How Connected Apps and Cloud Services Pose Huge Cybersecurity Risks for Modern Cars

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Modern vehicles are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks through the apps, websites and cloud services connected to them, according to a study by researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Their analysis of 413 reported automotive software vulnerabilities between 2022 and 2024 found that security weaknesses have increasingly moved away from vehicles’ internal computer systems towards their connected digital services.

Today’s cars exchange data with manufacturers’ cloud platforms, drivers’ smartphones and charging stations. In-car entertainment systems also use internet connections to stream films and other media. While these features provide convenience, they create additional potential entry points for hackers seeking access to vehicle systems or the personal information associated with them.

“Ten years ago, most vulnerabilities were found in the cars’ own systems. Now the share found in apps, websites and cloud services has nearly tripled. These systems hold data about where you live, where you drive and when, so the risk is not only that someone could interfere with the car, but that they could get hold of information about your life,” says Srijita Basu, postdoctoral researcher in software engineering at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology.

The findings highlight how cybersecurity risks in connected vehicles extend beyond the possibility of someone remotely interfering with driving functions. Weaknesses in digital services can also expose sensitive information about owners’ movements, routines and personal lives.

Cloud Services Expose Sensitive Driver Information

The researchers found that vulnerabilities in automotive software are now more commonly reported in apps, websites and cloud services than they were during the previous decade. These weaknesses can create opportunities for attackers to access information collected from vehicles, including data that reveals where drivers live and travel.

A reported IT vulnerability does not necessarily mean that a security breach has occurred. Instead, it indicates that a weakness exists that could potentially be exploited.

One example emerged in December 2024, when it was revealed that data from approximately 800,000 electric vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda had been openly accessible on the internet for several months. The exposed information included precise GPS data, as well as vehicle owners’ email addresses, telephone numbers and home addresses.

The data made it possible to determine exactly where and when a particular vehicle had been driven. The vulnerability originated in the car manufacturer’s cloud service, which uploaded information collected from vehicles on the road.

An ethical hacker group uncovered the exposure following a tip from a whistleblower. The incident received widespread media coverage, and the leak was fixed before it was known to have been misused.

Basu said the researchers were surprised by the basic nature of some of the weaknesses identified in their review.

“When we compare with the previous decade, we can see that IT vulnerabilities are now most commonly found in apps, websites and cloud services, and that the risks are more often rated as serious and critical. We are surprised by how basic some of the weaknesses in these systems are. They can involve passwords that have not been changed since installation. Hackers can use tried-and-tested old tricks to gain access through a back door,” says Srijita Basu.

The researchers’ findings suggest that manufacturers need to pay greater attention to the security of the digital services that support connected vehicles, particularly as these systems handle increasingly sensitive driver information.

Weak Links Between Vehicle Systems Can Enable Attacks

The car’s infotainment system, which manages audio and media functions, is another potential point of vulnerability. If vehicle systems are not properly separated, someone connected to the car’s Wi-Fi network could potentially gain access to other systems within the vehicle.

A widely reported example of this risk occurred in 2015, when security researchers demonstrated that they could remotely compromise a Jeep Cherokee through its media system. They gained access to other vehicle systems and were able to take control of the steering, brakes and accelerator.

The new study indicates that similar security weaknesses continue to appear nearly a decade later.

“My advice to car manufacturers is to keep systems that control the vehicle strictly separated from infotainment and other connected systems, with strong security around them. They should also learn from the web and IT world, where many of these flaws have been known for years. When the car is constantly connected to the outside world, it also invites the outside world into the car,” says Srijita Basu.

Connected vehicles are also increasingly incorporating AI assistants that can help drivers plan journeys and perform other tasks. However, these systems may have access to personal information, creating additional privacy concerns if they are manipulated into disclosing data.

“Car owners also have a responsibility to make things more difficult for hackers. It is important to update the software as soon as the car prompts you to do so, and strong passwords are still important. Today we share a lot of personal information with AI assistants for cars, for example when we ask to plan a long journey in an electric car. Like other AI systems, these assistants can be tricked into revealing information they have been given, so it matters what we share with them and what car makers allow them to access,” says Srijita Basu.

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President Murmu Presents Lalit Kala Akademi Awards to Artists in New Delhi

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

President Droupadi Murmu presented the Lalit Kala Akademi awards to selected artists participating in the 65th National Exhibition of Art in New Delhi on October 21, 2026. She also felicitated the Grand Prize winners and Honourable Mentions of the 3rd Print Biennale India 2026, recognising artistic contributions across different forms and mediums.

Speaking at the ceremony, the President described the occasion as a celebration of India’s artistic heritage, cultural diversity and contemporary creativity. She highlighted the importance of preserving the country’s diverse artistic traditions while encouraging creative expression that reflects changing times and society.

The President emphasised that art extends beyond paintings, sculptures and other physical works. According to her, artistic expression reflects cultural identity, collective memories, present-day experiences and aspirations for the future. She also called for greater opportunities for traditional artists in remote areas, particularly through training in new technologies and contemporary art techniques.

Murmu Calls for Greater Support for Young and Traditional Artists

Addressing the gathering, President Murmu highlighted the role of art in helping people understand society and their times from fresh perspectives. She said artistic expression is not restricted to particular forms or mediums but reflects the culture and experiences of the communities that produce it.

The President stressed the importance of equipping traditional artists, especially those living in remote areas, with training in new technologies and contemporary art techniques. Such opportunities, she said, would help them showcase their skills and participate in competitions on a wider platform.

She also urged stakeholders to create more opportunities for young and emerging artists to develop their talent, experiment with new mediums and expand their creative potential.

“Let us provide ample opportunities to young and emerging artists to develop their talent, explore new mediums, and expand their creative potential,” the President said.

Her remarks underscored the need to support both established artistic traditions and new forms of creative expression. By expanding access to training and opportunities, artists from different backgrounds could gain greater visibility and participate more widely in the art world.

President Highlights Financial Support and Wider Access to Art

President Murmu also drew attention to the practical challenges artists face in sustaining their work. She said artists today require more than opportunities to create. They also need financial support, access to broader markets and connections with art collectors.

The President welcomed efforts by the Lalit Kala Akademi and the Ministry of Culture to encourage the sale of artworks. Such initiatives can help artists reach potential buyers and create opportunities to earn from their creative work.

She further emphasised that art should not remain confined to galleries. Instead, it should reach schools, universities, public spaces and wider sections of society, allowing more people to engage with artistic expression.

Her remarks highlighted the importance of making art accessible beyond established cultural institutions while creating conditions that enable artists to sustain their careers.

The award ceremony brought together the recognition of artistic achievement and a broader call to strengthen opportunities for creators across India. Through her address, President Murmu emphasised the need to preserve the country’s diverse artistic heritage, support traditional artists through access to contemporary techniques, and help young talent explore new forms of expression.

She also reiterated the importance of connecting artists with financial resources and wider audiences, while ensuring that art reaches people across educational institutions and public spaces. The message was clear: supporting India’s artistic community requires both opportunities for creative development and practical measures that help artists share their work with society.

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Americans Are Adding More Calories to Coffee as Creamer Use Rises

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Americans have maintained relatively stable coffee consumption over the past two decades, but the number of calories they consume through the beverage has increased, largely because of greater use of non-dairy creamers. A new study by researchers at Tufts University’s Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy found that while overall coffee consumption remained steady between 2003 and 2018, the average daily energy intake from coffee rose significantly.

The study, published online in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, analysed dietary intake data from approximately 30,000 US adults aged 20 and older. Researchers found that average coffee consumption remained around 13 ounces per day during the period examined, while calories consumed through coffee increased from 43 kilocalories (kcal) per day in 2003 to 60 kcal per day in 2018.

By 2018, non-dairy creamer, sugar or syrup, and dairy milk were the most significant contributors to calories added to coffee.

“Coffee consumption has been associated with several health benefits. However, coffee is often accompanied by the addition of sugar and cream, which can contribute to an increased consumption of calories from added sugar and saturated fat,” said Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study and Neely Family Professor at the Friedman School.

“The more we know about what people are consuming, the better we can understand the link between nutrition and overall health.”

The researchers said understanding what people add to their coffee is important for assessing the relationship between dietary habits and overall health.

Non-dairy creamers account for the largest share of added calories

The study examined data from eight consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), covering 2003 to 2018. The nationally representative sample included around 30,000 adults aged 20 and older, each of whom provided two 24-hour dietary recalls.

Researchers divided coffee-containing beverages into two categories: coffee consumed without additions and coffee containing additions. The latter category included dairy milk, half-and-half, dairy cream, non-dairy milk, non-dairy creamer, sugar or syrup, sugar substitutes, and other additions such as alcohol and cocoa powder.

To estimate the quantities of additions in premixed coffee beverages and powders reported by participants, the team used cycle-specific data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Database for Dietary Studies and its linked Standard Reference codes.

The findings showed that consumption of total coffee and coffee without additions remained stable among US adults between 2003 and 2018. However, the consumption of non-dairy additions increased during the same period.

