Natural cotton fibers remain an apparel staple due to their exceptional softness, loft, and insulation. However, cotton presents a severe performance limitation when deployed in active sports or cold-weather gear: its hydrophilic structure acts like a sponge, absorbing perspiration and ambient humidity.

Once saturated, cotton fibers lose their structural loft and aggressively conduct heat away from the body, increasing the risk of severe hypothermia in extreme sub-zero environments.

To overcome this fundamental thermodynamic flaw, an engineering team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has synthesized a lightweight, flexible, and entirely hydrophobic material that replicates the tactile fluffiness of cotton.

The research relies on an advanced material, a phase-change fiber aerogel (PCFA). Unlike static insulations, this active synthetic textile dynamically stores and releases thermal energy while remaining completely immune to water absorption.

Microencapsulated polymeric aerogel matrix

The structural architecture of the PCFA prototype consists of a highly porous, flexible network of specialized hydrophobic polymer fibers. Rather than applying a superficial water-resistant coating—which historically washes away or stiffens garments—the engineers embedded a dense matrix of microscopic capsules directly into the core of the polymeric strands during the fabrication phase.

These microcapsules house a specialized phase-change hydrocarbon compound engineered to function as an autonomous thermal gatekeeper. At standard or relatively cool sub-ambient temperatures, the hydrocarbon molecules arrange into a highly organized, tight crystalline pattern.

This binding behavior physically locks the surrounding polymer fibers together, creating a dense, static boundary layer that traps the wearer’s body heat inside localized micro-pockets.

Regulating thermal flux via molecular phase shifts

The primary innovation of the PCFA textile lies in its ability to undergo an autonomous molecular transition at a specific thermal threshold. When environmental temperatures or physical exertion push the fabric to a precise transitional temperature of 26.2°C (79.16°F), the internal hydrocarbon undergoes a controlled phase change, melting from a crystalline solid to an amorphous fluid.

This thermodynamic phase shift forces the microencapsulated matrix to relax, opening the fiber structure to release stored heat and enabling slightly higher thermal conductivity. During extensive laboratory stress testing using 6-by-20-inch swatches, the material automatically toggled between heat-retention and heat-dissipation cycles in response to shifting ambient air currents.

When subjected to extreme sub-zero simulations at -25°C (-13°F), a hand wrapped in the PCFA prototype remained significantly warmer than an identical hand wrapped in natural cotton insulation of equal thickness, proving its superior thermal barrier efficiency.

Hydrophobic Resilience and Industrial Wash Durability

Heavily prioritizing real-world resilience, the synthetic aerogel demonstrates total moisture immunity. When exposed to highly humid environments and direct water droplet impacts, the PCFA swatches actively repelled the liquid, remaining completely dry while adjacent natural cotton samples quickly absorbed the moisture.

The material also demonstrated superb mechanical elasticity and durability during repeated flex testing, retaining its structural integrity when wrapped tightly around a continuously bending mechanical finger.

To verify the fabric’s commercial viability for outdoor gear, the team subjected the PCFA swatches to twenty consecutive, high-turnover industrial laundering cycles. Post-wash auditing revealed that the material completely resisted fiber shedding, returned to its original fluffy volume immediately, and retained 97% of its baseline heat-trapping capability. The researchers note that because the phase-change material is securely microencapsulated, it cannot leak onto the wearer or degrade over time, paving the way for highly durable, low-maintenance extreme-weather clothing lines.

This breakthrough was first published in the journal ACS Energy Letters,

The United States Army (the Army) has awarded Rune Technologies a $99 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for its proprietary TyrOS platform.

The IDIQ framework will run for five years, during which authorized Department of War (DoW) organizations can place orders for the software and associated services through the contract, up to a maximum cumulative value of $99 million.

“Established by the Army and available for broader DoW use, the vehicle enables Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Guardians, Commanders, Sustainers, acquisition professionals, and contracting teams to rapidly access and field-proven software solutions at the speed of operations,” Rune explains in an official press release.

This differs from “normal” military procurement in that it offers a potential rapid-adoption pathway for interested parties. For anyone even remotely familiar with military purchases (which can take many months to years), this could reduce procurement timelines from many months to just days.

But what is the big deal with the new software? Well, Rune’s TyrOS is akin to a mix of Amazon, Google Maps, inventory management, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, and predictive analytics in one place. In this sense, it acts a bit like an AI-assisted logistics operating system.

Windows for war

Windows for war, if you like. “Logistics is the distribution layer of military power, and it has to move at the speed of the fight,” said David Tuttle, Co-Founder and CEO of Rune Technologies.

“This contract gives sustainment teams across the Army and joint force a single, repeatable way to deploy TyrOS and other Rune capabilities into their units, while reducing acquisition friction and accelerating capability delivery to the tactical edge,” he added.

The system not only tells users that an asset needs resupply but can also identify potential bottlenecks and recommend alternative courses of action.

So, the AI will go far beyond something simple like “fuel will run out here in X days.” It will help users find alternative sources, reroute convoys to assist, etc., before a crisis occurs.

Beyond predictive modeling, one of TyrOS’ strengths, Rune explains, is that it uses a native large language model (LLM) as part of its interface. So, instead of clicking through menus, a user can simply ask a question using natural language to get the answer they want.

Say they ask something like “show every artillery battalion that will be below 30% ammunition within the next 72 hours.” The AI converts that into database queries and produces an answer.

Proactive, not reactive

But it gets better than that. As Rune explains, its software features a specially designed AI agent called Saga. This sophisticated piece of software effectively acts as an automated AI logistician in the system.

To this end, it is able to autonomously detect issues and then generate recommendations for action. A human still approves the decision, but the planning work is largely automated.

Yet another innovation is something called “edge-first architecture.” Normally, AI systems rely heavily on cloud servers, which, in turn, rely on stable and reliable telecommunications.

But satellite link failures, network jamming, and physical severing of telecoms are something of an occupational hazard in war. Edge-first means the AI runs locally on military computers or servers.

So even if disconnected from headquarters, a brigade can still use the system. Not too shabby.

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Railway engineering researchers in Beijing are proposing a revolutionary shift: relocating the command, signaling, and control architecture of high-speed trains into space.

As described in the journal Railway Signalling and Communication Engineering, their comprehensive framework envisions a space-based train control system to govern vast high-speed rail networks from orbit. Bypassing ground infrastructure, this system promises resilience against natural disasters but also introduces new cybersecurity challenges.

Current high-speed rail networks depend on vast ground-based infrastructure—trackside beacons, signal lamps, and radio masts—to ensure safety. These remain vulnerable to extreme weather, floods, earthquakes, and lightning, which disrupt signals and ground control.

The proposed space-based model uses a dedicated satellite constellation to maintain constant data exchange with high-speed trains. Trains send location data to satellites, which relay it to ground control. Commands are sent back through the same route, protecting operations from terrestrial disruptions.

Mapping out cyber vulnerabilities and exploitation vectors

However, this space-based system introduces new digital vulnerabilities. Shen Xiangyu and his team at the CRSC Research and Design Institute Group, responsible for China’s railway signaling, conducted a threat analysis to identify ways the system could be compromised. They mapped several possible cyber-attack methods that could disrupt or manipulate the orbital control structure.

The main risk is signal spoofing. Hackers could imitate satellite transmission frequencies, sending false data to alter train operations. An attacker might send fake “movement authority” codes to cause unsafe speed changes or falsify train locations to clear tracks prematurely.

The study also highlights threats such as jamming attacks that drown out satellite signals, denial-of-service attacks that exhaust bandwidth, and tampering with onboard satellite receivers. Without safeguards, these attacks could result in serious safety failures.

