What if checking medication levels were as simple as enjoying a lollipop? A candy-coated device, called Lollylab, could provide the answer. In ACS Sensors, researchers describe how the lollipop’s stem transfers saliva to a sensor that measures acetaminophen levels. In an initial test, a peach-flavored prototype reliably detected the pain reliever in six people’s saliva in less than two minutes. Participants also found it more comfortable and easier to use than traditional collection swabs.

Evidence for hypernovae, theorised to be the most powerful explosions in the Universe, has been disputed in two papers by University College London (UCL) researchers.

Maria (Masha) Kamenetska draws on chemistry, physics, and engineering to study molecules and drive advances in imaging, sensing, and quantum technology

Researchers have demonstrated a technique that uses a laser to produce a plasma beam antenna capable of transmitting radio waves.

Even the most chaotic quantum systems keep a permanent mark of their own past – a "quantum birthmark" – that never fades. Researchers from Tampere University, Harvard University, and TU Dresden discovered the feature in their recent study. These findings shed new light on the elusive relationship between classical and quantum mechanics. Looking ahead, these quantum birthmarks, along with related phenomenon known as "scars," could eventually be harnessed to power next-generation nanoelectronics.

Saitama University research team has developed a defect-state engineering strategy that transforms waste polyamide into carbon quantum dots with continuously tunable photoluminescence. By systematically changing surface chemistry through oxidation and boron-, nitrogen-, sulfur-, and phosphorus-containing modifications, the researchers shifted emission from ultraviolet at 308 nm to yellow-green at 552 nm using the same polymer precursor, while establishing a quantitative framework for understanding how engineered defect states control light emission.

A new review in National Science Review unveils anti-visual perception as a cross-disciplinary arms race spanning biomimetics, spectral physics, and AI. From snow leopards and dazzle camouflage to UV-to-microwave signature control and adversarial attacks on machine vision, it reveals how every advance in seeing drives new ways of hiding—offering a roadmap for next-generation camouflage, stealth, robust sensing, and trustworthy AI.