In 2018, the most commonly consumed coffee additions by weight were dairy milk, at 21.4 grams per day; non-dairy creamer, at 8.1 grams per day; and sugar, at 4.4 grams per day. Consumption of dairy milk and sugar or sugar substitutes did not change significantly compared with 2003.

By contrast, average consumption of non-dairy additions rose from 3.65 grams per day to 10.5 grams per day. Within this category, non-dairy creamer consumption increased from 3.37 grams per day to 8 grams per day, while non-dairy milk consumption rose from 0.27 grams per day to 2.45 grams per day. Other coffee additions also recorded a small increase, with average consumption rising by 0.5 grams per day.

The calorie estimates showed a similar trend. In 2018, non-dairy creamer contributed the most calories added to coffee, at 18.5 kcal per day, followed by sugar at 16 kcal and dairy milk at 11 kcal. In comparison, non-dairy creamer contributed an average of 7.71 kcal per day in 2003.

“We found that non-dairy creamer being added to coffee has now passed both sugar and dairy for its contribution to the total energy consumed from coffee. Non-dairy creamers can be high in saturated fat, which is calorie dense. This could explain the increased calories that non-dairy creamer is contributing,” said Yongyi Pan, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. candidate at the Friedman School.

“Even though it has been on the market since the 1950s, non-dairy creamer has increased in popularity in recent years as consumers seek plant-based or dairy alternatives.”

Sleep and working hours also influence coffee consumption

The researchers also examined how coffee consumption varied according to sleep duration, working hours and overall diet quality.

At the population level, adults who slept fewer hours or worked longer hours consumed more coffee than those who slept more or worked shorter hours. However, coffee consumption was similar among individuals with high and low overall diet quality.

These findings suggest that coffee consumption patterns may be associated with daily routines, although the study does not establish that shorter sleep or longer working hours directly cause higher consumption.

The researchers also acknowledged limitations in the data. Dietary recalls rely on participants reporting what they consumed, which can introduce measurement errors because food and beverage intake varies from day to day. The team took steps to improve the estimates, but self-reported data remains a limitation.

The study highlights a distinction between how much coffee Americans drink and how much energy they obtain from it. Although overall consumption remained stable during the 15-year study period, the growing contribution of non-dairy creamers helped increase the average calories consumed through coffee.

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Japan’s MMX Mission Aims to Bring Samples Back From Mars’ Moon Phobos

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Japan is preparing to launch a pioneering space mission to collect and return samples from Phobos, one of the two small moons orbiting Mars. Led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission aims to investigate how Phobos and its smaller sibling, Deimos, formed and what their composition can reveal about the history of the Red Planet.

The mission is expected to take five years, with JAXA planning to launch the spacecraft aboard its H3 rocket on Tuesday, according to an Associated Press report published on 18 October 2026. The spacecraft is expected to reach the Mars region around August 2027 and return samples to Earth in 2031.

Scientists hope that material collected from Phobos could provide clues about the formation of the Martian moons, Mars’ geological history and potentially the origins of life in the solar system. The mission could also help researchers assess whether a Martian moon might serve as a base for future crewed missions to Mars, an objective being pursued by the United States, China and other countries.

Yasuhiro Kawakatsu, project manager for the MMX mission, highlighted the scientific importance of investigating the two moons. “Despite their potential importance, Martian moons have never been fully investigated,” Kawakatsu said. “They are known as the most important unclimbed mountains in the solar system.”

Japan is leading the international effort, with NASA and other national space agencies contributing equipment, sampling technology and communications support.

Scientists seek answers about the origins of Phobos and Deimos

Although dozens of missions have travelled to Mars since the 1960s, its moons remain comparatively unexplored. Several Russian attempts to land on Phobos, including a mission launched in 2011, have failed.

Phobos and Deimos take their names from the Greek mythological personifications of fear and terror, who were the sons of Ares, the Greek god of war. Mars is the Roman counterpart of Ares.

Scientists continue to debate how the moons formed. One theory suggests that they are remnants of debris produced when a large celestial object struck Mars. Another proposes that they are asteroids captured by the planet’s gravitational pull after originating elsewhere in the solar system.

JAXA officials believe that analysing samples collected directly from Phobos could help resolve the debate.

“We can almost certainly come to a conclusion by analysing soil samples,” said Kiyoshi Kuramoto, the mission’s principal investigator.

Phobos was selected as the primary sampling target because it orbits closer to Mars than Deimos and may therefore contain more material originating from the planet. JAXA officials estimate that Martian material could account for approximately 0.1% of the material collected from Phobos.

The moon measures about 27 kilometres (17 miles) across at its widest point and orbits Mars at a distance of approximately 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles). It completes roughly three orbits around the planet each day.

Samples from Phobos could also help scientists understand Deimos, as the two moons are believed to have similar origins. The MMX spacecraft will therefore conduct observations of Deimos during its mission.

The journey will cover a substantial distance. Although Mars comes within approximately 55 million kilometres of Earth at its closest approach, Kawakatsu estimates that the spacecraft’s actual flight distance will be between 500 million and 600 million kilometres.

International mission faces difficult landing and sample collection

The MMX spacecraft comprises three modules: propulsion, exploration and sample return. Only the third module is designed to return to Earth carrying the collected material.

The spacecraft will carry 13 scientific instruments, including a rover jointly developed by France and Germany, a NASA sampling device, an instrument for measuring gamma rays and a deep-space communications device supplied by the European Space Agency. A Japanese radiation monitor will also collect data relevant to future crewed exploration of Mars.

The French-German rover, Idefix, is scheduled to reach Phobos ahead of the main sampling operation. During a planned 100-day mission around 2029, it will investigate the surface and help identify a suitable landing location for the Japanese spacecraft.

Using topographical information provided by the rover, the MMX team will select a relatively smooth and level area for sampling.

Landing on Phobos presents a significant engineering challenge because the moon has only about one two-thousandth of Earth’s gravity. The spacecraft could bounce off the surface during touchdown, making a controlled landing essential. To reduce this risk, the exploration module has four-legged landing gear equipped with shock-absorbing features.

The rover is also designed to maintain traction in low gravity, recover if it tips over and move slowly across the moon’s uneven terrain.

After landing, JAXA aims to collect at least 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of material through two sampling attempts using Japanese and American techniques. NASA’s sampling device uses pressurised gas to lift surface dust into a collection container, while JAXA’s coring method will retrieve material from a depth of approximately two centimetres (0.8 inches).

During the first attempt, the spacecraft will collect surface and underground material using both devices. A second landing will gather additional underground samples. Scientists believe collecting material from different locations could improve the chances of identifying potential traces of past microbial life originating from Mars.

The samples will be sealed inside a heat-protected capsule designed to withstand the extreme conditions of re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The return module is expected to land in Australia before being transported to Japan for detailed analysis. If successful, the MMX mission will deliver the first samples collected directly from a Martian moon.

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Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week: Best Time and Tips for Viewing

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

The annual Orionid meteor shower is set to reach its peak this week, giving skywatchers an opportunity to observe one of the major celestial events associated with Halley’s Comet. However, a bright, large moon is expected to limit visibility during the early part of the night, with viewing conditions likely to improve after it sets late at night.

According to the American Meteor Society, observers could see up to 20 meteors per hour under ideal conditions during the peak from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The shower remains visible for several weeks before and after its peak, allowing observers additional opportunities to catch the display.

The Orionids can be seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres after midnight. Although the shower takes its name from the Orion constellation, the meteors can appear across the night sky, according to NASA.

Known for their speed and brightness, Orionid meteors sometimes leave glowing trails that remain visible for several seconds. Their appearance is caused by small pieces of cosmic debris entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds and burning up.

What causes the Orionid meteor shower?

Meteor showers occur several times a year when Earth passes through trails of debris left behind by comets and, occasionally, asteroids as it orbits the Sun.

The Orionids originate from Halley’s Comet, which passes near Earth approximately once every 75 years. As Earth crosses the debris trail, small particles enter the atmosphere at high speeds. Friction and interactions with the surrounding air cause the particles to heat up and burn, producing bright streaks of light commonly known as shooting stars.

During the Orionid shower, some meteors can appear particularly bright and fast. In certain cases, the surrounding atmosphere glows briefly, creating a luminous trail that persists for several seconds after the meteor has passed.

Despite their dramatic appearance, meteor showers can be observed without specialised equipment. NASA notes that the Orionids are visible across the night sky, so observers do not need to look exclusively towards Orion to spot them.

The number of meteors visible depends on several factors, including the time of night, weather conditions, moonlight and artificial light pollution. While the American Meteor Society estimates that up to 20 meteors per hour may be visible under ideal conditions during the peak, actual sightings can vary considerably.

Best time and conditions to watch the meteor shower

The best time to observe the Orionids is generally after midnight and during the early hours before dawn. During this period, viewing conditions can be more favourable, particularly when moonlight is limited.

This year’s bright moon is expected to interfere with visibility until it sets late at night. Observers may therefore have a better chance of spotting meteors during the later hours of the night and before sunrise.

Finding a location away from city lights, streetlights and other sources of artificial illumination can also improve the viewing experience. Open areas with a clear view of the sky are preferable, provided local weather conditions are suitable.

