A Recent Fast Radio Burst calls into Question what Astronomers Believed They Knew

Astronomers thought they understood fast radio bursts. A recent one calls that into question.
The location of the fast radio burst, indicated by the oval outlines, is on the outskirts of a massive elliptical galaxy, the yellow oval at right.Gemini Observatory

Astronomer Calvin Leung was excited last summer to crunch data from a newly commissioned radio telescope to precisely pinpoint the origin of repeated bursts of intense radio waves—so-called fast radio bursts (FRBs)—emanating from somewhere in the northern constellation Ursa Minor.

Leung, a Miller Postdoctoral Fellowship recipient at the University of California, Berkeley, hopes eventually to understand the origins of these mysterious bursts and use them as probes to trace the large-scale structure of the universe, a key to its origin and evolution...

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Light-activated Ink Developed to Remotely Control Cardiac Tissue to Repair the Heart

Light-activated ink developed to remotely control cardiac tissue to repair the heart
Optoelectronically active bioink composition and printing. (A) Schematic of bioprinting combining μ-solar cells and GelMA and then seeding with CMs. (B) Photographs of the bioprinting process (i, ii, and iii) of the optoelectronic heart (atria and ventricles) along with a side view. Inset shows the model heart with the printed portion in blue and the remainder of the heart in gray. (C) Example of in vivo implantation of a printed optoelectronically active tissue and correction of arrhythmic beating. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adt7210

Researchers from Mass General Brigham and collaborating institutions have developed a non-invasive approach to manipulate cardiac tissue activity by using light to stimulate an innovative ink incorporated into bioprinted tissue...

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Butterfly-inspired Method for Robot Wing Movement Works Without Electronics or Batteries

Robotics taking wings thanks to butterflies - Study develops method for movement without electronics and batteries

Researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf have developed flexible robot wings that are moved by magnetic fields. Inspired by the efficiency and adaptability of the wings of the monarch butterfly, they enable precise movements without electronics or batteries.

This bio-inspired development could fundamentally change environmental monitoring, rescue operations and biomedical applications.

Monarch butterflies are known for their outstanding endurance and adaptability. Every year, they cover thousands of kilometers on their migrations between Canada and Mexico. The key to this feat lies in their unique wings, which allow the insects to fly energy-efficiently through a combination of active movement and passive bending.

These ...

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Astronauts’ Eyes Weaken during Long Space Missions, Raising Concerns for Mars Travel

Spaceflight-associated neuroocular syndrome, which makes the eyes weaker, affects at least 70 percent of crew members on the International Space Station.

The low levels of gravity (microgravity) in space cause significant changes in astronauts’ eyes and vision after six to 12 months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), according to a study published in the IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology.

Université de Montréal ophthalmologist Santiago Costantino found that at least 70% of astronauts on the ISS have been affected by spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, or SANS.

In the biophotonics research unit he runs at the UdeM-affiliated Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Costantino assembled a group of researchers to identify the biomechanical changes responsible for this disorder.

They analyzed data collected by the Canadian team at NASA on 13 astronauts who spent between 157 and 186 days on the I...

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