Space & Planetary
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Apr-2026 13:16 ET (7-Apr-2026 17:16 GMT/UTC)
Scientists develop a new metal implant that supports healing while slowly degrading
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Peer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers from the Additive Manufacturing Laboratory at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Prashanth Konda Gokuldoss and Mayank Kumar Yadav, have developed a new type of metal implant designed to support bone healing. Their work has been published in the journal Advanced Light Materials. The researchers created a hybrid implant that combines a stronger titanium alloy framework with zinc, a metal that can slowly dissolve inside the body. This design allows the implant to provide mechanical support while gradually creating space for new bone growth. The study introduces a new manufacturing approach that combines 3D printing (additive manufacturing) with pressure assisted sintering (spark plasma sinteing) to produce this metallic implant. The development addresses a key challenge in orthopedic implants providing strong support while avoiding problems that occur when implants are much stiffer than natural bone, which can weaken the surrounding bone over time and sometimes lead to additional surgeries.
Star light, star bright, baby stars blow rings alight
Kyushu UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
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.
- Journal
- The Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Funder
- NAOJ ALMA Scientific Research grant, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kagawa University
Snow leopards, leopards and wolves in the Himalayas coexist in the same space by choosing different prey, per new study examining the lives of these apex predators
PLOSPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- PLOS One
[Research Article] Towards an AI Cube for EO data inference in a distributed infrastructure
Big Earth DataA new study published in Big Earth Data proposes an AI cube framework that integrates GeoAI models into geospatial data cube infrastructures to enhance large-scale Earth Observation data analytics. By introducing a model warehouse, intelligent model selection, and parallel inference pipelines on the Open Geospatial Engine platform, the approach significantly improves analytical capability and reduces inference time by over 80%. The framework advances the transition from traditional data cube processing toward AI-ready spatial data infrastructures.
- Journal
- Big Earth Data
Spacecraft data reveals surprising detail about Saturn's magnetic "shield"
Lancaster UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Scientists analysing data from the Cassini-Huygens mission have uncovered a significant structural surprise in Saturn’s protective magnetic bubble.
Researchers say this discovery confirms that giant planets operate under a different magnetospheric regime from the Earth’s.
The study in Nature Communications includes Dr Licia Ray and Dr Sarah Badman from Lancaster University with Dr Chris Arridge, formerly of Lancaster.
- Journal
- Nature Communications
Reading’s weather history retold in new book
University of ReadingBook Announcement
Reading Weather and Climate since 1831, by Dr Stephen Burt, combines vivid historical accounts and contemporary photography from the past 200 years.