Landsat 9 - More Than Just A Picture - NASA Goddard

 

A new eco-friendly water battery could theoretically last for centuries - Energy & Green Tech - Hi Tech & Innovation

Credit: Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69384-2

The problem with many types of modern batteries is that they rely on harsh chemicals to work. Not only can these corrosive liquids damage internal parts over time, but they can also leach into soil and water when disposed of, contaminating it. But researchers from the City University of Hong Kong and Southern University of Science and Technology have developed an alternative, a new kind of eco-friendly battery that runs on a solution similar to the minerals used in tofu brine.

The team describes their work in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications.

The scientists replaced traditional acids and alkalis with neutral salts of magnesium and calcium to create the electrolyte. These are the same minerals used as brine in tofu production. Keeping this liquid at a neutral pH of 7.0 prevents the type of corrosive reactions that can destroy a battery from the inside out.

Novel electrode

To complete the battery design, they replaced the negative electrode, which is often made of metal-based materials, with a special material they engineered from covalent organic polymers (COPs). They made three of these plastic-like structures and selected one named Hex TADD COP. It is built with electron-donating chemical links that make it more conductive.

The researchers paired this with a positive electrode made of Prussian blue analog, a material commonly used as a blue pigment in paints.

Next came the testing rounds. Standard batteries often fail after a few hundred or a few thousand charges, but this new version remained stable for 120,000 charge cycles. To put that in perspective, if you charged your phone once a day with this type of battery, it would theoretically last for over 300 years.

The battery also held a significant amount of power for its weight. It reached an energy capacity of 112.8 mAh/g, which is a high score for an aqueous organic battery.

"Compared to current aqueous battery systems, the new system offers exceptional long-term cycling stability and respect for the environment under neutral conditions," wrote the researchers in their paper.

The battery is good news for the environment because the liquid is neutral and the materials are non-toxic. It meets international safety standards suggesting a lower environmental risk if discarded than conventional batteries.

Next steps

While the lab results are promising, there are still a number of challenges before the prototype is ready for the real world. These include increasing the amount of energy the battery can hold in a small space and scaling up the manufacturing of the organic polymers. 

by Paul Arnold, Phys.org

edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan 

Source: A new eco-friendly water battery could theoretically last for centuries 

Smarter tissue and organ repair thanks to next-gen hydrogel - medicalxpress

3D Cytocompatibility of Pep 10 hydrogels with human skin fibroblasts. Credit: Advanced Functional Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202529084

A multidisciplinary team have built hydrogels built entirely from synthetic peptides so their properties can be precisely tailored through chemical design. By harnessing the power of collagen-inspired peptides and light-triggered chemistry, a University of Ottawa research team has engineered a customizable material with the potential to be a gamechanger for soft tissue repair, whether it's closing a surgical incision or sealing a traumatic wound.

In a compelling new study published in Advanced Functional Materials, the collaborative team demonstrates a new strategy for creating biomimetic, entirely peptide-based hydrogels that combine strength, adaptability, and biological compatibility. Unlike many existing biomaterials used as soft tissue adhesives, it doesn't rely on any synthetic polymers which can trigger unwanted immune responses.

This streamlined approach makes it especially attractive for future biomedical applications, according to Dr. Emilio I. Alarcón, professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and scientist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

"This new body of work is a leap in the space of biomimetic materials for tissue and organ repair. One of the most important aspects of this research is that we develop a stand-alone peptide-based material for tissue bonding," he says.

Lab-designed materials that mimic nature

Dr. Alarcón says the uOttawa team's latest study paves the way for researchers across the globe to explore using materials composed entirely by peptides as "the next generation of regenerative platforms." Peptides are short chains of amino acids that form the building blocks of proteins.

In the lab's latest advance, carefully designed peptides were inspired by the triple-helix structure of natural collagen but were produced synthetically, allowing for fine control over composition, performance, and safety.