Building a multilayered digital and physical defense matrix

To defend against these threats, the CRSC team designed a multi-layered cryptographic and sensor-based security system. Digitally, all communications between ground centers, satellites, and trains would be protected by military-grade encryption.

Satellites would have hardware firewalls and real-time intrusion detection to filter out unverified or corrupted commands instantly.

Physically, the system uses decentralized validation. Instead of relying solely on satellites, trains cross-check orbital navigation data with multiple ground-based sensors: onboard inertial navigation, legacy track circuits, and passive balises embedded in the tracks. This ensures commands are only executed if satellite data matches ground feedback, blocking spoofed signals from taking control.

Export potential and infrastructure leapfrogging

This orbital control system also has major economic implications. Backed by China’s National Key R&D Programme, it’s designed for global scalability.

Building high-speed rail in developing regions typically requires laying thousands of miles of cable through difficult terrain, such as deserts or mountains, making expansion costly and slow.

A space-based system allows countries to bypass decades of infrastructure development. Eliminating the need for trackside cabling and signal masts reduces costs and accelerates project timelines.

This makes high-speed rail viable in remote locations, positioning the satellite system as a competitive option for international transport projects.

Dassault Aviation has achieved a major milestone in its business jet program as the all-new Falcon 10X successfully completed its maiden flight. The step marks the beginning of the aircraft’s flight-test campaign and demonstrating the maturity of the development program.

The inaugural flight took place from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in France, where test pilot Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin and copilot Fabrice Dougnac lifted off aboard the Falcon 10X for a mission lasting approximately two and a half hours.

During the flight, the crew evaluated the aircraft’s handling characteristics and onboard systems, reaching an altitude of 40,000 feet and accelerating to Mach 0.82 before returning for a smooth landing.

First flight

The successful first flight represents a significant step forward for Dassault Aviation as it prepares what is expected to become one of the most advanced and spacious ultra-long-range business jets in the world.

Speaking on the achievement, Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier described the maiden flight as an important milestone for the company. He credited the accomplishment to the dedication and expertise of the engineering, production, and flight-test teams, as well as the support of the company’s global network of partners.

“This inaugural flight is another milestone for Dassault,” said Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier.

“It is a reflection of the dedication and high skill of our engineering, production, and flight teams, and also the quality of our global network of partners. All of us are excited to see this day as we launch into a new phase for the 10X.”

Aircraft performed as planned

The Falcon 10X program has been years in the making, involving thousands of employees and suppliers. Test pilot Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin noted that the aircraft performed as planned throughout the flight, highlighting the extensive effort invested in bringing the aircraft from concept to reality.

The flight-test program is expected to expand rapidly. A second test aircraft is nearing completion and will soon join the campaign, while a third aircraft equipped with a full interior will be used primarily for systems evaluation, cabin functionality assessments, and reliability testing.

The Falcon 10X is positioned as the flagship of Dassault’s Falcon family and is designed to set new standards in business aviation through a combination of advanced technology, long-range capability, and passenger comfort. The aircraft is expected to compete in the ultra-long-range segment, serving customers who require intercontinental travel with enhanced efficiency and luxury.

Dassault Aviation emphasized that it is currently the only aircraft manufacturer flying an entirely new aircraft type in 2026, underscoring the company’s continued commitment to innovation. The achievement also reflects the benefits of Dassault’s unique expertise across both civil and military aviation sectors, which has long been a cornerstone of the company’s success.

With more than a century of aerospace experience and over 10,000 aircraft delivered worldwide, Dassault Aviation continues to strengthen its position as one of the leading manufacturers of high-end business jets. The successful maiden flight of the Falcon 10X marks the beginning of a new chapter for the company and brings the aircraft one step closer to entering service.

A new study published in Nanotechnology journal Nature Publishing Group’s Nature Nanotechnology has found that microscopic boron nitride nanotubes can transport lithium ions at speeds far greater than previously expected. 

These tiny tube-shaped channels were shown to selectively move lithium ions while blocking many other ions, effectively creating a high-speed pathway for lithium transport. The findings suggest that boron nitride nanotubes could serve as a promising platform for next-generation separation technologies. 

Potential applications include clean energy production, including blue energy systems that generate power from the mixing of saltwater and freshwater, as well as more efficient lithium extraction for battery manufacturing.

New ion transport mechanism surpasses theoretical expectations 

According to Sangil Kim, the newly identified transport mechanism enables lithium ions to move through nanotubes at exceptionally high speeds. Kim, an associate professor of chemical engineering at University of Illinois Chicago and co-author of the study, noted that the observed ion transport rates significantly exceeded both theoretical predictions and results reported in existing experimental systems, highlighting the unusual efficiency of the nanotube-based approach.

Efficient ion transport plays a critical role in a wide range of industrial applications. When salts dissolve in water, they split into positively and negatively charged ions that travel through nanochannels at varying speeds. Managing and controlling this ion movement across membranes is essential for advancing technologies such as batteries, desalination systems, critical mineral extraction, and renewable energy generation.

Still, balancing fast ion movement with high selectivity remains a major scientific and engineering challenge. In this study, the researchers developed membranes containing millions of tiny boron nitride nanotubes, which have charged surfaces and unusual transport properties. When placed between solutions with different salt concentrations, the membranes allowed ions to pass through much more quickly than expected. 

Lithium ions stood out in particular, moving about 31 times faster than predicted. The results also showed strong selectivity, with lithium ions traveling through the channels significantly faster than other types of ions.

Electric eel-inspired system turns ion flow into usable energy 

To demonstrate the potential of the system, Kim and his team showed that the small membranes could generate enough energy from salt solutions to power simple electronic devices. Kim noted that they were able to operate a watch and a calculator using this approach. 

The concept of producing electricity from ion movement is not new, and as Kim explained, electric eels use a similar principle in nature, generating electrical bursts by controlling ion flow across specialized cells known as electrocytes.

Electrocytes rely on ion channels to convert chemical gradients into electrical energy, a natural process that has long inspired efforts to replicate similar mechanisms in engineered systems, including the membranes developed in this study.

Going forward, Kim and his team aim to explore additional applications for the technology, with a particular focus on the nanotubes’ ability to separate lithium. He noted that the findings could potentially be used for lithium recovery from waste batteries, with the team also planning to investigate the underlying physics in more detail to better understand what drives the unusually fast ion transport observed in the system.

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Decoding a long-standing ecological mystery, a team of mathematicians at New York University has demonstrated that flocking birds and schooling fish coordinate their high-speed group movements using the exact structural mechanics of soft crystalline materials.

The study reveals that organized lines of wildlife mimic atomic lattices, with individual animals behaving like “atoms” bound together by flexible, spring-like interactions. The findings establish a highly novel methodology for interpreting collective biological coordination.

Beyond purely ecological observations, this mathematical translation delivers vital structural data for engineering low-drag automotive fleets, highly coordinated robotic swarms, and aerospace systems.

The discovery was spearheaded by researchers at the Applied Mathematics Laboratory within NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Lead author Christiana Mavroyiakoumou, currently a fellow at Oxford University’s Mathematical Institute, along with Courant Professor Leif Ristroph and undergraduate researcher Jiajie Wu, established that animal columns closely match the structural properties of soft crystals.

These materials possess ordered atomic organizations that remain highly sensitive to external stimuli. The team discovered that this precise spatial fragility is exactly what allows biological collectives to effortlessly warp their formations without breaking rank when dodging predators or bypassing physical architecture, such as buildings or underwater reefs.