Allowing the eyes several minutes to adjust to darkness is another important step. Observers should avoid looking at bright phone screens or other light sources while waiting for meteors to appear, as this can make faint streaks harder to see.

No telescope or binoculars are required. Since Orionid meteors can appear in different parts of the sky, watching a broad area rather than concentrating on one constellation can improve the chances of spotting them.

Those who miss the peak will still have opportunities to observe the shower, as Orionid activity continues for a few weeks on either side of its maximum. The next major meteor shower identified in the report is the Southern Taurids, which are expected to peak on November 5. A crescent moon is forecast for that period, potentially creating more favourable viewing conditions than those expected during the Orionids’ peak.

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Scientists Successfully Thaw Pig Kidneys Frozen for Over a Year, Advancing Organ Preservation

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have achieved a significant milestone in organ preservation by freezing pig kidneys at −150°C (−238°F), storing them for extended periods and successfully transplanting them into test animals after thawing. In one case, a kidney remained frozen for more than a year before being warmed and transplanted, offering a potential new direction for addressing the limited storage time of donor organs.

The findings, reported in a preprint published on bioRxiv that is awaiting peer review, could eventually help transform organ transplantation by allowing organs to be preserved for months or even longer before surgery. The research team, co-led by transplant surgeon Erik Finger, reported that the thawed kidneys regained their colour and enabled the recipient pigs to produce urine, important early indicators of restored blood flow and organ function.

At present, donor organs have strict preservation windows. Hearts and lungs generally need to be transplanted within approximately six hours, while kidneys can remain viable for up to 36 hours under conventional preservation conditions. These limitations complicate the coordination of organ donation, transportation and transplantation.

In the United States, more than 100,000 people are on the organ transplant waiting list, according to the article. Researchers hope that extending the storage period could eventually give medical teams greater flexibility in matching organs with recipients and arranging surgical procedures.

“Ten years ago […] I wouldn’t say I had high hopes it was actually going to work,” Finger told MIT Technology Review on Thursday. “After we did the last transplant, I walked out of the room and said, ‘This is a big deal.’”

Vitrification and nanoparticle technology help preserve organs

The research builds on earlier experiments by the University of Minnesota team. In 2023, researchers reported successful tests involving frozen rat kidneys, followed by a pig kidney transplant experiment in 2025 in which the organ had been frozen for 10 days.

The latest work uses a preservation technique known as vitrification. The process involves immersing biological tissue in a chemical cryoprotective agent (CPA) before cooling it to extremely low temperatures. This creates a glass-like state that helps preserve the tissue while limiting the formation of damaging ice crystals.

According to the research, once the temperature falls below −120°C (−184°F), the vitrified organ can remain stable for extended periods.

“stay stable for long periods of time—we think indefinitely,” Finger told MIT Technology Review, referring to the stability of the organ at these temperatures.

Although vitrification is already used in reproductive medicine to preserve eggs, sperm and embryos, applying the technique to larger organs presents additional challenges. The tissue must be cooled and reheated without causing significant damage, while the protective chemicals must reach the necessary areas without becoming toxic.

To address the rewarming problem, Finger worked with the university’s mechanical engineering department, including bioengineer John Bischof, to develop an iron-oxide nanoparticle solution. The particles were incorporated into the cryoprotectant mixture and can be activated to help warm the organ more evenly.

The researchers designed the approach to reduce temperature differences during rewarming, which can otherwise damage delicate tissue. More uniform heating is particularly important when working with organs much larger than individual cells or embryos.

The successful transplantation results suggest that the method can preserve enough kidney function for the organs to operate after thawing. However, the reported recovery indicators do not, by themselves, establish long-term organ function or prove that the technique is ready for human transplantation.

Human organ preservation remains the next major challenge

The research team’s long-term objective is to adapt the method for human organs, potentially allowing donated organs to be stored for substantially longer than current methods permit.

The project has received support from the US National Science Foundation, which oversees the Engineering Research Center for Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio), headquartered at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Mehmet Toner, a professor at Harvard Medical School and ATP-Bio’s deputy director, described the broader potential of the work in a press statement last year.

“The ability to safely pause biological time in a complex organ like a kidney opens the door to truly transformative change in transplantation medicine,” Toner said.

Despite the promising results, researchers acknowledge that substantial technical obstacles remain before the process can be applied safely to human organs. Larger organs require more complex cooling and warming procedures, while the distribution, stability and biological toxicity of cryoprotective chemicals must be carefully controlled.

Finger and his colleagues outlined these limitations in their preprint, writing: “Scaling organ vitrification to human dimensions shifts the challenge from rewarming alone to the integrated problems of cooling, [cryoprotective agent] stability, CPA transport and biological toxicity.”

These challenges mean that the latest results should be viewed as an experimental advance rather than an immediately available medical treatment. Further research will be needed to establish whether the technique can preserve larger organs reliably, maintain their function over time and meet the safety requirements for clinical transplantation.

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Indian Researchers Identify Mars-Like Geological Sites in Tamil Nadu and Chile

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Indian scientists have identified terrestrial sites in Tamil Nadu and Chile that could help researchers understand the geological conditions and history of water on Mars. The study, led by researchers from the University of Kerala, identified two minerals, melanterite and gypsum, whose formation and properties provide insights into water-rock interactions relevant to the Red Planet.

According to a Ministry of Science and Technology release published by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on October 16, 2026, melanterite was identified in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, while gypsum was found in the Atacama Desert in Chile and the Tiruchirappalli Badlands in Tamil Nadu.

These locations have been identified as Martian analogue sites because of their geological, chemical and physical similarities to environments on Mars. Such sites allow scientists to study processes on Earth that may resemble those that occurred on other planetary bodies.

The findings are particularly relevant because orbital observations alone cannot fully characterise Martian minerals, according to the ministry. Researchers therefore require terrestrial locations and advanced analytical instruments to investigate mineral formation and understand the environmental conditions associated with them.

The research was conducted by a team led by Dr Sajin Kumar K.S., Project Coordinator of the Department of Science and Technology’s Fund for Improvement of Science and Technology Infrastructure (DST-FIST) at the University of Kerala. The team used a laser Raman spectrometer supported by DST-FIST to identify the minerals through their distinctive spectral fingerprints.

The findings have been published in two research papers in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, a scientific journal focusing on planetary science.

Minerals reveal evidence of water activity on Mars-like terrain

Both melanterite and gypsum are hydrous sulphates, minerals that contain water as part of their structure and can provide evidence of interactions between water and rocks.

The two minerals offer different insights into environmental conditions. Gypsum can preserve evidence of past aqueous environments, while melanterite indicates temporary wet, acidic and oxidising conditions associated with sulphide oxidation.

At Neyveli, the researchers identified melanterite formed from marcasite in the lignite substratum. The mineral provides evidence of short-lived wet conditions, a process relevant to understanding sulphate formation on Mars.

Gypsum identified in the Atacama Desert and the Tiruchirappalli Badlands offers another perspective on past water activity. According to the ministry, gypsum can preserve biosignatures within its mineral matrix, making it useful for investigating environments that may once have supported life.

The identification of these minerals could help researchers understand how water interacted with the Martian surface and how environmental conditions changed over time. Such investigations are important for astrobiology, the study of the potential for life beyond Earth.

However, identifying minerals that form under conditions relevant to Mars does not establish that life existed at the terrestrial sites or on the Red Planet. Instead, the findings provide researchers with geological evidence that can be used to investigate past environments and identify locations worthy of further study.

The laser Raman spectrometer played a central role in confirming the mineral identities. By analysing the distinctive spectral signatures of the samples, the researchers could distinguish the minerals and study their characteristics.

Research to support future planetary exploration

The University of Kerala team is now expanding its work to investigate rare terrestrial analogue sites located in extreme environments across different parts of the world. The objective is to understand conditions relevant to primitive life and support future astrobiological research using the same analytical facility.

The findings also highlight the importance of research infrastructure supported through DST-FIST. Access to advanced instruments such as the laser Raman spectrometer allows researchers to conduct detailed mineralogical investigations and develop a better understanding of geological processes that may have occurred on Mars.

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How Japanese Philosophy Offers a New Perspective on Education and Human Suffering

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Modern education often prioritises measurable results, efficiency, predictable outcomes and rational approaches to solving problems. However, experiences such as bereavement, illness, natural disasters and personal loss do not always have straightforward solutions. A new study by a researcher at Doshisha University in Japan proposes a different approach, arguing that education should also help people understand suffering and navigate the uncertainties of human life.

The study, conducted by Professor Fumio Ono of Doshisha University’s Faculty of Global and Regional Studies, was published online in the journal Educational Philosophy and Theory on September 1, 2026. It examines how Japanese philosophical traditions, shaped by interactions between Eastern and Western thought, could contribute to an educational philosophy better equipped to respond to personal suffering and global catastrophes.

The research questions the limitations of what is known as “technological rationality”, an approach that emphasises efficiency, prediction, measurable achievement and the use of rational intervention to address problems.

While these principles remain valuable for organising educational systems, Ono argues that they may not adequately address experiences that cannot be controlled or anticipated.

