Chinese medicinal cuisine, known as yao shan, has long‑standing cultural roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A multi‑disciplinary Perspective puts forward a falsifiable systems‑science framework for its modernisation. Rather than simply adding modern technologies to old practices, the work converts traditional TCM concepts into testable scientific hypotheses, establishes causal research chains, separates quality‑safety‑efficacy evidence, and delivers a four‑stage roadmap to advance reproducible, internationally comparable yao‑shan research and application.

Polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramics can provide strong piezoelectric and electro-optic responses, but pores, grain boundaries and ferroelectric domains scatter light, making transparency difficult to combine with functionality. A new review systematically connects these optical-loss mechanisms with densification, grain and domain engineering, phase tuning and defect control in lead-based PMN–PT and lead-free KNN ceramics. It evaluates five coupled functions—piezoelectricity, electro-optic modulation, energy storage, photoluminescence and photochromism—and distinguishes ceramic devices from single-crystal, thin-film and glass benchmarks. The authors outline a roadmap based on machine learning, texture engineering, high-Curie-temperature design, additive manufacturing and system-level integration.

Polysaccharides are complex, highly heterogeneous biological macromolecules whose structure‑activity relationships have long puzzled researchers using traditional experimental approaches. A new Perspective article describes how artificial intelligence can shift polysaccharide science from experience‑driven trial‑and‑error toward data‑driven rational design. The authors highlight critical data‑quality bottlenecks, propose standardized data frameworks, and paint a forward‑looking vision for AI‑guided polysaccharide development and precision nutrition.

The taste of kokumi works outside the five basic tastes of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami to enhance the perceived texture and flavor complexity of food. Researchers recently wrote a review article summarizing advances in the field of kokumi research, limitations of current kokumi peptides, proposed mechanisms of action and future directions.

Radome materials for hypersonic vehicles must simultaneously satisfy stringent performance requirements, including low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, high mechanical strength, and excellent high-temperature resistance. However, achieving synergistic optimization between wave-transparent performance and load-bearing capacity has long remained a central challenge in material design. Research group from Sun Yat-sen University innovatively constructed three composite systems, namely Si₃N_4f/BN, Si₃N_4f/SiO₂, and Si₃N_4f/SiO₂–BN, and systematically elucidated the cross-scale mechanism by which material composition modulates the mechanical and dielectric properties of composites through tailoring interfacial bonding and thermal mismatch stress. This work provides important theoretical guidance and experimental support for the design optimization and interfacial engineering of high-temperature wave-transparent materials for hypersonic vehicle applications.