Parallels between soft crystals and living systems

To understand the intricate aerodynamics governing animal columns, the researchers proposed a mathematical framework that treats a flock or school as an elastic solid.

In a traditional soft crystal, the atomic organization is inherently fragile, meaning the repeating pattern of atoms can shift or deform easily when exposed to subtle changes in physical force or temperature.

The NYU mathematicians realized that this exact structural sensitivity mirrors how animal collectives navigate complex, real-time traffic challenges.

Rather than maintaining rigid, unyielding lines, birds and fish must continuously sense and respond to immediate environmental pressures. The flexible bonds that connect the group behave almost identically to the atomic springs that hold a soft crystal together.

While this structural configuration makes the collective composition fragile, the team notes that this fragility provides a significant survival advantage. It allows the animal line to behave as a highly responsive sensor array, enabling the group to quickly communicate situational changes down the line and reshape their geometry instantaneously to survive.

Simulating wildlife wakes with hydrodynamic models

Before this mathematical breakthrough, scientists understood the broad, macro-level dynamics that kept animal groups together, but the precise math governing their non-colliding, orchestrated maneuvers remained elusive.

By framing the problem through the lens of condensed matter physics, the NYU team was able to map out how individual animals leverage the fluid wakes of their neighbors. In a single-file, columnar formation, each animal generates a distinct aerodynamic or hydrodynamic trailing wave.

The trailing bird or fish relies on these fluid vortices to naturally regulate its distance from the leader, functioning exactly like a mechanical spring. This interaction creates a self-stabilizing feedback loop.

If an animal drifts too close, the fluid pressure pushes it back; if it falls too far behind, the localized drag dynamics pull it forward into the optimized slot. This mathematical insight explains how thousands of independent creatures can travel at high velocities without a centralized leader or manual communication.

Validating the lattice model with motorized “mock flocks”

To confirm that their predictive mathematical algorithms accurately reflected real-world fluid dynamics, the research team compared their results against physical laboratory simulations. The team deployed a specialized “mock flock” apparatus within a dynamic water-testing tank.

This system utilized a series of motorized, 3D-printed plastic wing foils designed to replicate the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic wakes generated by birds in flight or fish in mid-swim.

Driven to flap up and down in absolute unison, these automated flappers were allowed to freely adjust their positions horizontally within a single-file queue. Across various propulsion velocities, the mechanical swarm automatically self-organized into an evenly distributed line, relying solely on the surrounding fluid vortices to snap individual wings into perfect position.

The physical flappers behaved exactly as predicted by the soft-crystal model, proving that environmental fluid flows act as invisible, spring-like bonds that naturally regulate group spacing without requiring conscious mental calculation from individual organisms.

The study was first published in the journal Physical Review Fluids.

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In an interesting twist of fate, researchers from the Institute of Papyrology at Heidelberg University discovered “curse tablets” from the Roman era, a fascinating look at the more superstitious side of a triumphant empire.

Found in a pit in the Town Square in Heerlen, the curse tablet measuring about 3.7 by 1.9 inches had been laid to rest at a former Roman military settlement of Coriovallum in Lower Germania.

Whoever left it there had a vendetta against her own, or someone else, as researchers suspect that a slave had written the curse either against the four slaves named, or an unknown person.

Known as a defixione or katadesmoi, these curse tablets made of lead were marked with spells and then buried in places associated with supernatural forces, showing that we, humans, have always had a desire to invoke the gods to act in our favor.

This is a rare sighting from Roman Egypt that revealed the role that magic played in that society, at a time when cultures and belief systems were mixing and spreading throughout the empire.

Someone was mad

Researchers had an arduous task before them, as time damaged the inscription. They employed reflectance transformation imaging, which allowed them to penetrate the tablet deeper than their eyes could, picking up more of the inscription lost, their wish perhaps answered by the gods.

Upon the profane/sacred tablet, they found references to Egyptian divinities, which, according to researchers, surprised them as a rare sighting in Germany. Most in Northern Europe follow a similar format: Latin and Roman. Not Egyptian.

And the plot thickens… as it was buried, interestingly, in a former Roman military settlement, and typically, these were buried in locations infused with the supernatural. Below three magical symbols, the author wrote the names of four enslaved people. The men held Latin names. The women, Greek.

As the inscription had been damaged, researchers couldn’t decipher whether this tablet had cursed four slaves or whether four slaves had cried out to the Egyptian gods and demi-heroes, who knows? To wrath. To wreak havoc on an unknown person.

“The tablet served either as a curse against these four slaves or as a curse in their name against an unnamed person,” as the Heidelberg papyrologist told Phys.

Hoping to “work a little magic”

Already, the curse tablet stands alone among the others that researchers have found, because the author etched the message in Greek rather than Latin. These thin sheets of lead containing scratches of supernatural desires were used to sway a court case, target a rival, or even a lover, as per Archaeology News.

“It cannot be ruled out that one of the two women was the author of the inscription and had brought the supposed ability to communicate with divine powers through such curses with her from Roman Egypt,” says Dr. Julia Lougovaya, research associate at the Institute for Papyrology in Phys.

That might suggest that she wrote it for someone, on behalf of four slaves. This author might have originated from Roman Egypt because of the references used. Along the Nile, magic played a fundamental role in society. But interestingly, more so related to protection and healing, as per Phys.

But this was a curse. And these tablets were Roman. So, did a former slave flip the concept? The significance of the tablet rests on its cultural mix.

In the far north of the Roman Empire, this Egyptian-meets-Greek artifact was found, exhibiting just how far the mélange of cultures traveled. Perhaps, it might even inspire ideas as to who might have wanted to curse someone at some Roman camp, because of the slave names written across the tablet.

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Nature is often portrayed as a battlefield where every species competes for food, territory, and survival. Yet some of the most successful relationships in the natural world are built on cooperation. 

Across oceans, forests, and deserts, animals regularly interact with members of other species in ways that benefit both sides. Interestingly, from an evolutionary perspective, this cooperation should be difficult. This is because animals belonging to different species do not share the same instincts, sensory abilities, or interests. 

One animal may communicate through scent, another through movement, and a third through sound. Also, misunderstandings can be dangerous. A potential partner might instead become a competitor, a parasite, or even a predator.

“This gap in our understanding is noteworthy because animal interspecies cooperation combines features of multiple interaction types, sharing some challenges with broader mutualisms, such as cross-species communication and increased risk of harm or exploitation,” the authors of a new study note.

A new study examines how species overcome these obstacles through the exchange of information. The study authors argue that cues and signals help animals identify potential partners, assess their motivation to cooperate, and judge how reliable they are likely to be.

“Cues and signals are likely to be particularly crucial in animal interspecies cooperation, a specific form of mutualism that depends on real-time, interactive behavioural coordination to secure mutual benefit,” the study authors added.

By bringing together evidence from many forms of interspecies cooperation, the study provides a framework for understanding how communication helps make these unlikely partnerships possible.

Reducing risk and uncertainty in animal cooperation

The study emerged from a large interdisciplinary effort involving 58 researchers working across fields including animal behavior, ecology, evolution, anthropology, and linguistics. 

Rather than focusing on a single species or ecosystem, the team examined evidence from a broad range of cooperative relationships to understand the common principles that allow different species to coordinate their actions.

What interested the researchers was not the details of any one partnership but a challenge common to all of them, which was uncertainty. Whenever individuals from different species interact, they must somehow determine whether cooperation is worth the risk.

The researchers found that many cooperative systems contain mechanisms that reduce this uncertainty. These can include visual displays, sounds, chemical compounds, body postures, or repeated behavioral patterns. 