Japan’s disaster experience inspires a different educational philosophy

Ono’s research was influenced by the devastating events of March 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster exposed the difficulties of responding to unexpected and catastrophic events.

“The devastating events of March 2011, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, made me realize that it was necessary to develop a form of thought capable of responding to such unexpected and catastrophic events,” Ono said.

To develop his argument, the professor brings together two philosophical approaches. The first is Augustin Berque’s mesology, or fūdo-gaku, which examines the relationship between people and their environments. The second is Tokuryu Yamauchi’s “logic of lemma”, a non-Aristotelian approach rooted in Nāgārjuna’s Madhyamaka philosophy.

The latter offers a way of moving beyond conventional binary distinctions through a “middle” path. By combining these perspectives, Ono develops the concept of “knowledge of pathos”, which recognises the role of passivity, suffering, vulnerability, fragility and the uncontrollable dimensions of human existence.

This approach challenges the tendency to classify experiences through opposing categories such as success and failure, strong and weak, normal and abnormal, or victim and perpetrator. Instead, it makes room for the contradictions and complexities that shape human experiences.

The study proposes that suffering should not always be treated as a problem that must be eliminated. It can also be an important part of understanding how people relate to themselves, others and the world around them.

Education could move beyond measurable achievement

The proposed philosophy of pathos could have implications for schools, universities, counselling services, healthcare and welfare. Rather than concentrating exclusively on identifying problems and finding solutions, professionals could pay greater attention to what individuals are experiencing and how they make sense of difficult circumstances.

Disasters, wars, bereavement, illness and social crises can disrupt people’s existing beliefs and understanding of the world. According to the study, education can contribute not only to restoring knowledge and skills after such events but also to helping individuals rebuild their understanding of themselves and their surroundings.

“Through the proposed philosophy of pathos, education can be understood not only as a way of developing people’s abilities, but also as a way to help people make sense of suffering and reconfigure their relationship with the world,” Ono noted.

The researcher suggests that this perspective could influence educational practices over the next five to ten years. Educators could place greater emphasis on responding thoughtfully to suffering and remaining engaged with situations where immediate answers are unavailable, rather than focusing solely on resolving problems quickly.

Such a shift could also encourage institutions to recognise suffering associated with failure, illness, loss and disaster as experiences shaped by social relationships, rather than treating them exclusively as individual difficulties.

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Applied Microbiology International Announces 2026 Horizon Awards Winners

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Applied Microbiology International (AMI) has announced the winners of its 2026 Horizon Awards, recognising six individuals whose work is advancing applied microbiology across scientific research, public health, environmental conservation and social inclusion.

The awards celebrate researchers and professionals whose contributions address global challenges through the practical application of microbiology. According to AMI, the prizes recognise excellence across several domains, highlighting the role of the field in responding to issues ranging from climate change and food security to infectious diseases and biodiversity conservation.

This year’s recipients include scientists working in Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States, alongside an equality, diversity and inclusion leader whose work focuses on improving representation and opportunities in higher education and research.

Climate research, food security and environmental conservation

Professor Chris Greening, a Professor of Microbiology at Monash University in Australia, has received the WH Pierce Global Impact in Microbiology Prize. The award recognises contributions that address global challenges through applied microbiology.

Greening leads the CLIMB: Climate and Microbiology Research Unit and serves as Director of the Global Change Program. His research examines how microorganisms can help society respond to climate change and other global challenges. His work spans atomic to ecosystem scales, investigating how microbes regulate greenhouse gases, sustain terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and influence One Health.

Through partnerships with industry and research programmes, his findings have contributed to agricultural methane reduction initiatives, pathogen surveillance systems, Antarctic stewardship and microbial conservation. Greening has published more than 180 peer-reviewed articles and received the 2023 Australian Prime Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year. He has also been elected to three microbiology academies and recognised as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

The Basil Jarvis Food Security and Innovation Award has gone to Professor Marciane Magnani of the Federal University of Paraíba in Brazil. A food microbiology researcher, Magnani focuses on food safety, predictive microbiology, fermented and functional foods, and microbiome-related approaches.

Her research combines microbial ecology, fermentation and One Health perspectives, with particular attention to native biodiversity and sustainable food systems. She has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and holds editorial positions at several scientific journals, including Food Research International and Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. She is also Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AMI’s Letters in Applied Microbiology.

Magnani coordinates Food Science at CAPES, part of Brazil’s Ministry of Education, and is a research productivity fellow at CNPq under the Ministry of Science and Technology. She also serves as an expert on the FAO/WHO roster for Microbiological Risk Assessment and participates in international expert meetings on omics-based technologies.

Professor Jack Gilbert of the University of California, San Diego, has received the Rachel Carson Environmental Conservation Award. A microbiologist and Associate Vice Chancellor for Marine Science, Gilbert is known for his contributions to microbial ecology. He co-founded the Earth Microbiome Project and the American Gut Project, established the journal mSystems, and has authored more than 450 peer-reviewed publications, including the popular science book Dirt Is Good.

He is also the principal investigator at UC San Diego for the US National Institutes of Health’s $175 million Nutrition for Precision Medicine programme and co-chair of the IUCN Microbial Conservation Specialist Group.

Public health, infectious diseases and diversity initiatives

Professor James Ebdon of the University of Brighton in the UK has won the John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize for his work on water, sanitation and water-related diseases.

His international research uses bacteriophages, or viruses that infect bacteria, and other microbial indicators to investigate water contamination and public health risks. Projects in India, Malawi, Nepal and Bangladesh have examined possible typhoid transmission routes in densely populated communities, sources of human faecal pollution in surface waters, problems with shallow-well construction and the effectiveness of emergency sanitation interventions.

Ebdon’s work on bacteriophages also contributed to a UK government inquiry into their antimicrobial potential, launched in November 2022. He currently co-directs research at the University of Brighton’s Centre for Environment and Society.

The Christiana Figueres Policy to Practice Award has been presented to Professor Stephen Obaro, Professor of Pediatrics and Senior Scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the United States. Obaro founded the International Foundation Against Infectious Diseases in Nigeria (IFAIN), which supports infectious disease research and healthcare capacity-building.

For more than two decades, his research has addressed pneumonia, typhoid fever, antimicrobial resistance, sickle cell disease and emerging infectious threats affecting children, particularly in Africa. Evidence from his studies in West Africa has helped inform vaccine development, disease surveillance strategies and clinical guidelines.

Through IFAIN, Obaro has helped establish a multidisciplinary research platform covering laboratory development, surveillance and graduate training. Its laboratory network has supported collaborative research in Nigeria, Liberia and Ghana, including through the Joint West Africa Research Group.

The Dorothy Jones Diversity & Inclusion Achievement Award has been awarded to Afua Acheampong, an equality, diversity and inclusion strategist with more than eight years of experience advancing racial equity in higher education and research.

As Head of the Black Internship Programme at Health Data Research UK, Acheampong led efforts to improve access and career development for Black students and graduates in health data science. She also created Nottingham Trent University’s Black Leadership Programme in 2019, which has supported and graduated more than 800 Black students.

Previously, she led race equality initiatives at Queen Mary University of London, securing the institution’s first Race Equality Charter award. She is Deputy Chair of the Black in Biomedical Research Advisory Group, a Medical Research Council board overseeing investment in racial equity in biomedical research, and serves as Finance Chair of the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum.

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Four in Five Parents Say Having a Baby Is Too Expensive

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Having a baby brings significant changes to family life, but the financial burden of raising young children is becoming increasingly difficult for many American households. Four in five parents say having a baby costs too much, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

The poll found that families with children aged three and younger face particular financial difficulties. Two in five parents in this group described their household finances as “struggling” or “just getting by.” Expenses related to childcare, diapers, safe car seats and nutritious food were among the major concerns.

Although nearly all parents surveyed recognised the importance of early childhood development for long-term health, many said they had to stretch their budgets to meet their children’s needs. Some worked additional hours, reduced spending on non-essential items or relied on secondhand baby clothes and equipment.

“Parents understand how important the first years of life are for a child’s health and development, but knowing what a child needs and being able to afford it are two different things,” said Mott Poll Co-Director Sarah Clark, M.P.H.

“These findings point to a difficult balancing act for families during a critical period of child development, when parents feel they’re choosing between meeting their child’s basic needs and covering the rest of their household expenses.”

Parents support policies to reduce the cost of raising babies

The poll surveyed a national sample of parents with children aged zero to 18 in July to examine the financial demands of raising young children and attitudes towards support programmes.

Paid leave during pregnancy or the newborn period received the strongest backing, with nearly three in four parents saying they would strongly support such a programme in their state. Six in 10 strongly supported programmes providing infant formula or healthy food, while more than half favoured free or reduced-cost childcare, free car seats and diaper assistance.

Parents of children aged three and younger were more likely than those with older children to strongly support these initiatives. They were also more likely to favour making assistance available to all families rather than restricting it to households that demonstrate financial need.

Clark said navigating support spread across multiple organisations and programmes could make it difficult for parents to identify and access the help they require.

