Kyoto, Japan -- Down here on Earth we don't usually notice, but the Sun is frequently ejecting huge masses of plasma into space. These are called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). They often occur together with sudden brightenings called flares, and sometimes extend far enough to disturb Earth's magnetosphere, generating space weather phenomena including auroras or geomagnetic storms, and even damaging power grids on occasion.

Scientists believe that when the Sun and the Earth were young, the Sun was so active that these CMEs may have even affected the emergence and evolution of life on the Earth. In fact, previous studies have revealed that young Sun-like stars, proxies of our Sun in its youth, frequently produce powerful flares that far exceed the largest solar flares in modern history.

Huge CMEs from the early Sun may have severely impacted the early environments of Earth, Mars, and Venus. However, to what extent explosions on these young stars exhibit solar-like CMEs remains unclear. In recent years, the cool plasma of CMEs has been detected by optical observations on the ground. However, the high velocity and expected frequent occurrence of strong CMEs in the past have remained elusive.

Researchers at Fujita Health University and collaborators identified "hyper-maturity" in the hippocampus, excessive cellular aging, as a shared abnormality in mouse models of anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. By screening public transcriptomics datasets, they found hyper-mature signatures linked to increased anxiety. This study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, extends beyond the authors’ previous findings on immature brain phenotypes, suggesting that both under- and over-maturation can disrupt emotional regulation, offering a new paradigm for psychiatric and aging research.

Carbynes, or long linear carbon chains (LLCCs), have received significant attention in recent years due to their predicted exceptional properties. However, experimentally, their properties have been hard to probe due to their low stability. To improve stability, it is necessary to encapsulate LLCCs in small diameter carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Now, researchers have developed a new method to synthesize small diameter single-walled carbon nanowires (SWCNWs), featuring high-density LLCCs encapsulated in single-walled CNTs.

Researchers at The University of Osaka and The University of Tokyo developed a photoactivatable alkyne tag that enables stable, selective visualization of biomolecules inside living cells. The technology would contribute to reveal previously unseen molecular communication, paving the way for advances in cell biology and drug discovery.

The henna tree is commonly used for making henna dye. Now, a new study suggests that the same pigments that change your skin or hair that distinctive orange-red color could be used for another purpose: treating liver disease.

Researchers at AIMR demonstrated that the quantum metric, a hidden property of electronic states, can be measured and controlled under ambient conditions. Using a Mn₃Sn/Pt heterostructure with engineered interfacial spin textures, they revealed a robust second-order Hall effect, opening new pathways for topological electronics and quantum-geometry–based devices.