Regardless of the form they take, their purpose is similar—they provide information that allows one species to anticipate the actions of another.

Seen this way, communication functions less like a conversation and more like a mechanism for reducing uncertainty. Signals can reveal who a partner is, whether it intends to cooperate, and how predictable its behavior is likely to be. By making behavior more predictable, they reduce the risks that would otherwise discourage cooperation.

One example comes from the partnership between greater honeyguide birds and humans in parts of Africa. The birds use calls and behaviors that help direct people toward wild bees’ nests, while humans respond with their own vocal signals during the search. As a result, both sides gain access to resources they would struggle to obtain as efficiently on their own. 

From accidental clues to biological languages

The study also explores how communication systems may evolve over time. The researchers distinguish between cues and signals. A cue provides information to another species but did not evolve specifically for communication. 

A signal, in contrast, has been shaped by evolution because it influences how another organism responds. However, the study authors note, “signals can evolve from cues.”

The study points to interactions involving brightly colored cleaner fish on coral reefs as an example of how information can facilitate cooperation. Their distinctive appearance and behavior help client fish recognize them as cleaning partners rather than prey.

According to the researchers, characteristics that reliably convey useful information can become increasingly important if other species benefit from responding to them. Over time, natural selection may strengthen these interactions.

Individuals who provide clearer information gain more cooperative opportunities, while those who interpret the information more accurately gain greater benefits. The authors suggest that this process can lead to coevolution, with one species becoming better at providing information and the other becoming better at interpreting it.

In this way, what begins as an incidental cue can gradually develop into a more specialized signal that helps coordinate cooperation between species. The researchers also found that these communication systems are not always fixed. Some appear remarkably consistent, while others vary across environments and populations. 

This flexibility suggests that communication between species can be shaped not only by evolution but also by local ecological conditions and, in some cases, learning.

The hidden rules of cooperation

According to the study authors, “animal interspecies cooperation provides a powerful opportunity to investigate the evolution of communication.” 

By examining how species exchange information to coordinate their actions, the researchers argue that communication may be one of the hidden foundations of cooperation in nature.

By comparing interspecies cooperation with communication systems found within species and in other mutualistic relationships, the authors provide a broader framework for understanding how cooperation emerges and persists.

At the same time, the researchers emphasize that many forms of interspecies communication remain poorly understood. This is because most studies have focused on a relatively small number of well-known examples, leaving many species and ecosystems unexplored. 

Future work will investigate how signals originate, how they vary across populations, and how communication systems can evolve between cooperating species.

For now, the study’s message is simple. Cooperation does not require animals to share a common language. It requires enough information for each partner to recognize, interpret, and respond to the other. In nature, this ability may be what transforms a risky encounter into a lasting partnership.

The study is published in the journal Animal Behavior.

The activity is being carried out under a lease agreement with NorthStar that gives Zeno Power access to specialized nuclear-grade infrastructure, enabling initial deliveries to government customers as early as 2027, followed by a planned ramp-up in production capacity and targeting the ability to scale nuclear battery production from 2028 onward.

The work is based at the Vallecitos complex, a 1,600-acre site established in 1957 that once hosted the US’ first privately owned nuclear power plant and held Power Reactor License No. 1 issued by the Atomic Energy Commission. The site historically supported reactor research, fuel testing, and isotope production. 

In March 2025, former operators finalized an agreement with NorthStar to carry out decommissioning and restoration of the wider facility. That remediation work will continue across the site in parallel with Zeno’s manufacturing operations within a designated hot cell area.

Decontaminated hot cells brought online

According to Zeno Power co-founder and CEO Tyler Bernstein, the Vallecitos site represents a foundational location in the history of US commercial nuclear energy, and the company intends to build on that legacy through its work on nuclear batteries for critical national missions.

The US firm has recently taken possession of initial decontaminated hot cells at the facility, which are heavily shielded rooms designed for the safe handling of radioactive materials. Non-radiological operations have already begun on site, while the start of radiological activities is expected later this year, pending regulatory approval.

The Vallecitos Nuclear Center holds existing decommissioning licenses from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and California regulators, along with rare hot cell infrastructure in the US. Hot cells are heavily shielded rooms that allow nuclear materials to be handled remotely using mechanical arms and lead-glass viewing systems, enabling safe assembly work involving radioactive components.

Zeno Power’s restoration of the facilities takes place within this licensed framework and existing infrastructure, while the company’s activities are also expected to support retention and development of nuclear-skilled labor as the site transitions through decommissioning and limited industrial reuse.

Company adds third location in California, citing regional talent base

The expansion is expected to draw on engineering, nuclear, and operations expertise across Berkeley, Livermore, and Silicon Valley. The new facility will be Zeno Power’s third location, complementing existing offices and laboratories in Seattle, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert described the project as a significant development for the region, citing high-skilled job creation, the retention of specialized nuclear expertise at Vallecitos, and increased economic activity. He said the investment positions Alameda County as a hub for advanced manufacturing supporting defense, space, and commercial applications.

Katie Marcel, CEO of Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group, noted that the organization welcomes Zeno Power to the region as it develops its nuclear battery production capabilities. The planned manufacturing activity at Vallecitos is positioned within broader US efforts to strengthen domestic radiological and nuclear infrastructure amid rising demand for nuclear energy applications. 

The initiative is also described by the company as aligning with a White House’s executive order which outlines steps toward expanding the US nuclear sector. The company further notes that by using an existing licensed facility for production, the project contributes to ongoing efforts to reestablish parts of the domestic nuclear industrial base for long-term energy and mission-critical applications.

The largest Roman bathhouse complex ever discovered in the Netherlands has surfaced, shedding new light on the wealth and importance of the ancient Roman city of Ulpia Noviomagus.

Researchers from the archaeological firms RAAP and BAAC were conducting routine investigations in Nijmegen’s Waalfront district, a site slated for new residential development. The excavation, which began in September of last year and will conclude in July, uncovered a public bathhouse, residential blocks, luxury townhouses, streets, and a tower dating back nearly 2,000 years.

“For years, the traces of the Roman past at this location were invisible, hidden deep underground. Now that we are realizing a new living environment here, the past has become visible,” said Joost Mulder, BPD’s Regional Director for the North-East & Central region, in a press release.

The bathhouse complex, or thermae, covered at least 4,900 square meters, making it the second-largest excavated Roman public bath complex in the Netherlands. Despite centuries of stone removal and reuse following the Roman period, parts of the structure remain exceptionally well-preserved.

Roman history unearthed

The size of the complex reflects the importance of Ulpia Noviomagus—the Roman city that once stood here—which is believed to have received its official status from Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. The discoveries suggest that this area of the city remained active well into the third century AD.

The bathhouse was richly decorated. Its interior walls were clad in marble. The floors were laid with black-and-white limestone tiles. Other rooms featured colorful, painted plaster. Decorative limestone and sandstone moldings adorned the building’s facades, while columns made from the same materials enhanced its splendor.

Archaeologists also uncovered extensive drainage systems, flooring, and a hypocaust—a sophisticated Roman underfloor heating system supported by brick pillars. This technology circulated hot air beneath a raised floor, as per Archaeology News. Two stone foundations survive to a height of nearly two meters, making them some of the best-preserved examples of Roman masonry in Nijmegen.

Tens of thousands of artifacts recovered from the site point to the affluent lifestyle that residents enjoyed during the second and third centuries AD.

Among the discoveries are bronze statue fragments, signet rings, a necklace with a gold clasp, coins, and hundreds of bone hairpins used in elaborate Roman hairstyles. Notably, two of the hairpins featured remarkable carvings of cats—one seated and one standing.

