The inherent dispersion of laser beams limits their effectiveness in precision applications. Researchers at Chiba University, with collaborators in the USA and India, developed a compact approach combining a Bessel lens and a flat multilevel diffractive lens to generate sharply defined, robust nondiffracting optical bottle beams. These beams feature alternating high-contrast regions and remain propagation-invariant over distances beyond 5 cm, enabling applications in advanced imaging, optical trapping, harmonic generation, micromachining, and high-fidelity quantum operations.

Observing the Taurus Molecular Cloud, a research team led by Kyushu University has found that during the early growth period of a baby star, the protostellar disk blows magnetic flux 1,000 au in size and creates a giant, relatively warm ring. Describing these phenomena as a baby star’s “sneezes,” these expulsions of energy and gas help the star to properly develop.

A surprising observation in the lab has revealed a remarkable ability in Stentor coeruleus, a single-celled organism about one millimeter long. Sometimes nicknamed the “platypus” of microorganisms for its trumpet-like shape, this tiny creature appears to have a distinct preference for corners.

From the 1970s onwards, Johnny & Associates became a dominant force in Japan’s entertainment industry despite longstanding sexual abuse allegations against its founder Johnny Kitagawa, which went largely unaddressed. In a new study, Professor Yukiko Nishikawa examines why this silence persisted, arguing it reflects a ‘conspiracy of silence’ sustained by media, institutional, and cultural dynamics. Her analysis highlights structural complicity and calls for systemic reforms to prevent similar failures in the future.

A research team reports they have created an organic reaction called α-allylation with simple ketones and allyl alcohols. This work holds the potential for use in the development of next-generation catalysts.

By introducing fairness from the beginning with ‘fuzzy’ systems that understand ambiguity and shades of correctness, the evolved AIs balanced fairness and accuracy even when tasked with coming up with solutions for complicated financial and ethical issues.