Top 20 Science International News

• Entangled Spins Give Diamonds a Quantum Advantage: UC Santa Barbara physicists engineered entangled spin systems in diamond that surpass classical sensing limits through quantum squeezing, enabling next-generation quantum technology. [Source 9]
• AI Revives Lost 3,000-Year-Old Babylonian Hymn: Researchers used artificial intelligence to piece together fragments scattered across the world, rediscovering a long-lost Babylonian hymn from 1000 BCE. [Source 9]
• 14th Century Story Fooled the World About the Black Death: Historians traced myths about the Black Death’s rapid journey across Asia to one 14th-century poem by Ibn al-Wardi, which was never meant as fact. [Source 9]
• Astronomers Solved the Mystery of “Impossible” Black Holes: New simulations suggest magnetic fields hold the key to forming black holes that defy known mass limits by ejecting vast amounts of stellar mass during collapse. [Source 9]
• Brain-Like Learning Found in Bacterial Nanopores: Scientists unraveled the mystery behind why biological nanopores sometimes behave unpredictably, showing they exhibit brain-like learning behavior. [Source 9]
• Hidden Universal Law Limiting Life’s Growth: Japanese researchers uncovered a universal rule, the “global constraint principle,” describing why life’s growth slows despite abundant nutrients. [Source 9]
• Clearing Brain Plaques Isn’t Enough to Heal Alzheimer’s: Japanese researchers found that lecanemab, an amyloid-clearing drug, does not improve the brain’s waste clearance system in the short term, implying nerve damage persists. [Source 9]
• The Rarest Element on Earth Could Revolutionize Cancer Treatment: Texas A&M scientists unlocked new potential for astatine-211, a rare and short-lived element, as a highly precise, tumor-destroying cancer-fighting isotope. [Source 9]
• Tiny Implant Wipes out Bladder Cancer in 82% of Patients: TAR-200, a small drug-releasing implant, proved far more effective than traditional chemotherapy by wiping out tumors in most patients with high-risk bladder cancer. [Source 9]
• Scientists Turn Body Fat Into Bone to Heal Spinal Fractures: Researchers in Osaka found that stem cells from fat tissue can repair spinal fractures, similar to those caused by osteoporosis, by turning into bone-forming clusters. [Source 9]
• Runners Who Sleep Poorly Are Twice as Likely to Get Hurt: A study found that runners who sleep poorly face nearly double the injury risk compared to those who rest well, highlighting sleep as a key factor in safety. [Source 9]
• China’s New Scientist Visa is a ‘Serious Bid’ for the World’s Top Talent: China is easing migration for young researchers to boost its competitiveness in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and new materials. [Source 6]
• The Computers That Run on Human Brain Cells: Scientists are exploring the use of neurons to create powerful computers with minuscule energy needs, moving beyond silicon. [Source 6]
• Is HRT in Menopause Healthy? US Label Change Triggers Debate: A US label change regarding Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in menopause has triggered a new debate on its health implications. [Source 6]
• Peru’s Serpent Mountain Sheds Its Mysterious Past: Research revealed that a winding 1.5-kilometer-long path of holes in Peru was first used as a market before the Inca repurposed it for tax collection. [Source 1]
• If Another Country Tested Nuclear Weapons, Here’s How We’d Know: An article details the methods and monitoring systems used to detect if a country conducts nuclear weapons tests. [Source 1]
• Hidden Weakness Makes Prostate Cancer Self-Destruct: Researchers discovered that prostate cancer depends on two key enzymes, PDIA1 and PDIA5, and blocking them causes the androgen receptor to collapse. [Source 9]
• Scientists Find Brain Chemical Tied to Trauma and Depression: Researchers identified SGK1 as a key chemical connecting childhood trauma to depression and suicidal behavior, with high levels found in suicide victims. [Source 9]
• Want a Younger Brain? Learn Another Language: A vast study suggests that being multilingual can slow down cognitive aging. [Source 6]
• James Watson, Co-discoverer of the Double-Helix Shape of DNA, Has Died at Age 97: An obituary notes the passing of the DNA pioneer, whose work sparked medical advances and ethical debates. [Source 10]