However, a bronze bust depicting Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, stood out the most to archaeologists. They believe the object originally formed part of a pitcher or a piece of furniture before later being adapted for use on a weighing scale.

Archaeologists also recovered numerous coins from the reign of Emperor Postumus, who ruled between 260 and 269 AD, providing rare evidence of continued occupation during a relatively poorly documented period.

Integrating the past into the future

Developers and city officials plan to integrate the site’s Roman heritage into the future neighborhood, added Archaeology News.

“The link to the past will remain visible in the future as well. For instance, a number of residential buildings will feature a covered walking area with rows of columns. A colonnade just like in Roman times. And developers plan to call the green square in the heart of the area, inspired by the floor plan of the bathhouse complex, Thermenplein. A direct reference to the Roman meeting place that was here some 2,000 years ago,” concludes the press release.

Several artifacts from the excavation will go on display at Nijmegen City Hall beginning June 29, offering residents a glimpse into the city’s rich Roman history and its status as one of the most important Roman centers in the Netherlands.

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Franco-German defense giant Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter (KNDS) have unveiled a new main battle tank for European customers at the 2026 Eurosatory trade show.

KNDS, in case you are unaware, is a conglomeration of the companies behind the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc main battle tanks (MBTs). Today, they are a “pan-European land defense company, uniting over 11,000 employees with a €4.4 billion in revenue and a backlog of €33.1 billion in 2025.”

The new tank, called the CAPINT (“Intermediate Capability”), is effectively a Leopard 2A8 hull with a futuristic unmanned turret, integration with robotic vehicles, and drones.

According to KNDS, this will be something of a stopgap for France’s planned Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which is taking a long time to arrive. So, the idea goes, instead of waiting until 2040, this new tank should be deployable during the 2030s.

Its chassis, reportedly, offers the new tank proven mobility and armor, while also benefiting from the existing logistics chain and lower development risk. It also provides the tank with a 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) diesel engine, which is the same power class as current Western MBTs.

The power plant might also be supplemented with battery packs (to enhance the onboard energy storage) along with an associated electric drive train to reduce the infrared and acoustic signatures.

KNDS’ new toys for Europe

The most interesting part is the crewless turret. Unlike conventional MBT turrets, no crew sits inside the turret itself. Instead, it is remotely operated, allowing the crew to remain protected within the hull.

As no crew needs to be present, this enables the turret to be smaller and lighter. But this doesn’t mean the tank will be without serious firepower.

According to reports, the tank will come with a KNDS ASCALON 120 mm smoothbore gun with an autoloader. This makes it compatible with the current NATO standard ammunition stockpiles.

KNDS does note, however, that this can be upgraded to larger calibers in the future without the need to redesign the entire turret. The scalable design also gives KNDS room to introduce larger calibers in the future, should battlefield requirements change.

All fairly standard so far, but an interesting wrinkle in the design is plans to give it some drone buddies. Robotic vehicles and drones will fight alongside the tank, forming a manned-unmanned team. In this configuration, the tank will act as an armored command platform.

Few concrete details have been released, but this will likely include reconnaissance drones to scout ahead and counter-drone systems for protection. The counter drone systems are likely to employ a mix of hard kill and soft kill means. These might include active protection systems and tube-launched interceptor drones.

Next iteration of Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 study

Separately, KNDS also presented a further development of its fully self-financed study on Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0. It features a remote-controlled turret and a three-man crew.

The concept revolves around an innovative, unmanned turret with its unique weapon mounting, this prevents the weapon from dipping into the vehicle, thus creating a possibility of freeing up space inside the hull.

The compact crew arrangement also reduces the armor protection volume, leading to weight reduction. This results in an improved power-to-weight ratio, which in-turn increases tactical mobility.

The Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 can integrate different gun calibers from 120 mm, 130 mm, to 140 mm. It also incorporates an advanced secondary armament to counter the persistent threat of drone swarms.

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Taiwanese battery manufacturer ProLogium and Dutch aerospace firm Elysian Aircraft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to assess the use of next-generation lithium ceramic batteries in large-scale passenger airplanes. 

“Aviation applications place extremely high demands on battery energy density, safety, and weight efficiency, which is why careful and rigorous assessment and validation are essential,” said Vincent Yang, founder and CEO of ProLogium.

The technical parameters of the agreement require the development of battery cells that can function within complete battery packs featuring an energy density between 320 and 420 Wh/kg. This energy density is intended to satisfy the physical requirements of large commercial aircraft designed to fly routes between 750 and 1,000 kilometers (465 miles to 621 miles) on a single charge.  

The agreement establishes two distinct areas for technical assessment. The first area involves standard compatibility testing, which determines if ProLogium’s current battery architectures can integrate directly into existing aviation electrical systems without structural modifications. 

The second area focuses on custom development, where engineers will design new battery cell variations specifically to meet the unique safety standards, structural dimensions, and weight limitations required for commercial aerospace applications.

Increase safety parameters

Commercial electric flight has previously faced limitations because standard lithium-ion batteries do not offer enough energy relative to their total weight. Solid-state and lithium ceramic designs reduce total weight and increase safety parameters by replacing liquid electrolytes with stable solid materials. 

“However, aviation applications impose highly stringent requirements on battery system safety standards, reliability, weight management, and certification, and such technologies must still undergo careful validation and long-term development,” noted the company in a press release.

The companies will also evaluate the logistics of establishing manufacturing facilities and supply chains within Europe. Sourcing materials and assembling battery packs near Elysian’s operational facilities is intended to shorten international shipping distances.

“By assessing local supply and manufacturing capabilities in Europe, there may be opportunities to shorten cross-regional transportation distances, strengthen supply chain resilience, and further reduce the overall carbon footprint from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective,” explained the press release.

The company originally developed a battery architecture utilizing a 100% ceramic separator in 2013. In 2025, the manufacturer introduced a superfluidized all-inorganic lithium ceramic battery design intended to be manufactured on automated, high-volume assembly lines to control production costs.  

System integration for strategic objectives

Executives from both organizations stated that cell capacity alone cannot solve the challenges of electric aviation, as flight requires specific system integration, safety profiles, and weight reduction. The assessment process will evaluate how these cell architectures function when scaled into full aircraft modules. 

The formal discussions under this memorandum aim to establish whether next-generation battery physics can realistically meet the operational demands of large-scale, zero-emission commercial passenger flights.  

“Battery technology is a key enabler for electric aviation, but aviation requires far beyond cell performance alone,” concluded Rob Wolleswinkel, Co-CEO and CTO of Elysian Aircraft. 

“Through this MoU with ProLogium, we look forward to exploring how next generation battery technology could support safe, scalable, and zero-emission aviation.”

A new robotic system developed in China is being positioned as the world’s first intelligent squid-fishing robot, designed to replicate the precise hand movements used by human fishers to lure squid from deep waters toward the surface. 

By mimicking these subtle motions, the machine aims to improve both catch efficiency and consistency in challenging offshore conditions.

The robot is currently undergoing sea trials aboard the Song Hang scientific research vessel. The ship is scheduled to carry out an extended survey mission in the northwestern Pacific Ocean through September, giving researchers an opportunity to evaluate the robot’s performance in real-world marine environments.

Robot brings human-like precision to offshore fishing

Unlike conventional automated systems used on squid-fishing vessels worldwide, the new robot is designed to respond dynamically to squid behavior, adjusting its movements based on how the animals bite. This adaptive capability allows it to deliver a level of precision closer to that of experienced human fishers, potentially improving both efficiency and catch rates, the South China Morning Post reported.