“Families’ needs can look very different from one household to the next, and it’s difficult for parents when assistance is spread across many programs or organizations,” Clark said. “Programs that provide direct financial support – such as paid leave – give parents the flexibility to focus on their newborn and make decisions about what their family needs most.”

Financial pressures remain particularly severe for families already struggling to meet household expenses. More than one-third of parents who described their finances as “struggling” or “just getting by” said they worried about money constantly.

These households were more likely than financially comfortable families to cut back on additional purchases, work longer hours or set aside savings in advance. Parents from different financial backgrounds also reported purchasing secondhand baby clothes and equipment to manage costs.

“Parents are using different strategies to deal with the costs of having a baby, but these are not simply optional purchases or extras in a family budget,” Clark said. “Diapers, safe car seats, nutritious food and quality childcare all play a role in a child’s health, safety and development.”

Many parents are unaware of available support programmes

The survey also examined how parents of older children viewed assistance for families raising young children. Half of these respondents said they did not know which programmes provided the help young families needed most.

Community support was already taking place in several forms. Nearly two in five parents of older children reported donating to a local organisation or faith-based programme that assists families with young children during the previous two years. Another one in five said they had helped friends or relatives raising young children.

However, around two in five respondents said they had neither donated to such organisations nor provided this type of assistance.

The findings also revealed differences in attitudes towards public funding. Parents who had not donated were less supportive of using taxpayer money to help families with young children than those who had contributed. Some respondents preferred helping families they knew personally rather than providing assistance to strangers.

Clark said greater awareness of available resources could help communities translate their concern for young children into practical assistance.

“Parents may agree that young children need a strong start in life without knowing which programs can make that possible,” Clark said. “Making resources easier to understand and access, while giving families the flexibility to choose what works best for them, can help turn that shared goal into meaningful support for children.”

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Cannabis Use Linked to 46% Higher Heart Attack Risk Around Surgery

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Cannabis use may increase the risk of a heart attack during or shortly after surgery, even as researchers have identified a lower incidence of venous blood clots among users. The findings, presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting in San Diego, highlight the need for patients to disclose cannabis consumption to their surgical teams before undergoing a procedure.

The study reviewed five studies involving 44,312 surgical patients and found that cannabis users had a 46% higher risk of myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, compared with non-users. Researchers, however, found no significant association between cannabis use and stroke, respiratory failure, acute kidney injury or death.

The findings come at a time when marijuana use is becoming more common and legal in most US states. Researchers said the results underline the importance of understanding how cannabis affects the cardiovascular system, particularly when the body is under the physiological stress associated with surgery and anaesthesia.

Cannabis use may increase cardiovascular risks during surgery

According to the researchers, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, can raise heart rate and blood pressure while increasing the heart’s demand for oxygen. It may also trigger spasms in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. These effects could increase the likelihood of a heart attack, particularly during anaesthesia and surgery.

Nader D. Nader, M.D., Ph.D., FASA, lead author of the study and professor of anesthesiology and surgery at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, New York, stressed that patients should inform their anaesthesiologists about cannabis use, regardless of whether it is for medical or recreational purposes.

“Our findings show that it is vitally important to tell your anesthesiologist before your procedure if you use marijuana, whether for medical or recreational purposes,” Nader said.

He added that the disclosure was not about judging patients but about ensuring their safety. Cannabis can influence the heart, blood vessels and the body’s response to anaesthesia, making it important for medical teams to understand a patient’s consumption habits before treatment.

Researchers also cautioned against assuming that cannabis is harmless simply because it is plant-derived or legal in a particular jurisdiction. They noted that its effects during surgery could pose risks that require additional precautions.

Rose Berkun, M.D., FASA, an associate professor of anesthesiology at the same institution and co-author of the study, pointed to the increasing potency of cannabis products.

“Today’s cannabis products are far more potent than they were decades ago, and higher THC levels can have serious cardiovascular effects,” Berkun said.

She emphasised that educating patients about these risks and encouraging them to disclose cannabis use to their surgeons and anaesthesiologists are important steps towards safer care.

Lower blood clot risk requires further investigation

Alongside the increased heart attack risk, researchers found that cannabis use was associated with a 22% lower risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a condition involving blood clots in the veins. Although this was an unexpected finding, the authors warned against interpreting it as evidence that cannabis protects against clot formation.

Cannabis interacts with receptors in the body that may influence inflammation and blood clotting through different mechanisms. However, the researchers said further investigation is necessary to establish how these processes relate to heart attacks and venous blood clots in surgical patients.

The study also did not identify significant associations between cannabis use and stroke, respiratory failure, acute kidney injury or death. These findings do not establish that cannabis has no effect on these outcomes, but indicate that the reviewed evidence did not demonstrate statistically significant links.

For patients preparing for surgery, the researchers recommend informing the anaesthesiologist and surgical team about how frequently cannabis is used, the form in which it is consumed and the time of the last use. Such information can help medical professionals assess cardiovascular risks, determine appropriate monitoring and make decisions about the anaesthetic plan and blood-thinning medications. Depending on the circumstances, the team may also consider delaying an elective procedure.

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New AI Model Can Detect Hidden Health Risks in Routine CT Scans

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

A new artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by researchers at Penn Medicine can identify hidden signs of disease and potential future health risks in CT scans, even when the scans were originally performed to investigate unrelated medical conditions. The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal NPJ Digital Medicine, suggest that routine medical imaging could provide doctors with a broader understanding of a patient’s health.

The model, named Percival, examines patterns in medical images that may be difficult for clinicians to identify through conventional analysis. Unlike AI systems designed to detect specific conditions, Percival can analyse imaging data more broadly, identifying possible health concerns without being directed to search for a particular disease.

Researchers believe the technology could improve early disease detection and support more personalised healthcare by extracting additional clinical information from scans that patients have already undergone.

“Our teams have developed something that learns broadly from imaging data and uncovers connections between scans, lab values, people’s physiology, and clinical outcomes to potentially give more accurate assessments of health, or even ring alarm bells early,” said senior author Walter Witschey, PhD, an associate professor of Radiology and the associate vice chair of Research IT.

“This is work that points toward a future in which medical imaging becomes a foundation for more personalized and proactive healthcare.”

Percival trained using nearly 400,000 CT scans

Percival was developed through collaboration between several research teams at Penn Medicine using information from the Penn Medicine BioBank, a large repository of patient health data collected across the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

The BioBank contains information from more than 350,000 individuals gathered over approximately two decades. Researchers used roughly 400,000 CT scans from around 50,000 patients to train and refine Percival, which remains in the preclinical testing stage.

The model’s name references Percival, one of the knights of King Arthur’s Round Table, while also honouring the late Eugene Percival Pendergrass, a prominent radiologist and educator at the University of Pennsylvania.

According to the researchers, access to extensive and diverse medical datasets is important for developing AI systems that can perform reliably across different patient populations.

“Research in AI has shown that training on larger, more diverse datasets can improve performance, and this can provide a stronger foundation for adapting a model to a hospital or patient population almost anywhere,” said lead author Cameron Beeche, a PhD candidate in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

The researchers are particularly interested in expanding the use of opportunistic screening, a process in which medical professionals identify additional health concerns while examining scans performed for another purpose.

For example, a CT scan ordered to investigate pneumonia could also contain early indications of cancer or other underlying conditions that might otherwise remain undetected.

“We’re hoping to elevate ‘opportunistic screening,’ where results are found beyond the original purpose of a scan, such as finding the early traces of cancer on a scan that was maybe assessing pneumonia,” Witschey said.

“We believe the totality of what’s in a CT scan can be made much more useful with help from a model like this.”

AI model identifies chronic diseases and predicts complications

During performance evaluations, Percival demonstrated the ability to identify imaging patterns associated with several chronic health conditions, including atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat, and chronic kidney disease.

Researchers also compared Percival with TotalSegmentator, another AI model used in medical imaging. The findings showed that Percival could identify conditions such as pancreatic cancer, cirrhosis and bacterial pneumonia more reliably than the comparison model.

Beyond identifying existing diseases, the researchers found that Percival could help predict disease progression and assess the likelihood of major cardiovascular and liver complications.

“Percival can help identify unrecognized disease, predict future progression, and anticipate major cardiovascular and liver complications,” said co-author Charles Kahn, MD, a professor of Radiology.

“Because many patients already have substantial heart or metabolic disease when they enter specialty care, routine imaging may provide an opportunity for earlier recognition and intervention.”

Despite these findings, Percival has not yet been introduced into routine clinical practice. The research team plans to begin further testing in early 2027, with the longer-term objective of making the technology available for regular clinical use.

The developers expect their experience with AInSights, another AI-based radiology system developed at Penn Medicine, to support Percival’s transition towards clinical applications.

Meanwhile, researchers are exploring whether larger datasets and information collected from multiple medical institutions could improve the model’s reliability and predictive capabilities.

Percival’s code and training model specifications have also been made publicly available through an open-source repository, allowing other researchers to examine and potentially build upon the technology.

“Percival benefited enormously from researchers who shared their code, methods, and insights into these types of models,” Witschey said. “We believe strongly in contributing to that same spirit of open science.”

