Science

Researchers identified iron-oxidizing microbes in dark Antarctic sediment and showed that a microbial protein can oxidize iron, Phys.org reports in a Yonsei University account. Comparable organisms may help explain iron deposits formed during Snowball Earth. The experiments demonstrate the protein’s activity; applying the mechanism to ancient deposits remains an inference.

Stockholm University researchers linked differences in how tiny cyanobacteria form aggregates to carbon transport into deeper Baltic Sea waters, Phys.org reports. Sediment traps and genetic analyses showed some strains sank more readily than others. The findings explain a local export mechanism; how it scales to other oceans remains uncertain.

Researchers mapped a two-protein iron-sensing system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium associated with hospital infections, Phys.org reports in a UMBC account. The system changes gene activity as iron levels shift and may offer a future research target. The study examines bacterial regulation, not a treatment or clinical benefit in patients.

Margaret Hamilton died September 30 at 90, MIT News reports in a new obituary. She led Apollo flight-software teams at MIT and helped establish software engineering as a discipline. The priority-driven software her team built allowed Apollo 11 to continue landing after a computer overload alarm. MIT does not state a cause of death.

The White House plans to announce a $250 million investment in independent research organizations called X-Labs at Thursday’s science summit, the Daily Wire reports, citing an administration official. The planned public-private effort aims to support new research approaches. Formal funding terms and outcomes remain to be confirmed; this report precedes the announcement.

A roughly 165-million-year-old Megacauda sungei fossil preserves rare throat and mouth structures consistent with chewing, swallowing and suckling, NPR reports on research in Nature. Its swimming adaptations and sharp teeth suggest a semi-aquatic predator. Researchers reconstruct these abilities from preserved anatomy; the finding extends evidence of mammalian feeding traits into the middle Jurassic.

USF researchers are developing gene therapy for canine cognitive decline, Phys.org reports in a university account. New funding supports producing more treatment and devising measures for future dog studies after earlier animal work. The approach aims to protect brain cells; the report describes preparation, without an established canine treatment or completed clinical trial.

Researchers measured entanglement between a 100-nanometre glass sphere’s motion and light, Phys.org and Italy’s CNR optics institute report. Two lasers stabilized and probed the sphere inside a near-vacuum optical cavity while the lab remained at room temperature. The laboratory result may aid quantum-network research; a working communication network has not been demonstrated.

University of Bristol researchers recommend early warnings, national health-risk assessments and better monitoring ahead of a forecast El Niño, Phys.org reports. Their Lancet letter calls for clearer measurement of related infectious disease, heat and nutrition risks. The new institutional report presents recommendations; the event’s eventual strength and additional health burden remain uncertain.

A study of southern Belize found soil and ecological evidence of farming, probably maize, near wetlands about 6,000 years ago, Phys.org and the University of New Mexico report. Later cultivation shifted into uplands as climate and populations changed. The findings reconstruct local farming history; crop identification and explanations for the shift involve interpretation.

Astronomers detected radio emissions they associate with Beta Pictoris b, a young planet about 63 light-years away, Smithsonian Magazine reports. They interpret the signals as evidence of a strong magnetic field and auroral activity. The preprint was posted September 15 and awaits peer review; further observations are needed to test the interpretation.

Hadza communities in Tanzania and Tsimane communities in Bolivia shared many gut bacterial species despite their distance, NPR reports on a Stanford-led study. Genetic dating suggests some strains travelled with human migrations thousands of years ago. The evolutionary-history interpretation is supported by comparisons; the health effects of microbes lost in industrialized populations remain uncertain.

University of Otago researchers modeled 30% lower hospitalization risk over five years among more than 17,000 children enrolled in New Zealand’s Healthy Homes Initiative, Phys.org reports. The program provides heating, insulation and other improvements to low-income homes. The analysis estimates benefits from program data; it is not a randomized trial.

Researchers used a new method to prepare wavepackets and simulate collisions on a 104-qubit IBM processor, Phys.org reports. The September study used a simplified one-dimensional model; measurements supported production of a heavier particle at higher energies. The method reduces preparation costs; realistic three-dimensional particle physics still requires further research and more capable hardware.

Underwater archaeologists found a bronze signet ring depicting the Lighthouse of Alexandria at the submerged Antirhodos palace, The National reports. Egypt’s antiquities ministry calls it the first known lighthouse depiction on a signet ring. The institute has not established its date or owner; an administrative connection to the lighthouse remains an interpretation.

South Dakota State University researchers used 60 interviews to map native prairie seed networks in the Northern Great Plains, Phys.org reports. They found commercial restoration systems alongside Tribal networks connecting seeds with food, medicine and sovereignty. The findings suggest support should respect each network’s goals; the study does not establish that merging them would improve restoration.