The robot is being tested aboard the Song Hang research vessel, which departed on June 8 from Changxing Island near Shanghai. According to Chinese media, the vessel has embarked on a 90-day scientific expedition to study fishery resources in the high seas of the northwestern Pacific.

Developed by Shanghai Ocean University in collaboration with China Fisheries Zhoushan Ocean Fishery Co, the squid-fishing robot was deployed aboard the research vessel as part of its ongoing sea trials.

As the world’s largest seafood producer, China maintains an extensive distant-water fishing fleet made up of thousands of vessels, including squid boats operating across major fishing grounds worldwide, particularly near the South American coast. 

However, concerns have repeatedly been raised about parts of China’s distant-water fishing fleet, with critics citing allegations of illegal fishing, poor working conditions for crew members, environmental harm to marine ecosystems, and, in some cases, suspected espionage-related activities.

Targeting inefficiencies in squid jigging

Industrial squid fishing typically relies on a method known as jigging. At night, vessels deploy powerful lights that can even be seen from space to attract squid, which are drawn in along with their prey. Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.

According to Chen Xinjun, a professor at Shanghai Ocean University and leader of the intelligent fishing project, traditional squid fishing depends heavily on crew judgment to detect bites, which can lead to inefficiencies and lost time during operations.

While many industrial squid vessels already rely on automated systems to handle repetitive tasks such as jerking fishing lines and hauling in catch, these machines typically operate on pre-set programs configured by humans according to local sea conditions.

Chen further explained that the new intelligent squid-fishing system goes a step further by using sensors and adaptive control. It responds in real time to squid behavior, including biting and escape movements, with the goal of reducing ineffective operations and lowering dependence on human decision-making during fishing.

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For generations, scientists have believed they knew exactly how Earth would die. In roughly five billion years, after exhausting the hydrogen fuel at its core, the sun will swell into a giant red star and eventually expand so much that it engulfs the inner planets. According to most previous studies, Earth is expected to be among the casualties.

A new study, however, suggests the story may not be so straightforward. 

Using improved models of stellar tides and updated estimates of how much mass the aging sun could lose, researchers found that Earth might escape the sun’s final expansion instead of being swallowed by it. 

“Based on updated tidal dissipation prescriptions, Earth survives the RGB and AGB phases of the sun,” the study authors note.

However, arriving at that conclusion required revisiting one of the most uncertain aspects of the sun’s future evolution.

Why predicting Earth’s fate is tricky

The question—will Earth ultimately be engulfed by the dying sun, or can it survive by drifting into a wider orbit—has remained unresolved for years because two powerful forces compete as the sun ages. 

On one hand, the expanding star generates tidal interactions that can pull planets inward. On the other hand, the sun loses mass through stellar winds, weakening its gravitational grip and allowing planetary orbits to drift outward. 

Determining which effect dominates has proven difficult because both processes involve complex physics that scientists have struggled to model accurately. “The predicted fate of the Earth is highly sensitive to the tidal model and the assumed mass-loss rate,” the study authors note.

To investigate the problem, the study authors simulated the future evolution of the Solar System using modern stellar-evolution models. 

The team focused on what will happen after the sun leaves its current stable phase and enters two major expansion stages. The first is the red giant phase, during which the sun will dramatically increase in size after running out of hydrogen in its core. 

Later, after consuming its helium fuel, it will enter the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase, becoming even larger and shedding vast amounts of material into space.

At that point, two competing forces begin to determine the fate of the planets. As the sun expands, tidal interactions develop between the star and the planets orbiting it. These tides act like a brake, gradually draining orbital energy and pulling planets closer to the star. 

Previous studies generally concluded that this process would eventually drag Earth into the sun.

At the same time, however, the aging sun will lose enormous amounts of mass through stellar winds. As the star sheds material, its gravitational pull weakens, allowing planetary orbits to move farther outward. 

Predicting Earth’s future, therefore, comes down to determining which effect is stronger: the inward pull from tides or the outward push caused by mass loss.

A new look at the sun’s final years

The researchers revisited the problem using more sophisticated tidal models developed over the last fifteen years. These updated calculations suggest that giant stars dissipate tidal energy less efficiently than earlier estimates indicated. 

In simple terms, the future sun may be less effective at pulling Earth inward than scientists previously thought.

The team also examined how much mass the sun is likely to lose during its final evolutionary stages. To improve their estimates, they studied observations of L2 Puppis, a nearby aging star often described as a glimpse of the sun’s future. 

By analyzing this stellar analog, the researchers obtained updated constraints on how rapidly sun-like stars can shed material near the end of their lives.

When the researchers combined the revised tidal physics with modern mass-loss estimates, the balance shifted significantly. Their simulations showed that Earth’s orbit could expand enough to remain beyond the sun’s maximum size during both the red giant and AGB phases. 

Mars also survived in these scenarios, while the expanding star consistently engulfed Mercury and Venus. The findings suggest that weaker-than-expected tidal effects, coupled with substantial mass loss from the sun, could give Earth a chance to avoid the fiery fate predicted by many earlier studies.

However, this doesn’t mean life will also thrive on Earth after billions of years. Intense solar radiation at that time is likely to make the planet uninhabitable.

The hidden meaning behind these results

The study shows how improvements in stellar physics can reshape predictions of entire planetary systems. 

While astronomers have recently found evidence that aging stars can engulf nearby planets, the new research suggests Earth’s own fate may be less certain than previously believed. 

Instead of being doomed to spiral into the sun, our planet could survive if the sun loses enough mass during its final stages.

However, the researchers caution that the outcome remains uncertain. Their results depend heavily on how much mass the sun sheds during the asymptotic giant branch phase, a quantity that is still difficult to predict. 

“Currently, the survival of the Earth and the inner Solar System is not robustly determined and critically depends on the treatment of tidal dissipation and stellar mass loss,” the study authors said.

Future observations of evolved stars such as L2 Puppis and improved models of stellar tides could help narrow the uncertainty.

For now, the study does not guarantee Earth’s survival. Rather, it shows that one of astronomy’s most familiar predictions may need revisiting. 

The study is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Chinese defense supplier Harbin Xinguang Optic-Electronics Technology has unveiled a new man-portable. anti-drone laser weapon. Unveiled at the Defence Information Equipment and Technology Exhibition 2026 in Beijing, the miniaturized directed-energy weapon brings to life something once thought not possible.

The new system is part of the “Lijian” (roughly translated as “sharp swords”) range of lasers, which can allegedly shoot down drones at ranges up to 3,900 feet (1,200 meters). Being much smaller, this new portable version can’t quite reach those ranges, however.

Like its bigger brothers, the new system works by focusing a laser beam on a distant target, like a drone. The beam can then burn through wires, damage sensors and cameras, or overheat battery packs.

The theory is that once a critical part fails, the drone crashes. This capability is something many militaries are already rushing to develop, but the real breakthrough here is the unit’s size and weight.

According to reports, they are small enough for a single soldier to manipulate in the field. The Lijian II, for example, comes in at around 66 pounds (30 kg), with the Lijian III around 55 pounds (25 kg).

Man-portable laser power

To put that into perspective, that is roughly equivalent to carrying a machine gun plus ammunition and batteries. Still heavy, but much lighter than vehicle-mounted systems.

In the field, such systems would likely comprise a backpack that contains batteries and cooling systems. The soldier can then deploy the platform, which then tracks and targets drones visually or with optics.

All well and good, but lasers of this kind generally need a lot of power to actually work. While no technical details have been publicly released, laser weapons typically require between 20 and 50 kW.