The development adds to Penn Medicine’s growing portfolio of AI-based medical imaging technologies. Alongside Percival and AInSights, its researchers have developed a separate model designed to analyse cardiac MRI scans and identify medical conditions, with testing reporting near-perfect diagnostic accuracy.

While further evaluation is necessary before Percival can be used routinely in hospitals, the study suggests that AI could help doctors obtain more clinical information from existing medical scans. Such advances may eventually support earlier diagnosis, improved risk assessment and more informed treatment decisions without requiring additional imaging solely to investigate previously unrecognised conditions.

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Researchers Make Progress Toward Scaling Up Quantum Processors

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Silicon spin qubits offer a promising route to developing scalable quantum computers because they are compatible with the semiconductor manufacturing techniques used to make modern computer chips. However, they face a significant challenge: their accuracy can decline when multiple qubits are controlled simultaneously. For quantum computers to become practical, they must be able to operate large numbers of qubits in parallel without reducing the precision of their operations.

In a study published in Nature Physics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and their collaborators have tackled this problem by demonstrating high-fidelity control of multiple silicon spin qubits operating simultaneously. Using an array of five silicon qubits controlled through a single shared microwave line, the team identified a major source of errors during parallel operations and developed a method to reduce their impact. Leon Camenzind, a research scientist at RIKEN and co-first author who supervised the experiments, said, “This shows that high-fidelity control can be maintained even when several qubits are operated at the same time and represents an important step toward scaling up silicon-based quantum processors.”

Identifying and Correcting Errors in Parallel Qubit Operations

Quantum computers process information using quantum bits, or qubits, which can represent combinations of the conventional binary states 0 and 1. In silicon spin qubits, information is stored in the spin of an electron confined within a silicon substrate. Precise control over these spins is essential for performing quantum operations accurately. However, when microwave signals are used to control several qubits simultaneously, unwanted errors can arise and compromise computational precision.

The researchers began their work by finding that the major source of this degradation is a phenomenon known as the AC Stark shift, which is induced by the microwave control signals. This effect changes the effective energy levels of a qubit, shifting the phase of its quantum state and making its operation less precise. When several qubits are driven simultaneously, these shifts can interfere with the intended control of each qubit.

To address this problem, the team developed a scalable mitigation protocol based on phase calibrations. “Rather than requiring an entirely separate calibration procedure for every possible combination of qubits, our method uses calibrations between pairs of qubits to compensate for the unwanted phase shifts,” explains Yi-Hsien Wu, the first author who carried out the experiments as part of his PhD research.

Using an optimized device design and carefully calibrated microwave control pulses, the team achieved single-qubit gate fidelities well above 99.99% on each of the five qubits when operated individually, with the best approaching 99.999%. Fidelity measures how accurately a quantum operation is performed. Importantly, by using the protocol, they were able to achieve fidelities above 99.99% when up to three qubits were operated simultaneously. During parallel operation of all five qubits, the fidelities remained at approximately 99.9%, a level close to the practical requirements of fault-tolerant quantum computing.

A Step Toward Scalable, Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computers

The remaining degradation was attributed to drive-induced decoherence caused by the increased microwave power needed for simultaneous operation. Unlike the phase shifts addressed by the new calibration protocol, this effect involves a loss of quantum coherence. According to Camenzind, “This is a limitation, but further improvements to device design could help mitigate this source of error.”

The results demonstrate that high-fidelity control need not be sacrificed when silicon spin qubits operate in parallel. “By addressing a key source of control errors through pairwise calibration,” says Camenzind, “our study supports the use of shared control lines as a practical approach to scaling up quantum processors. Combined with silicon’s compatibility with established semiconductor manufacturing, we believe that this advance could help pave the way toward larger quantum processors capable of performing increasingly complex computations.”

“Our long-term goal is to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer based on silicon spin qubits, and reliable parallel control is an essential step toward that goal,” adds Seigo Tarucha, project manager of a silicon quantum computing project under JST’s Moonshot Goal 6.

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Maxwell’s Demon Finds a Way to Use Hidden Information

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

For more than 150 years, the concept of Maxwell’s demon has challenged and shaped scientific understanding of the connection between information and energy. The hypothetical microscopic gatekeeper uses information about individual particles to generate work on a larger scale. Initially, the idea appeared to contradict a fundamental law of thermodynamics by suggesting that work could be extracted from a system in thermal equilibrium. Scientists have since resolved this paradox by establishing that information has thermodynamic value and can serve as a physical resource for generating work. This principle has driven growing interest in information engines, microscopic machines powered by information rather than temperature differences, unlike conventional heat engines.

To understand how Maxwell’s demon converts information into work, imagine a small door separating two compartments containing gas molecules. By tracking the movement of individual molecules, the demon opens the door selectively, allowing faster molecules to pass in one direction and slower ones in the opposite direction. As a result, one compartment gradually heats up while the other cools, creating a temperature difference that can power a machine and generate work. Crucially, the demon produces this imbalance not by supplying energy directly, but by using information about the movement of microscopic particles.

How Hidden Information Can Help Generate Work

In real-world conditions, however, the demon cannot access complete information. Even when dealing with a single particle, its position and velocity cannot be measured with absolute precision. Furthermore, microscopic machines are often expected to function in complex environments beyond simple liquids such as water, including polymer solutions, biological fluids and other structured materials. The internal molecular structures of these environments influence particle movement but remain inaccessible to the demon through direct observation. Consequently, some relevant information stays hidden, restricting the efficiency with which microscopic machines can generate work under these conditions.

In a combined experimental and theoretical study, physicists at the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen have now shown that such hidden information can be exploited as a valuable thermodynamic resource. In the experiments, a microscopic particle is confined by a tightly focused laser beam inside a complex liquid. Unlike a simple fluid, this medium forms a dynamic, spaghetti-like network of microscopic structures that continuously rearrange and interact with the particle.

As the particle moves, it deforms this network, which in turn exerts forces back on the particle and influences its later motion. While the particle itself can be tracked with high precision, the internal dynamics of the surrounding network cannot be observed directly. From the demon’s perspective, the environment is therefore only partially visible: some of the information relevant for optimal control remains concealed in the medium. Without access to this hidden information, the demon’s actions cannot be perfectly aligned with the state of the system, reducing the amount of work that can be extracted.

A Double-Measurement Strategy Unlocks Hidden Information

To partially recover this missing information, the researchers use a double-measurement strategy. Instead of relying on a single observation, they measure the particle position twice, separated by a controlled time delay. By comparing two measurements separated in time, the researchers obtain indirect information about the hidden state of the surrounding medium. In this way, the demon gains indirect access to otherwise hidden environmental dynamics, extending its knowledge beyond a single snapshot in time. By carefully tuning the delay between the two measurements, the researchers show that energy stored in the hidden dynamics of the environment can be harvested and converted into useful work. Under suitable conditions, exploiting this hidden information allows the demon to extract more work than would be possible from a single measurement.

The results demonstrate that information encoded in hidden environmental degrees of freedom can be partially recovered and exploited as a thermodynamic resource. By exploiting temporal correlations and environmental memory, it becomes possible to harness energy from degrees of freedom that remain inaccessible to direct observation. More broadly, the current study represents an important step toward cyclic microscopic information engines that, unlike conventional heat engines, can operate without requiring a temperature difference or other macroscopic energy gradient. This is particularly relevant at microscopic length scales, where maintaining stable thermal gradients becomes increasingly difficult. Instead, such engines would use information about microscopic fluctuations as a genuine thermodynamic resource.

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Microplastics Can Be Chemically Active and May Cause Biological Harm

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Plastics are generally considered chemically stable, which is why they are widely used in food packaging, water bottles and children’s toys. Their perceived safety is largely based on this property.

However, when larger plastic objects break down into microplastics and nanoplastics, their surface area increases significantly in proportion to their volume. This exposes much more of the material to the surrounding environment.

A new study conducted by researchers at Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, has found that these newly exposed surfaces may not be chemically harmless. The researchers also identified chemical mechanisms that could explain their potential to cause harm.

“As plastic fragments into smaller and smaller particles, its surface area increases enormously. Then microplastics change the water that surrounds them, generating high-energy, reactive radicals (reactive oxygen species, ROS) that very likely contribute to biological damage that we see in animals and potentially in humans as a result of microplastic exposure,” said Wei Min, a Columbia professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering.

The work challenges the common view of microplastics as largely passive fragments of inert material and contributes to a growing understanding of why their widespread presence is a cause for concern. The research was published in the journal Nature.

This is particularly noteworthy for human health because human blood is largely made up of water. The new research suggests that microplastics entering the bloodstream or cells could remain chemically active in this water-rich biological environment.

How Microplastics Interact with Water to Generate Reactive Oxygen Species

Min’s group at Columbia University also led a 2024 study that developed a laser-based microscope technology. The researchers found that, on average, a litre of bottled water contained around 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, mostly nanometre-sized plastics known as nanoplastics. This was 10 to 100 times more fragments than previously estimated.

That study contributed to growing recognition that microplastics and nanoplastics exist throughout the food system.