NASA and European scientists argue for retaining US participation in LISA, ESA’s planned space-based gravitational-wave observatory, Ars Technica reports. NASA would contribute instruments and analysis to a mission targeting launch around 2035. Current appropriations support work, but the White House proposes cancellation in its next budget; future funding is unresolved.

An Epic Research analysis of over 85 million adults’ records found sharply lower shingles rates among cohorts born after routine childhood chickenpox vaccination began, Fox News reports. The authors say this pattern is consistent with a vaccination benefit. They did not verify individual vaccination histories, so the observational study does not prove that vaccination caused the difference.

A study of 5,589 people in 21 countries found evidence that people value money differently depending on its source and spending context, Phys.org reports. Mental-accounting effects were weaker in lower-income countries and varied by scenario. The findings come from an online survey, rather than direct observation of every participant’s real purchases.

Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the chemistry Nobel for reactions that favor one mirror-image form of a molecule, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and DW report. Their work explains how chemical asymmetry can arise and helps chemists design pharmaceutical synthesis. The prize recognizes decades of research, rather than a newly completed treatment.

DW reports that cheaper solar equipment is helping emerging economies expand electricity access and reduce reliance on costly imported fuel. Its feature combines energy data with interviews in Africa and Asia. Researchers see economic opportunities but say grid reliability, storage, regulation and equitable access still need investment; projected gains are not guaranteed.

Arctic sea ice reached an estimated 4.6 million square kilometres at its September 12 minimum, tying 2008, 2010 and 2025 for the tenth-lowest satellite-era minimum, NASA reports in a new October 7 review. The recent summer plateau remains below the long-term average, while surviving ice is younger and thinner. Weather variability affects individual years.

University of Plymouth researchers developed a framework combining coastal lighting and water clarity to assess marine light-pollution exposure, Phys.org reports. It places the Adriatic, Baltic and western Mediterranean at greatest modeled risk. The assessment identifies exposure priorities and policy gaps; it does not measure identical biological harm at every site.

Indian Institute of Science researchers mapped 9,389 reactions on a copper catalyst using computation and machine learning, Phys.org reports. Their expanded model better matched experimental methanol and carbon-monoxide production than a smaller reaction network. The work may guide catalyst design; it does not establish a commercial fuel process.

INRAE and AgroParisTech modeling projects higher average European sorghum yields under future warming, with gains mainly in the north and slight losses in the south, Phys.org reports. Researchers see potential to replace some livestock-feed maize and reduce water use. These are simulations across climate scenarios, not demonstrated farming outcomes.

Researchers identified Herugavialis cairensis from fossils collected in Egypt’s 45-million-year-old Mokattam Formation, the Swedish Museum of Natural History reports via Phys.org. CT scans revealed differences from the species previously assigned to the skull. The fossil came from the same rock formation used for the Great Sphinx; the story concerns a newly identified species, not a living crocodile.

Isaias had 65 mph winds at 7 p.m. CDT Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center says, with landfall forecast along the northern US Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. Hurricane and storm-surge watches remain in effect. The center forecasts hurricane strength Thursday; track, intensity and local hazards remain subject to change.

Archaeologists found 19 tenth-century English pennies and a halfpenny near the Vatican, Smithsonian Magazine reports. Cambridge researchers interpret them as material evidence of the Schola Saxonum community for English pilgrims and possible currency privileges. The enclave’s size and precise rights remain uncertain; the research was first announced last week.

A Utah study used 1,600 fiber-optic sensing channels in a three-kilometre borehole to analyze thousands of microearthquakes, Eos reports through Phys.org. Researchers found depth-dependent signal losses and warn that cable orientation and measurement length can bias estimates. The technique may improve measurements; the study does not demonstrate improved earthquake forecasts.

Uppsala University reports through Phys.org that some neural stem cells survived unexpectedly long handling after an ISS experiment and later developed into neurons and glial cells in laboratory tests. Cells in 3D-printed supports fared particularly well. The new account describes research from a 2024 flight and possible future space-medicine uses, not a demonstrated treatment.

UCL researchers say ordinary supernovae can explain unusual stellar chemistry when unevenly dispersed debris is modeled, Phys.org reports. Two papers challenge earlier claims that those stars required much more energetic hypernovae. This offers an alternative interpretation of selected stars; it does not prove hypernovae never occur.

A study of more than 14,000 job offers at two firms found that noncompetes reduced worker mobility and earnings without measurable trade-secret protection beyond nondisclosure agreements, University of Maryland researchers report through Phys.org. Workers were freelance recruiters on short-term contracts, so the experiment does not establish identical effects in every industry.

A forensic study found significant trauma in 18 of 46 skulls from burials beside First Dynasty royal tombs at Abydos, Smithsonian Magazine reports. Researcher Roselyn Campbell interprets the injuries as deliberate killing, strengthening evidence of retainer sacrifice. The motives, weapons and causes of death for uninjured individuals remain uncertain.