They also require beefy cooling systems. This appears to have been solved, with reports being circulated that claim it can cool down in under 5 seconds. But again, how this was achieved has not been made public.

This all sounds impressive enough, but even futuristic weapons like lasers are not foolproof on the battlefield. They are, for example, highly susceptible to changes in weather like rain and fog, and other battlefield conditions like smoke, dust, etc.

Any of these can scatter the laser beam, subsequently dropping its effectiveness against a target. Lasers are also highly reliant on “line of sight” and must be able to see a target to hit it.

Gimmick or game-changer?

Any obstacles in the way, like buildings, hills, trees, etc, render them ineffective. There is also the issue that lasers must remain “locked” to a target for some time to be effective.

Ballistic weapons, like guns, deliver their full destructive potential on contact, while lasers need some time to do the damage. A fast-moving or maneuvering drone could, in theory, make this harder.

It is also not clear how such a small system could handle drone swarm attacks. Whatever the case may be, the new system could be an interesting evolution in anti-drone warfare.

If systems like this prove reliable, infantry units may eventually carry laser anti-drone weapons in the same way they carry machine guns or anti-tank missiles today.

For over a decade, the rosy-hazed world called the “Pink Planet” has been among the most elusive deep-space targets. Discovered in 2013, the cold object was too faint for ground-based instruments to analyze.

Now, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have penetrated its glare, uncovering an atmosphere full of exotic chemistry and unique salt clouds never before seen in such a cold world.

The study offers the first direct evidence of metal salt clouds in the atmosphere of a cold cosmic body. Predicted over 15 years ago, their existence was unverified due to technological limits. The move to space-based infrared observation marks a leap in our ability to study faint, cold worlds across the galaxy.

Piercing the glare of a star-bound magenta companion

Formally cataloged as GJ504b, the Pink Planet orbits a sun-like star about 57 light-years from Earth. Weighing around 25 times the mass of Jupiter, GJ504b falls on the boundary between massive gas giants and low-mass brown dwarfs, so researchers broadly call it a “planetary-mass companion.”

Adding to its intrigue, GJ504b is much cooler than most exoplanets, with a temperature of about 550°F (290°C)—far below the 1,000–2,000°F typical for similar objects. This cooler temperature is linked to its age, now estimated between 2.5 and 4 billion years.

Translating spectral lines to filter out star noise

To capture the world’s incredibly faint light, an international research team led by Aneesh Baburaj, a postdoctoral associate at Northwestern University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), relied on the advanced coronagraphic capabilities of the JWST.

Working in tandem with the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)—including telescope design scientist Marshall Perrin—the team deployed sophisticated data-processing algorithms to strip away the overwhelming, blinding glare reflecting off the companion’s host star.

This combination successfully isolated the light of GJ504b into a clear spectrum, a data graph that breaks down incoming light into individual component wavelengths. Because unique elements and chemical compounds absorb distinct colors of light, analyzing these spectral valleys allows astronomers to safely map out the chemical makeup of an alien sky from dozens of light-years away.

Previous historical attempts to capture this data from Earth required astronomers to spend entire nights tracking the object with the world’s most massive terrestrial telescopes, only to come up entirely empty-handed. With the JWST, the entire high-fidelity data collection sweep was completed in approximately two hours.

Reconstructing the atmosphere and modeling the hidden layers

The spectrum revealed a complex mix of water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia. Yet, when researchers modeled these findings, the results didn’t make sense until they included cloud formations in their simulations.

By testing three distinct cloud configurations, the team confirmed that specialized salt clouds provided the most accurate mathematical match. These salt structures act as an atmospheric veil, subduing the spectral signatures of more volatile chemical molecules trapped deeper within the companion’s inner layers.

Beyond confirming the existence of these exotic clouds, the processed light signatures indicate that GJ504b is highly enriched with heavy elements, commonly referred to as metals in astronomy.

While the exact cosmic mechanics of how this world originally formed remain an ongoing mystery, the techniques proven by this study bring researchers significantly closer to mapping out the internal chemistry of our own solar system’s cold worlds, such as Jupiter’s elusive ammonia ice clouds.

The study was first published in the journal The Astronomical Journal,

A critical hardware bottleneck that has prevented quantum computers from scaling to meaningful dimensions has been resolved by a manufacturing breakthrough.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory have engineered a brand-new class of flexible, high-density ribbon cables capable of operating at temperatures near absolute zero.

The innovation directly addresses the thermal and spatial constraints that have long plagued standard quantum-cooling hardware, and the technology has already been officially licensed to commercial quantum infrastructure manufacturer Maybell Quantum for immediate integration.

To run advanced superconducting quantum processors, engineers must transmit thousands of high-speed microwave control and readout signals from room-temperature computers down to the delicate processing chip.

This environment requires a dilution refrigerator, a specialized cryostat that maintains an internal core temperature colder than deep space. Managing these vital input/output (I/O) lines while preserving this hyper-chilled environment represents one of the steepest infrastructure hurdles in modern physics.

The breakdown of traditional coaxial wiring

Historically, quantum computing rigs have relied on bundles of conventional semi-rigid coaxial cables to connect warm control electronics to cold quantum processors. While a handful of these stiff, round copper cables work perfectly fine for small-scale prototypes housing ten or twenty qubits, scaling up to thousands of processing units creates a geometric crisis. The physical mass of these cables quickly crowds out the limited, highly premium real estate available inside a standard laboratory refrigerator chamber.

Beyond structural crowding, traditional metal wiring introduces a devastating thermodynamic flaw: heat conduction. Metals like copper are excellent conductors of electricity but also efficient at transferring thermal energy.

As a result, large bundles of coaxial cables act as micro-thermal leaks, bleeding room-temperature heat straight down into the lowest levels of the cryostat. This unintended thermal transfer easily overwhelms the refrigerator’s delicate sub-Kelvin cooling capacity, destabilizing the system and destroying the fragile quantum states of the qubits.

Designing a flat, flexible thermal barrier

To bypass these deep-seated physical limitations, the engineering team at MIT Lincoln Laboratory moved entirely away from round, rigid coaxial geometry. Instead, they developed an ultra-flat, high-density, flexible ribbon-style stripline transmission cable.

This flat-ribbon architecture packages an unprecedented number of individual signal channels into a fraction of the physical space required by traditional coaxial bundles, dramatically expanding the I/O capacity of standard quantum systems.

The underlying materials science of the ribbon cable allows it to serve as a highly effective thermal insulator between the refrigerator’s stepped temperature stages, blocking room-temperature heat from traveling down the lines. Furthermore, the structural flexibility of the ribbon mitigates intense mechanical and thermal stress during the cooling process.

When a dilution refrigerator drops down to its operational temperature, the internal metal frames contract violently; while this structural shifting routinely cracks or misaligns traditional rigid coaxial lines, the new flexible ribbons bend naturally to absorb the movement without breaking or degrading signal fidelity.

Streamlining the path to commercial mass production

A primary highlight of this engineering achievement is its fundamental compatibility with standard, high-volume industrial manufacturing practices. Many experimental quantum hardware solutions rely on boutique, incredibly expensive fabrication processes that cannot be easily replicated at scale.

By licensing this proprietary architecture directly to Maybell Quantum, the technology is being rolled out to upgrade commercial dilution refrigerator frameworks. This industrial integration delivers a space-efficient, reliable, and mass-producible wiring layout that empowers quantum developers to radically scale up physical qubit counts within standard laboratory footprints.