The group’s 2024 research on nanoplastics attracted widespread media attention, and tackling microplastic pollution has become a public health priority. This year, the US federal government launched a $144 million programme to combat toxic microplastics in the human body. The US Environmental Protection Agency has also added microplastics to a federal list of contaminants that may pose a concern for drinking water, marking the first time microplastics have appeared on the list.

Subsequent research in prominent journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine and Nature Health, has found links between microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and heart attack, stroke, dementia and brain tumours. However, given their presumed inertness, the mechanisms through which microplastics could contribute to these illnesses had remained unclear.

The new study identifies a previously overlooked mechanism that could help bridge this gap.

“Our research found that when microplastics interact with water, as they do when they’re in bottled water, or when they’re absorbed into our bloodstream, they spontaneously generate what we call reactive oxygen species (ROS),” said Naixin Qian, a postdoctoral researcher in Wei Min’s lab who helped lead the research. “ROS are textbook examples of the kinds of molecules that can damage animal and human tissue.”

Explaining the role of water in the process, Min said: “Water is a key active player here, rather than just a spectator. It’s integral to making these microplastics reactive. Water molecules become chemically active when they come into contact with plastic, which is hydrophobic. Contact between the water and plastic creates an environment that facilitates electron transfer, and the formation of reactive radicals. When plastics fragment into smaller particles, their increasing surface-to-volume ratio creates more of these chemically active areas.”

The Columbia team conducted the chemical and biological experiments, while collaborators in the laboratory of Professor Teresa Head-Gordon at the University of California, Berkeley, developed theoretical calculations and dynamical simulations to identify how microplastics interact with water.

Head-Gordon’s laboratory led the theoretical work showing that hydroxide ions promoted into the immediate water layers near the hydrophobic microplastic interface can more easily lose an electron, creating hydroxyl radicals.

“Our fundamental work that the most hydrophobic microplastics interacting with water can drive chemical reactivity could ultimately lead to new engineering solutions by redesigning the chemistry of these commodity plastics to reduce the toxic outcomes on health and the environment,” said Head-Gordon.

What the Findings Could Mean for Human Health and the Environment

The researchers say the findings have implications for both environmental and human health, particularly because microplastics can form in everyday settings and enter aquatic environments.

“This work has significant implications for environmental and human health,” said co-author Beizhan Yan of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. “In certain environments, such as discharges from plastic manufacturers and laundromats, microplastics can form and enter aquatic environments. This work also indicates that radicals can form on hydrophobic plastic surfaces in water, which could affect ecosystems and human health following exposure. In addition, various uses and processes in our daily lives can generate microplastics, including microwave heating, sunlight exposure of bottled water during storage. This foundational work provides a potential pathway for understanding their health impacts.”

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The Hidden Force Linking Cancer Growth and Immune Cell Fitness

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Colorectal cancer has emerged as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among people under 50. Its most common forms are often difficult to treat, with limited success from conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and newer approaches like immunotherapy.

A new study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), published in Nature Immunology, could eventually offer hope to people with colorectal cancer and other diseases that currently lack effective treatments. The findings indicate that a transcription factor, which typically supports cancer growth, could potentially be repurposed to help the immune system fight cancer.

In the fight against disease, doctors have long considered physical fitness a major factor influencing patient outcomes. However, for CSHL Assistant Professor Semir Beyaz, fitness extends beyond physical condition. “We hypothesized that the fitness determinants of cancer and our immune cells may not be so different,” he said. “They’re in the same universe. They’re constrained by the same chemical and physical rules. So, it’s not surprising they’d end up evolving the same way.”

How PPARD Could Turn Immune Cells Against Cancer

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD) helps orchestrate fat burning inside human cells. To investigate this transcription factor’s role in health and disease, Beyaz’s lab first focused on a mouse model of colorectal cancer. The team found that while cancer cells have their own PPARD, activating PPARD on the immune side turns a pro-cancer tumour environment into an anti-cancer arena.

“It’s all about cell fitness,” Beyaz explains. “What cells eat affects who they are. When immune cells burn more fat, they become more fit for fighting cancer.”

But could these “leaner” immune cells kill diseased cells in human colorectal cancer? To find out, the lab activated PPARD in synthetic immune cells called CAR T cells. They then tested the PPARD-activated CAR T cells on organoids, miniature tumours grown from patient tissue samples. They also ran tests on human cancer cells in a dish and those implanted in mice.

In each case, Beyaz’s team found that PPARD-activated CAR T cells slow or stop tumour growth. Notably, CAR T cells are already used in some cancer immunotherapies.

Potential Applications Beyond Colorectal Cancer

The team initially focused on colorectal cancer because of how many young people die of it each year. However, they validated their results in other tumour types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma. Beyaz believes their findings are the “tip of the iceberg” in opening new inroads to make cancer immunotherapy more effective.

“Boosting immune cell fitness may also help with other conditions where the immune system fails to clear diseased cells,” Beyaz says. His lab is now applying this approach to endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting one in 10 women. Like colorectal cancer, it lacks effective treatment.

In a sense, Beyaz says, PPARD is not unlike “the force” from Star Wars. It can promote disease, like Darth Vader carrying out the will of the Emperor. Or, like Anakin Skywalker, it can see the light and kill the disease.

“It’s the classic fight between good and evil,” Beyaz says. “How can good ultimately prevail? Activating PPARD in immune cells could be the way.”

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Chicago Man Charged With Murder of Estranged Wife, Arrested at Airport

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

A 31-year-old Chicago man of Indian origin was arrested at O’Hare International Airport while attempting to leave the United States for India, hours after his estranged wife was found fatally stabbed in an apartment, according to police and prosecutors.

Ankur Patel faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of the 32-year-old woman, who was found in an apartment in Chicago’s Albany Park neighbourhood in August. Prosecutors allege that Patel had arranged for her to travel from Louisiana to Chicago by promising that she could see their five-year-old daughter.

According to the prosecution’s account, the child had already been sent to India to live with Patel’s parents. The woman, who had separated from Patel and begun a relationship with a former colleague, travelled to Chicago with her new partner believing she could collect their daughter.

The allegations were detailed in a court filing and presented by Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara. Patel’s charge has not been established as a conviction.

Prosecutors Allege Patel Arranged Meeting Before Fatal Stabbing

The couple separated in May, according to prosecutors. The woman subsequently began dating a former colleague who had worked with both of them.

After pressure from family members, she briefly returned to live with Patel in Wisconsin, but the reconciliation did not last. She moved out again, allowing their daughter to remain with him, prosecutors said.

Authorities allege that Patel later threatened to kill both his estranged wife and her new partner. He also stopped allowing the woman to speak with their daughter, according to the prosecution’s account.

About two weeks before the fatal encounter, Patel moved in with relatives in Chicago and sent the child to India without informing his estranged wife, prosecutors said.

On August 7, he contacted the woman, who had relocated to Louisiana with her partner, and invited her to Chicago to collect the child.

Investigators subsequently reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed Patel buying a small folding knife before the encounter. Prosecutors said the footage captured him making stabbing and slicing motions with the weapon.

The following evening, Patel met his estranged wife at an apartment on North Avers Avenue, according to the prosecution’s account. Pekara said surveillance footage recorded an argument in which Patel expressed a desire to reconcile. Patel also allegedly recorded portions of the exchange on his phone.

Prosecutors allege that Patel later produced the knife and stabbed the woman in the neck. An autopsy found multiple defensive wounds, including a deep cut to her left arm, according to evidence described in court.

The woman’s partner was waiting outside the building and repeatedly messaged her. When she did not respond, he called 911.

Chicago police attempted to contact both Patel and the woman but could not reach them. Officers went to the building but left after the partner was unable to identify the apartment she had entered, according to the prosecution’s account.

The woman was discovered later that night after Patel failed to meet friends as planned. The friends went to the apartment looking for him and found her near a washing machine before calling emergency services.

Airport Arrest Followed Attempt to Leave for India

Prosecutors allege that Patel went to O’Hare International Airport after the stabbing and tried to purchase a ticket to India. The ticket counter was closed, preventing him from buying one that night.

He subsequently checked into a nearby hotel and allegedly disposed of the knife. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from a Target store where Patel used his debit card to purchase new shoes and clothing, according to the prosecution’s account.

Patel returned to O’Hare the following day and bought a ticket to India. Federal authorities had already been alerted to the possibility that he would attempt to leave the country, prosecutors said. He was arrested at the airport before departing.

During questioning, Patel said he had not intended to kill his estranged wife but had “finished her” after she told him she would remain with her new partner and would not return to him, according to Pekara’s account of the interview.

Patel was charged with first-degree murder and ordered detained pending trial, according to local reporting.

The case remains a criminal prosecution. The allegations about the meeting, the stabbing and Patel’s subsequent movements are the prosecution’s account and should not be treated as findings of guilt.

Applications Open for 2027 SLAS Graduate Fellowship Grant Until November 9

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS), based in Oak Brook, Illinois, is inviting applications for its 2027 Graduate Education Fellowship Grant. The programme continues the organisation’s decade-long effort to support emerging scientists by funding innovative graduate-level research. It offers up to $100,000 over two years to graduate students conducting research in life sciences, including quantitative biosciences, drug discovery and laboratory technology.