Bridge Neurotech launched with $13.5 million in funding to develop a wearable ultrasound brain-computer interface, Wired reports. Its initial study records volunteers’ brain activity without delivering treatments or diagnoses. Experts note that blood-flow signals lag neural activity; a working consumer or therapeutic product has not been demonstrated.

A white-oak canoe found during a May dive in Pewaukee Lake has a 70% radiocarbon probability of dating to 992–1049 C.E., Smithsonian Magazine and Wisconsin Public Radio report. The Wisconsin Historical Society is consulting Indigenous partners and will leave the vessel submerged. Its maker and exact use remain unknown.

Colorado State University researchers planted 40,000 native sedges in Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows and monitored them for three years, Phys.org reports. Soil organic matter improved, but the meadow still lost carbon overall. The study supports restoration while cautioning that recovery from historic grazing damage could take decades.

A 34-year study found that Cairns Harbour’s seagrass, fish abundance and species richness recovered after severe storms nearly wiped out the habitat, James Cook University reports through Phys.org. The fish community changed rather than returning to its earlier composition. The findings show that habitat recovery can follow a different ecological path.

Griffith University researchers interviewed 22 survivors, health professionals and employers about returning to work after cancer, Phys.org reports. They identified persistent fatigue, cognitive effects and workplace barriers, and offered 13 recommendations. The findings come from a small qualitative study, rather than a population-wide estimate of how often these barriers occur.

Francis Halzen won the physics Nobel for contributions to IceCube and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos from space, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and DW report. The Antarctic observatory uses sensors in a cubic kilometre of ice to trace these particles, opening a way to study distant cosmic sources beyond ordinary light.

Johns Hopkins researchers found that pulse oximeters shifted from overestimating to underestimating blood oxygen at higher levels across five years of hospital data, STAT reports. Errors were worse for patients of color. Manufacturer Masimo says available data do not establish the cause; the study leaves the shift unexplained.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History displays five extinct bird species in its From These Lands exhibition, Smithsonian Magazine reports. Preserved specimens help scientists study genetics, anatomy and past ecosystems. The feature also describes the Guam rail’s recovery through breeding and reintroduction, showing that some conservation efforts can reverse losses.

A Nature Astronomy study identified unusual niobium signatures around white dwarf HS 0209+0832, NASA reports. Researchers combined Hubble, FUSE and TESS data to propose a gas-giant planet formed from material shed by the dying star. The observations support a candidate explanation; the planet and its formation history remain unconfirmed.

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel won the medicine Nobel for discoveries that enabled optogenetics, DW and the Nobel Assembly’s Karolinska announcement report. Light-sensitive proteins allow researchers to control selected nerve cells and investigate brain circuits. The award recognizes a research method; future clinical benefits remain under investigation.

University of Osaka researchers used electrical measurements across gold nanogaps to distinguish mirror-image amino acids in meteorite and desert-soil extracts, their Phys.org report says. The tested setup exceeded 80% classification accuracy. It is a prospective compact analysis method; the experiment did not detect extraterrestrial life or validate a space instrument.

Russian and Kyrgyz researchers are cataloging pottery, animal bones, cemeteries and a decorated building beneath Lake Issyk-Kul, AFP reports through Phys.org. The ruins may illuminate medieval Central Asian trade and daily life. The settlement’s precise dates, identity and cause of submergence remain uncertain; seismic activity is one proposed explanation.

A forensic reassessment identified potentially lethal trauma in 18 of 46 skulls from burials beside early Egyptian rulers at Abydos, Ars Technica reports. The study interprets the pattern as evidence consistent with some retainer sacrifice. Incomplete remains cannot establish how every person died or a single killing method.

An international review finds that East Antarctica’s Wilkes Subglacial Basin is vulnerable to ice retreat but too poorly observed for reliable forecasts of timing or thresholds, the University of Tasmania reports through Phys.org. The basin contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 3–4 meters if lost. That is potential ice volume, not a prediction of imminent rise.

City University of Hong Kong researchers tested nanoneedle arrays that capture RNA and map signals back to individual cells in fresh tissue without sequencing or amplification, the university reports through Phys.org. Experiments used mouse neural tissue and human colorectal biopsies. The method could simplify research workflows; routine clinical use and patient benefits remain prospective.

A laboratory study of 60 female gray tree frogs found that more competing calls made them less likely to choose a preferred mating call, study coauthor Claire Hemingway writes through Phys.org. The calls did not overlap, isolating choice overload from sound masking. Effects on actual mating in wild choruses remain untested.

The H.E.S.S. team found no significant gamma-ray line in 546 hours of observations toward the Milky Way’s center, Phys.org reports from researcher interviews. The analysis sets tighter limits on proposed dark-matter annihilation signals. Its strongest constraints depend on assumptions about the galaxy’s dark-matter distribution; dark matter was not identified.