The power of light

One of the key innovations lies in how these peptides assemble and lock together, according to Dr. Alarcón, who is in the Faculty's Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology Department. Once dissolved in a buffer solution, the designed peptides spontaneously organize themselves into structures that create the foundation of the hydrogel.

Then, to further strengthen the material, the researchers use a light-activated chemical reaction. When exposed to light, specific chemical groups rapidly form stable connections, transforming the soft material into a flexible and durable gel for soft tissue repair.

The light-activated hydrogel they created is customizable—a defining hallmark of the emerging era of personalized medicine. Researchers can make various adjustments, like increasing peptide concentrations or altering molecular junctions. This allows precise control over the material's properties.

Tunable strength and biomedical performance

Importantly, the team's peptide-based hydrogels demonstrated bonding strength comparable to commercially available tissue adhesives such as LiquiBand. This means the material can effectively close wounds on the human body and hold tissues together under realistic conditions.

Lab tests showed that the materials are cell friendly and biodegradable, allowing them to safely break down in the body over time.

Alex Ross, a Ph.D. candidate who is one of two primary authors of the newly published study, says this kind of biocompatibility is essential for any material entering or interacting with the body.

"Biodegradability is useful as it means the material doesn't have to be removed later—for example, getting sutures removed—and also contributes to the safety profile as things the body can clear out are much less likely to pose toxicity," Ross says.

Daniel Nguyen, the paper's other primary author, expands on this point: "If you put something inside the body, you want it to be as unobtrusive as possible. It shouldn't harm cells, and it shouldn't stay there forever. That matters because materials that linger or irritate tissue can slow healing or lead to complications. Because our material is made from collagen-inspired peptides, the body can break it down using the enzymes it uses to remodel natural tissue."

Both Ross and Nguyen are members of the BioEngineering and Therapeutic Solutions (BEaTS) lab directed by Drs. Erik J. Suuronen and Alarcón. The lab includes cardiac surgeon Dr. Marc Ruel.  

Provided by University of Ottawa 

by David McFadden, University of Ottawa

edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan 

Source: Smarter tissue and organ repair thanks to next-gen hydrogel 

What The 7 Wonders Used To Actually Look Like - Lost in Time

 

ANGRY PORSCHE DRIVER ROAD RAGES WITH CYCLIST - Dashcam Lessons

 

Short Clip - Priyanka Chopra Jonas - The Bluff (2026) - Action - Adventure - Drama - History

 

Source: The Bluff (2026) - IMDb

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NASA’s Webb Examines Cranium Nebula - UNIVERSE

Two heads are better than one in the latest images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which reveal new detail in a mysterious, little-studied nebula surrounding a dying star. 

Nebula PMR 1 is a cloud of gas and dust that bears an uncanny resemblance to a brain in a transparent skull, inspiring its nickname, the “Exposed Cranium” nebula. Webb captured its unusual features in both near- and mid-infrared light. The nebula was first revealed in infrared light by a predecessor to Webb, NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, more than a decade ago. Webb’s advanced instruments show detail that enhances the nebula’s brain-like appearance. 

Image: Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Images)

The differences in what Webb’s infrared instruments reveal and conceal within the PMR 1 “Exposed Cranium” nebula is apparent in this side-by-side view. More stars and background galaxies shine through NIRCam’s view, while cosmic dust glows more prominently in MIRI’s mid-infrared.

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

The nebula appears to have distinct regions that capture different phases of its evolution — an outer shell of gas that was blown off first and consists mostly of hydrogen, and an inner cloud with more structure that contains a mix of different gases. Both Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) show a distinctive dark lane running vertically through the middle of the nebula that defines its brain-like look of left and right hemispheres. Webb’s resolution shows that this lane could be related to an outburst or outflow from the central star, which typically occurs as twin jets burst out in opposite directions. Evidence for this is particularly notable at the top of the nebula in Webb’s MIRI image, where it looks like the inner gas is being ejected outward. 

