Researchers at the University of New South Wales and Monash University in Australia have developed a new method for covert communications. By taking advantage of the phenomena of “negative luminescence”, the opposite of the electroluminescence of conventional visible light emitting diodes (LEDs), they demonstrate that a data signal can be perfectly hidden in the thermal background, with only an outside observer with the same technology able to observe that a message was sent at all.

Achieving Zn anode stability is critical for advancing commercialization of aqueous zinc-ion batteries. However, the instability of zinc metal anodes driven by dendritic growth, hydrogen evolution, and interfacial passivation remains a critical obstacle for advancing aqueous zinc-ion batteries. In this paper, we report a synergistic interfacial engineering strategy that integrates in situ-grown zincophilic copper nanorod arrays with a self-assembled layer of 1-dodecanethiol to regulate ion flux and suppress side reactions simultaneously. The water-poor electric double-layer microenvironment derived from this dual-function “zincophilic–hydrophobic” architecture (denoted as HS-Cu@Zn) promotes uniform Zn deposition along the (100) plane, enhances desolvation kinetics (Zn²⁺ transference number increased from 0.47 to 0.75), and effectively excludes electroactive water molecules from the anode surface. As a result, the symmetric cells exhibit ultra-long cycling stability over 3500 h at 1 mA cm⁻², while Zn||Cu half-cells maintain a Coulombic efficiency of 99.65% for 900 cycles. ZnVO||HS-Cu@Zn full cell demonstrates exceptional cycling stability, achieving 2000 stable cycles at 5 A g⁻¹ with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.8%.

Early-onset intervertebral disc degeneration is partly driven by cellular senescence, yet effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited. Researchers report that the senolytic combination dasatinib and quercetin reduces senescence markers, inflammatory signaling, and degenerative tissue changes in a genetic mouse model of disc disease. In contrast, navitoclax shows no benefit. The study identifies JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) signaling as a key pathway underlying disease progression and therapeutic response, highlighting a potential strategy for slowing spinal disc degeneration.

A new study in National Science Review presents the first comprehensive 3D mapping of China's lakes. Researchers found that 65% of the nation's natural lake freshwater is stored in deep lakes of the remote western interior, rather than the water-abundant east. This discovery highlights a severe geographic imbanlance with population distribution, underscoring the vital role of artificial reservoirs and the need for region-specific water governance strategies.