in certain models obey the third law of thermodynamics, supporting the idea that they have isolated ground states and exhibit quantum mechanical behavior. doi.org/hbc2nh
Probing the quantum nature of black holes through entropy
In a study published in Physical Review Letters, physicists have demonstrated that black holes satisfy the third law of thermodynamics, which states that entropy remains positive and vanishes at extremely low temperatures, just like ordinary quantum systems.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 1:24 PM
New findings show that black holes in certain models obey the third law of thermodynamics, supporting the idea that they have isolated ground states and exhibit quantum mechanical behavior. doi.org/hbc2nh
Specialized neuron populations in the mouse cortex form coordinated activity patterns, or population codes, that are linked to accurate decision-making during behavioral tasks. doi.org/g9892w
Specialized neuron populations in the mouse cortex coordinate to guide correct decisions, study suggests
For decades, neuroscientists have been trying to pinpoint the neural underpinnings of behavior and decision-making. Past studies suggest that specialized groups of neurons in the mammalian brain, particularly in the cortex, work together to support decision-making and behavioral choices.
medicalxpress.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Specialized neuron populations in the mouse cortex form coordinated activity patterns, or population codes, that are linked to accurate decision-making during behavioral tasks. doi.org/g9892w
Humans and artificial neural networks both display similar patterns of interference and transfer when learning sequential rule-based tasks, with individual differences in humans mirrored by variations in network training. doi.org/g9892z
Humans and artificial neural networks exhibit some similar patterns during learning
Past psychology and behavioral science studies have identified various ways in which people's acquisition of new knowledge can be disrupted.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Humans and artificial neural networks both display similar patterns of interference and transfer when learning sequential rule-based tasks, with individual differences in humans mirrored by variations in network training. doi.org/g9892z
Identification of two brain receptors regulating amyloid beta breakdown may lead to more accessible and safer Alzheimer's therapies targeting these pathways. doi.org/hbcd6w
Discovery about brain receptors may open the door to new Alzheimer's treatments
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have identified two receptors in the brain that control the breakdown of amyloid beta, a substance that accumulates in Alzheimer's disease.
medicalxpress.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Identification of two brain receptors regulating amyloid beta breakdown may lead to more accessible and safer Alzheimer's therapies targeting these pathways. doi.org/hbcd6w
The first Bible map, published 500 years ago, continues to shape perceptions of borders, influencing how religious texts are linked to modern concepts of nation-states and territorial divisions. doi.org/hbczbg
First 'Bible map' published 500 years ago still influences how we think about borders, study suggests
The first Bible to feature a map of the Holy Land was published 500 years ago in 1525. The map was initially printed the wrong way round—showing the Mediterranean to the East—but its inclusion set a precedent which continues to shape our understanding of state borders today, a new Cambridge study argues.
phys.org
November 29, 2025 at 12:10 AM
The first Bible map, published 500 years ago, continues to shape perceptions of borders, influencing how religious texts are linked to modern concepts of nation-states and territorial divisions. doi.org/hbczbg
Meaningful patient engagement in health research—where patients co-design resources and influence decisions—can improve relevance, accessibility, and equity, especially for underrepresented groups. doi.org/hbcx8f
Patients are more than participants: What meaningful engagement really looks like—and why it improves health research
When we talk about "patient engagement" in research, it can sound like a slogan on a grant application rather than something that changes people's lives.
medicalxpress.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Meaningful patient engagement in health research—where patients co-design resources and influence decisions—can improve relevance, accessibility, and equity, especially for underrepresented groups. doi.org/hbcx8f
Individuals with Fanconi anemia display significant metabolic inflexibility, favoring fat over glucose for energy and showing signs of insulin resistance, which may influence health and cancer risk. doi.org/hbcx76
Why metabolism matters in Fanconi anemia: How a rare genetic disorder disrupts energy pathways
Experts at Cincinnati Children's have uncovered striking metabolic differences in people with Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare genetic disorder that causes bone marrow failure and dramatically increases cancer risk.
medicalxpress.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Individuals with Fanconi anemia display significant metabolic inflexibility, favoring fat over glucose for energy and showing signs of insulin resistance, which may influence health and cancer risk. doi.org/hbcx76
Protecting newborns from RSV infection may significantly reduce the risk of developing childhood asthma, particularly in those with a family history of allergy or asthma. doi.org/hbcx75
RSV vaccines could offer protection against asthma
Belgian scientists from VIB and Ghent University (UGent), together with Danish collaborators, have uncovered compelling evidence that early-infancy infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) significantly increases the risk of developing childhood asthma—especially in children with a family history of allergy or asthma.
medicalxpress.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Protecting newborns from RSV infection may significantly reduce the risk of developing childhood asthma, particularly in those with a family history of allergy or asthma. doi.org/hbcx75
A drug combination using romidepsin shows potential to overcome chemotherapy resistance in aggressive childhood neuroblastoma models, reducing tumor growth and extending survival in preclinical studies. doi.org/hbcx74
Drug combination sidesteps resistance in aggressive childhood neuroblastoma models
A discovery from Australian researchers could lead to better treatment for children with neuroblastoma, a cancer that currently claims 9 out of 10 young patients who experience recurrence.
medicalxpress.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A drug combination using romidepsin shows potential to overcome chemotherapy resistance in aggressive childhood neuroblastoma models, reducing tumor growth and extending survival in preclinical studies. doi.org/hbcx74
Caribbean rainfall over the past 129,000 years has been primarily shaped by shifts in the North Atlantic Subtropical High, with stronger and westward phases linked to drier conditions. doi.org/hbcx73
Caribbean rainfall driven by shifting long-term patterns in the Atlantic high-pressure system, study finds
A new study published in Science Advances overturns a long-standing paradigm in climate science that stronger Northern Hemisphere summer insolation produces stronger tropical rainfall.
phys.org
November 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Caribbean rainfall over the past 129,000 years has been primarily shaped by shifts in the North Atlantic Subtropical High, with stronger and westward phases linked to drier conditions. doi.org/hbcx73
A rapid point-of-care test demonstrates high sensitivity and good concordance with established methods for detecting latent tuberculosis, offering potential benefits for screening in resource-limited settings. doi.org/hbcx7c
Point-of-care rapid tests can improve screening for latent tuberculosis
A new test shows promising results for detecting latent tuberculosis infection in resource-limited settings. This is according to a study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
medicalxpress.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:17 PM
A rapid point-of-care test demonstrates high sensitivity and good concordance with established methods for detecting latent tuberculosis, offering potential benefits for screening in resource-limited settings. doi.org/hbcx7c
Simulations indicate that interactions between dark matter and dark energy can significantly affect the spin and alignment of cosmic halos, offering new insights for interpreting large-scale structure observations. doi.org/hbb3s9
Dark matter-dark energy interaction shapes cosmic halo spin and alignment, simulations show
A cosmological simulation study by researchers from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has systematically revealed, for the first time, how the interaction between dark matter and dark energy significantly influences the rotation and shape alignment of dark matter halos in the universe.
phys.org
November 28, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Simulations indicate that interactions between dark matter and dark energy can significantly affect the spin and alignment of cosmic halos, offering new insights for interpreting large-scale structure observations. doi.org/hbb3s9