While there is still much to be understood about this nebula, it’s clear that it is being created by a star near the end of its fuel-burning “life.” In their end stages, stars expel their outer layers. It’s a dynamic and fairly fast process, in cosmic terms. Webb has captured a moment in this star’s decline. What ultimately happens will depend on the mass of the star, which is yet to be determined. If it’s massive enough, it will explode in a supernova. A less massive Sun-like star will continue to shed layers until only its core remains as a dense white dwarf, which will cool off over eons. 

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

To learn more about Webb, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/webb 

Source: NASA’s Webb Examines Cranium Nebula - NASA Science

Robots use radio signals and AI to see around corners - Robotics - Engineering

HoloRadar uses radio waves to see around corners, allowing it to detect people at T-shaped intersections like the one pictured here. Credit: Sylvia Zhang, Penn Engineering

Penn Engineers have developed a system that lets robots see around corners using radio waves processed by AI, a capability that could improve the safety and performance of driverless cars as well as robots operating in cluttered indoor settings like warehouses and factories.

The system, called HoloRadar, enables robots to reconstruct three-dimensional scenes outside their direct line of sight, such as pedestrians rounding a corner. Unlike previous approaches to non-line-of-sight (NLOS) perception that rely on visible light, HoloRadar works reliably in darkness and under variable lighting conditions.

"Robots and autonomous vehicles need to see beyond what's directly in front of them," says Mingmin Zhao, Assistant Professor in Computer and Information Science (CIS) and senior author of a paper describing HoloRadar, presented at the 39th annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS). "This capability is essential to help robots and autonomous vehicles make safer decisions in real time." 

HoloRadar allows robots to see around corners in varied lighting conditions by relying on radio signals and AI. Credit: Sylvia Zhang and WAVES Lab, Penn Engineering

Turning walls into mirrors

At the heart of HoloRadar is a counterintuitive insight into radio waves. Compared to visible light, radio signals have much longer wavelengths, a property traditionally seen as a disadvantage for imaging because it limits resolution. Zhao's team realized that, for peering around corners, those longer wavelengths are actually an advantage.

"Because radio waves are so much larger than the tiny surface variations in walls," says Haowen Lai, a doctoral student in CIS and co-author of the new paper, "those surfaces effectively become mirrors that reflect radio signals in predictable ways."

In practical terms, this means that flat surfaces like walls, floors, and ceilings can bounce radio signals around corners, carrying information about hidden spaces back to a robot. HoloRadar captures these reflections and reconstructs what lies beyond direct view.

"It's similar to how human drivers sometimes rely on mirrors stationed at blind intersections," says Lai. "Because HoloRadar uses radio waves, the environment itself becomes full of mirrors, without actually having to change the environment."

HoloRadar works by reconstructing 3D scenarios from the bounces of radio waves. Credit: WAVES Lab, Penn Engineering

Designed for in-the-wild operations

In recent years, other researchers have demonstrated systems with similar capabilities, typically by using visible light. Those systems analyze shadows or indirect reflections, making them highly dependent on lighting conditions. Other attempts to use radio signals have relied on slow and bulky scanning equipment, limiting real-world applications.

"HoloRadar is designed to work in the kinds of environments robots actually operate in," says Zhao. "This system is mobile, runs in real time, and doesn't depend on controlled lighting."

HoloRadar augments the safety of autonomous robots by complementing existing sensors rather than replacing them. While autonomous vehicles already use LiDAR, a sensing system that uses lasers to detect objects in the vehicles' direct line of sight, HoloRadar adds an additional layer of perception by revealing what those sensors cannot see, giving machines more time to react to potential hazards.

HoloRadar relies on compact and nimble scanning equipment, opening up real-world applications. Credit: Sylvia Zhang, Penn Engineering

Processing radio with AI

A single radio pulse can bounce multiple times before returning to the sensor, creating a tangled set of reflections that are difficult to untangle using traditional signal-processing methods alone.

To solve this problem, the team developed a custom AI system that combines machine learning with physics-based modeling. In the first stage, the system enhances the resolution of raw radio signals and identifies multiple "returns" corresponding to different reflection paths. In the second stage, the system uses a physics-guided model to trace those reflections backward, undoing the mirror-like effects of the environment and reconstructing the actual 3D scene.