Established in 2015, the fellowship supports SLAS’s mission to advance laboratory science and technology by giving graduate researchers the resources and flexibility to pursue meaningful scientific discoveries. As uncertainty surrounding future research funding continues to affect the scientific community, the programme remains a valuable source of financial support for early-career researchers.

Grant Funding and Eligibility Criteria

SLAS will award one fellowship to an eligible educational institution on behalf of a selected graduate student. The grant provides up to $50,000 annually for a maximum of two years. Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate degree programme related to high-throughput screening, quantitative biosciences or drug discovery.

Applications are evaluated based on the quality and originality of the research, its relevance to laboratory automation and screening, and the institution’s ability to support the student’s work.

Past recipient Benjamin David of the University of Michigan highlighted the flexibility the fellowship provided throughout his research journey.

“As I progress through this project, if I find an interesting aspect of the research, I have the freedom to pause and explore that new area. That wouldn’t be possible with other types of grants tied to specific work.”

Application Deadline and Who Can Apply

Applications are due Monday, November 9, 2026.

Graduate students, faculty members and educational institutions are encouraged to share this opportunity and apply.

Union Public Service Commission Releases March 2026 Recruitment Results

Indian Engineers Face Greater H-1B Scrutiny Despite Chinese Talent Returns Home

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

An engineering manager at DoorDash has offered a personal account of how the composition of the technology workforce in the United States has changed over the past decade, arguing that Indian professionals have become more visible as some Chinese engineers have returned to China for senior positions.

Karthik Hariharan said that when he was hiring software engineers in San Francisco about 10 years ago, Indian and Chinese engineers were represented in roughly equal numbers among the H-1B workers he encountered. The balance has since shifted towards Indian professionals, he said, potentially making them more exposed to criticism from opponents of immigration.

Hariharan shared the observation amid growing scrutiny of employment-based immigration under US President Donald Trump, whose administration has intensified its focus on foreign-worker programmes and employer-sponsored green cards.

His comments, reported by The Times of India, offer an individual perspective on the changing workforce. They do not establish the relative numbers of Indian and Chinese H-1B workers across the United States, for which broader immigration data would be required.

Why Indian and Chinese Engineers Followed Different Paths

Hariharan attributed part of the change to differences in the career choices of the two groups.

He said several Chinese engineers he had hired had subsequently returned to China and progressed into senior leadership positions, including vice-president and chief technology officer roles in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

He suggested that language barriers in the United States may have influenced some of their decisions, while opportunities to advance professionally in China made returning home attractive.

By contrast, he said, many of the Indian engineers he had hired remained in the United States and progressed into senior engineering management and director-level positions.

That difference, in his assessment, has contributed to the greater visibility of Indian professionals in the American technology workforce.

However, the explanation remains anecdotal. Establishing whether language, domestic career opportunities, immigration constraints or other factors account for the different trajectories would require additional evidence from workers, employers and immigration statistics.

Hariharan also pushed back against attempts to explain differences in workplace performance through ethnicity.

Responding to a comment about the quality of Indian technology workers, he argued that similar patterns could be observed among engineers from Eastern Europe, Latin America and other parts of East Asia.

He said the more relevant factors were hiring standards and performance expectations, rather than ethnicity or culture. His response placed the emphasis on how companies recruit, assess and manage employees instead of treating national origin as a reliable indicator of professional ability.

US Green Card Restrictions Add to Immigration Uncertainty

The discussion comes as the Trump administration has tightened scrutiny of employment-based immigration.

On October 8, the US Department of Labor announced the suspension of new and pending Permanent Labor Certification, or PERM, applications involving eight technology and IT services companies: Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini.

The administration cited alleged misuse of employment-based immigration programmes and concerns about protecting American workers. Those allegations should not be treated as established violations without supporting findings.

PERM is a key step in the process through which employers sponsor eligible foreign workers for many employment-based green cards. The suspension affects that route to permanent residency but does not, by itself, cancel existing H-1B visas.

The distinction is important for Indian technology professionals. An H-1B visa permits eligible foreign workers to take specified employment in the United States, while a green card provides permanent resident status. The two processes are related for some workers but are not interchangeable.

The restrictions could create additional uncertainty for employees whose permanent residency plans depend on employer-sponsored labour certification. The consequences for individual workers will depend on the status of their applications and any subsequent developments in the policy.

Infosys said in a statement filed with Indian stock exchanges on October 10 that it did not anticipate a material impact on the organisation from the suspension. The company also said it remained committed to working with US authorities and complying with applicable laws.

The wider debate over skilled immigration therefore involves several distinct questions: how employers recruit foreign professionals, whether immigration rules are being followed, how workers advance in their careers and how the United States balances its demand for technical expertise with domestic employment priorities.

Hariharan’s account adds a workforce perspective to that debate. It suggests that the visibility of Indian engineers may reflect not only recruitment patterns but also decisions about where professionals choose to build their careers. It does not, on its own, establish why the overall H-1B workforce has changed or demonstrate that Indian workers are being targeted because of their growing numbers.

Trailblazing Technique Uncovers Real Shape of Scorching-Hot Exoplanet Atmospheres

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Until now, exoplanets with extremely hot atmospheres have been portrayed as having circular shapes. However, new research suggests that their atmospheres are not perfectly symmetrical spheres but instead have irregular, distorted contours.

The study, jointly led by Cornell University in the US and the University of Bristol in the UK, marks the first use of an innovative technique known as ‘transmission strings’. Developed at Bristol by astrophysicists Dr David Grant and Dr Hannah Wakeford, the method uses observations from JWST, the largest space telescope, to reveal the uneven outlines of an exoplanet’s atmosphere for the first time.

Published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the findings indicate that the atmosphere is broadly circular but asymmetrical, with one side extending farther than the other. These variations reveal how extreme temperatures and powerful winds shape the atmosphere of WASP-17b, a ‘hot Jupiter’ exoplanet located approximately 1,300 light-years from Earth.

Lead author Dr Lili Alderson, a Klarman Postdoctoral Fellow at Cornell University, embarked on the exoplanetary investigation at the University of Bristol, where she gained her doctoral degree in Physics.

Dr Alderson said: “This is proof of concept that planets are in fact 3D objects, and that consistently, as they go around their star, what we predict should be happening is happening. To move beyond computational exercises and see it for real is a different matter.”

The findings about WASP-17b’s atmospheric chemical composition and temperature shifts, from the equator to the poles and between permanent day and night sides, are consistent with theoretical predictions and other modelling techniques. Together, they create one of the most comprehensive 3D views of an exoplanet’s atmosphere and provide an important benchmark for comparison with the more than 6,000 other exoplanets confirmed to date.

Co-author Dr Hannah Wakeford, Associate Professor in Astrophysics at the University of Bristol, said: “Planets are temperamental, their atmospheres complex and chaotic. The fact that all of these numbers came together and showed us this very structured, dynamical picture of this giant world over 1,000 light-years away was just really exciting.”

How the Transmission Strings Technique Reveals Exoplanet Atmospheres

Previous research has used JWST’s game-changing sensitivity to pioneer a technique called eclipse mapping, which measures changes in light as an exoplanet swings behind its host star. The new ‘transmission strings’ method, also called transit mapping, tracks the planet as it crosses in front of the star, capturing the composition of light around the edge of the planet’s atmosphere, or limb, from different angles. By contrast, traditional modelling extracts a spectrum only as an average across the entire limb.

“Rather than assuming your atmosphere is a circle with the same radius all the way around, our technique allows you to pull out different distances from the centre to the edge of the planet,” Dr Alderson said. “We’re able to go around the edge. So, we’ve gone from a ring to understanding where on the ring the gemstones are, so to speak.”

The researchers revealed a “gem” where theory and previous modelling indicated one should be on WASP-17b, on the “evening” side of its equator. There, jets of wind transport heat from the planet’s permanently illuminated day side around towards the permanently shadowed night side, inflating the atmosphere relative to the equator’s cooler “morning” side. Transit mapping verified other characteristics of WASP-17b.

Dr Alderson added: “Theory predicts that the morning and the evening sides should have a strong temperature difference, and WASP-17b fits really nicely in that trend – pretty much bang-on what we thought it would be.”

New Research Opens the Way to Mapping Weather Patterns on Distant Planets

This successful demonstration of transmission strings on WASP-17b paves the way for mapping many more candidates. The process is starting to differentiate conditions across exoplanet latitudes, beyond just day and night sides, and providing a first step towards mapping weather-scale patterns in exoplanet climates.

Dr Wakeford said: “Having this very robust mathematical model that we can apply to this state-of-the-art data is incredibly exciting. The results are a really beautiful demonstration of the dynamics that are going on in these multidimensional and multifaceted worlds.”

The research analysed data collected by the JWST Telescope Scientist Deep Reconnaissance of Exoplanet Atmospheres through Multi-instrument Spectroscopy (TST DREAMS) Guaranteed Time Observations programme. It was funded by NASA, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and the Klarman Fellowship.

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