By replacing miles of rigid copper wire with compact, insulated ribbons, the quantum computing industry moves a significant step closer to building truly practical, fault-tolerant supercomputers.

The Spanish Navy has carried out a successful at-sea test of the Hornet Block 1 interceptor, a new system designed to counter the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms. The trial was conducted aboard the frigate F-81 Santa María and represents a significant step toward enhancing naval defenses against increasingly common low-cost aerial threats.

The demonstration involved launching a Hornet Block 1 interceptor from a containerized launcher temporarily installed on the vessel. Unlike conventional missile systems that often require extensive ship modifications, the Hornet concept is built around modular launch containers that can be integrated onto existing platforms with minimal changes. This flexibility could allow navies to rapidly expand their defensive capabilities without undertaking expensive modernization programs.

Optimized for the interception of subsonic drones

Developed by European defense technology firm Destinus, the Hornet Block 1 is optimized for the interception of subsonic drones and coordinated drone attacks. The system is intended to provide warships with a dedicated layer of protection against unmanned threats, reducing the need to employ high-value surface-to-air missiles against relatively inexpensive targets.

According to the company, the interceptor combines multiple guidance methods to ensure effectiveness in contested environments. During flight, it can utilize radar-based navigation and then transition to autonomous target engagement using a combination of onboard sensors. This design is intended to maintain operational effectiveness even in scenarios where satellite navigation signals are disrupted or unavailable.

Comparatively long engagement range

One of the Hornet Block 1’s key advantages is its comparatively long engagement range, reported to exceed 75 kilometers. The interceptor carries a small payload tailored for neutralizing drones and similar aerial targets while maintaining a compact and cost-effective design. Such characteristics make it particularly suitable for defending ships against massed UAV attacks.

The successful trial aboard the Santa María-class frigate is noteworthy because the class dates back several decades. Demonstrating the system on an older vessel suggests that similar ships could receive enhanced counter-drone capabilities without requiring major structural upgrades. This could be especially attractive for navies seeking affordable solutions to emerging threats.

Containerized interceptor

Interest in counter-drone systems has grown sharply in recent years as conflicts around the world have highlighted the effectiveness of UAVs in both surveillance and strike roles. Naval forces are increasingly looking for ways to defeat large numbers of drones without exhausting expensive missile inventories. Containerized interceptors such as the Hornet offer a potential answer by providing a lower-cost defensive option that can be deployed across a wide range of platforms.

Destinus is also working on a more advanced successor known as the Hornet Block 2. The future variant is expected to feature greater range, a larger payload, and expanded mission capabilities, including both air-defense and precision-strike roles. The company has indicated that advanced networking and artificial intelligence technologies may play a role in enabling coordinated operations between multiple interceptors.

Scientists have discovered a new way to control quantum light sources by twisting atomically thin layers of a material known as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a breakthrough that could help bring quantum technologies closer to practical use.

Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney found that rotating and restacking layers of hBN can significantly alter the color and wavelength of light emitted by quantum emitters embedded within the material.

Quantum emitters are tiny light sources that can produce single photons, making them important building blocks for future quantum computers, secure communication networks, and highly sensitive sensors. While scientists have been able to detect and study these emitters, controlling them has remained a major challenge.

The team says its approach offers a new way to tune these light sources by exploiting the unique layered structure of hBN, a material that can be repeatedly separated, twisted, and reassembled.

Twisting light into control

Lead author Dr. Angus Gale said the findings provide researchers with a new tool for manipulating quantum emitters.

“You can measure these quantum emitters and see that they exist, but it’s hard to make them work in practice. This gives us a lever to get closer to that – a step towards the realisation of quantum technologies,” said Dr Gale.

In experiments, the researchers were able to produce a significant shift in the emitted light by changing the twist angle between layers. Unlike many studies where materials are assembled once and left unchanged, the team repeatedly picked up, twisted, and restacked the layers while continuing to modify the optical properties.

“We’re leveraging the fact that this material, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), is layered. We can pick it up, stack it, twist it, and use that twist to modify the emitters. You can’t really do that with traditional materials like diamond or silicon carbide.”

According to the researchers, the amount of tuning achieved was larger than expected and exceeded what is typically possible in many other quantum emitter platforms.

“The benefit is that we used this twistable platform to shift the emission by a very significant amount,” said Gale. “Often when you control these systems, the amount of manipulation is very limited, but in this case the shift was much larger than expected.”

New path for quantum

Rather than forcing hBN to behave like more conventional quantum materials, the team focused on taking advantage of its natural properties.

“Rather than trying to make hBN defects behave like a traditional solid-state hosts, we took advantage of hBN’s own strength: its thin, layered, twistable structure.”

Gale compared the material to slices of cheese rather than a solid block.

“With a block of cheese, you can’t really get to the flavour in the middle. But with slices, you can peel away layers, put them back together and change how they interact,” he said.

Professor Igor Aharonovich said twisting layered materials can produce entirely new physical behaviors.

“You can take two layers that don’t do much on their own, put them together at a specific angle, and suddenly you have a completely different system,” said Professor Aharonovich.

The researchers believe the approach could eventually contribute to the development of quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing technologies used in fields ranging from healthcare to cybersecurity and navigation.

The study was published in Advanced Materials.

Industrial robots have mastered many repetitive tasks, but preparing sashimi remains a surprisingly difficult challenge. A piece of raw salmon rarely stays where it is placed. The fish deforms during handling, making it difficult for machines to deliver consistent cuts.

Researchers in Norway have developed a robotic system that can prepare sashimi with minimal human involvement. The machine tackles a task that has long challenged robots because raw fish constantly changes shape during handling.

The project highlights a broader goal in robotics. Engineers want machines to work with soft materials that do not behave predictably. Success in that area could benefit industries ranging from food processing to healthcare.

Built for delicate tasks

The research team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology designed Sashimi-Bot around three robotic arms. Each arm performs a specific role. One arm stabilizes and positions the salmon before cutting begins. Another handles a chef’s knife. A third arm uses chopsticks to transfer finished slices onto a tray.

Getting the fish into the correct position proved critical. A salmon loin can shift during handling, which affects cut quality. To address that issue, the researchers trained the robot in a virtual environment. The system relied on deep reinforcement learning, an AI technique that improves performance through repeated practice. During the simulation, the robot tested countless movements and gradually learned how to arrange the fish for slicing. The researchers then transferred that knowledge to the physical robot without additional training on real salmon.

Giving the knife touch

Cutting introduced another obstacle. The robot needed to know exactly when the blade reached the cutting board. That task becomes more difficult because the knife sits inside a soft robotic gripper. Small variations in the grip can affect the blade’s position during a cut.

To solve the problem, the team equipped the system with a GelSight tactile sensor. The device uses a soft gel surface and an internal camera to detect pressure changes. Those measurements provide information similar to a sense of touch.

Researchers trained the sensing system using more than 12,000 data samples collected during 157 cutting motions. The resulting model detected contact with the cutting board with 95% accuracy. It also achieved 99% precision during testing. That feedback allowed the robot to adjust its cutting motion before driving the blade too deeply into the board.

Performance on salmon

The team evaluated Sashimi-Bot using real salmon loins. During testing, the robot produced 34 slices ranging from 6 to 16 millimeters thick. Some pieces adhered to the knife after cutting, a common issue when working with raw fish. The robot successfully recovered all six of those slices directly from the blade.

Most of the remaining pieces reached the serving tray without issue. The system successfully transferred 26 of 28 slices left on the cutting board. Only two failed transfers occurred, both involving extremely thin pieces that slipped from the chopsticks.

The study was published in the journal npj Robotics.