"In some sense, the challenge is similar to walking into a room full of mirrors," says Zitong Lan, a doctoral student in Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE) and co-author of the paper. "You see many copies of the same object reflected in different places, and the hard part is figuring out where things really are. Our system learns how to reverse that process in a physics-grounded way."

By explicitly modeling how radio waves bounce off surfaces, the AI can distinguish between direct and indirect reflections and determine the correct physical locations of a variety of objects, including people.

From the lab to the real world

The researchers tested HoloRadar on a mobile robot in real indoor environments, including hallways and building corners. In these settings, the system successfully reconstructed walls, corridors, and hidden human subjects located outside the robot's line of sight.

Future work will explore outdoor scenarios, such as intersections and urban streets, where longer distances and more dynamic conditions introduce additional challenges.

"This is an important step toward giving robots a more complete understanding of their surroundings," says Zhao. "Our long-term goal is to enable machines to operate safely and intelligently in the dynamic and complex environments humans navigate every day." 

Provided by University of Pennsylvania 

by Ian Scheffler, University of Pennsylvania

edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan 

Source: Robots use radio signals and AI to see around corners

How physical activity may help cancer survivors live longer - medicalxpress

Credit: Victor Freitas from Pexels

Staying fit and active has long been associated with better heart and overall health. It might also improve the chances of survival for people with some forms of cancer. A study published in the journal JAMA Network Open reports that staying active is linked to longer survival after a cancer diagnosis, including in people with bladder, kidney and lung cancers.

An international team of scientists combined data from six large, long-term health studies that included more than 17,000 survivors of seven cancers: bladder, endometrial, kidney, lung, oral, ovarian and rectal. They looked at how much exercise they did before their diagnosis and again about 2.8 years after. They adjusted for other factors like age, sex, smoking and the stage of cancer so that they could better estimate the specific impact of physical activity on survival.

They also tracked these survivors for an average of 11 years to see how their activity levels related to their risk of dying from the disease.

Exercise benefits

The results indicated that physical activity was associated with lower mortality risk for several cancer types. For example, people with oral cancer had a 61% lower risk of dying from the disease, while those with lung cancer saw a 44% reduction. Survivors of endometrial and bladder cancer also saw significant benefits, with their risks dropping by 38% and 33%, respectively.

One of the most encouraging aspects of the research was that it didn't appear to matter if people didn't exercise much before their diagnosis. Lung and rectal cancer survivors who were previously inactive but started exercising regularly after diagnosis saw a significantly lower risk of death (42% for lung cancer and 49% for rectal cancer).

For some cancers, patients didn't even have to work up much of a sweat. For bladder, endometrial and lung cancer, even doing less than the standard 150-minute-per-week guidelines was better than doing nothing at all.

"Findings suggest that physical activity may benefit survivors of cancer, even if they were inactive prior to diagnosis," commented the researchers in their paper.

Going the extra mile

They also noted that while any movement is good, doing more can lead to even better results for some people. Doubling or tripling the standard exercise recommendations saw the risk of death drop significantly for survivors of oral and rectal cancers.

With these findings in mind, the study authors suggest that staying active should be encouraged: "It is important for health care professionals to promote physical activity for longevity and overall health among people living with and beyond cancer."

An Invited Commentary on the research was also published in JAMA Network Open.

by Paul Arnold, Medical Xpress

edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan 

Source: How physical activity may help cancer survivors live longer

The Giant Magellan Telescope: The Telescope More Powerful that JWST - Megaprojects

 

Best Fails of the Week | Try Not To Laugh Challenge 😆 - FailArmy

 

Full Episode - Pamela Anderson - FULL PILOT EPISODE | V.I.P. (1998) | S1E1 | Piece Of The Action – Adventure – Comedy

 

Source: V.I.P. (TV Series 1998–2002) - IMDb