Briefing

Scientists in Tokyo have developed a groundbreaking, label-free method to identify aging human cells using electric fields. This new technique avoids the downsides of chemical tagging, which can distort results and slow research. By analyzing how cells move under alternating electric fields, the researchers found they could accurately detect senescent skin cells based on their electrical properties. The approach is fast, non-invasive, and could transform how we study aging and age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s or diabetes.

HIV is surging among adults over 50 in sub-Saharan Africa, yet prevention and treatment campaigns still focus mainly on the young. New research reveals older adults face comparable or higher infection rates but remain largely invisible in HIV studies, which hampers progress toward global health goals. Persistent stigma, outdated perceptions, and limited education or access in rural areas worsen the situation, especially for older women.

AI is revolutionizing the job landscape, prompting nations worldwide to prepare their workforces for dramatic changes. A University of Georgia study evaluated 50 countries’ national AI strategies and found significant differences in how governments prioritize education and workforce training. While many jobs could disappear in the coming decades, new careers requiring advanced AI skills are emerging. Countries like Germany and Spain are leading with early education and cultural support for AI, but few emphasize developing essential human soft skills like creativity and communication—qualities AI can’t replace.

Two German physicists have reimagined how to create powerful and uniform magnetic fields using compact permanent magnets. By overcoming the limitations of the well-known Halbach array, which works only with infinitely long magnets, they engineered innovative 3D magnet arrangements that work in practical, finite-size setups. Their designs not only boost field strength but also enhance homogeneity, verified through real-world experiments. This game-changing advancement could help bring affordable MRI technology to underserved regions and power applications like particle accelerators and magnetic levitation systems.

Scientists are peering into the universe’s mysterious Cosmic Dawn using the faint whispers of hydrogen radio waves emitted over 13 billion years ago. These signals, particularly the elusive 21-centimeter signal, offer rare insights into the masses and behavior of the universe’s first stars—Population III stars—whose light we can’t see directly. With projects like REACH and the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA), researchers are unlocking a cosmic treasure map, predicting how early starlight and powerful X-ray binaries influenced these signals. It’s a thrilling detective story unfolding not through images, but through the statistical patterns of ancient radiation.

You’ll need luck on your side to spot these shooting stars.

Houston-based Celestis and The Exploration Company are teaming up to fly a memorial payload on SpaceX’s Transporter 14 rideshare mission on Sunday (June 22).

That’s a lot of standard candles.

This no-name galaxy projector has blown us away with its projection quality and interchangeable disks.

Hunting hints An ancient ambush of wild horses at a German archaeological site called Schöningen around 300,000 years ago suggests that communal hunting, along with complex social and mental skills, evolved much earlier in human history than thought, behavioral sciences writer Bruce Bower reported in “Smart hunters.” Bower also noted that Neandertal ancestors in what’s […]