Scientists in Japan have developed a high-resolution X-ray telescope sharp enough to distinguish an object just 3.5 mm wide from one kilometer away, by combining precision mirror-making technology with space astronomy. To test its performance, they built a first-of-its-kind evaluation system, capable of simulating starlight on the ground to measure the telescope's sharpness before its launch on the US-Japan FOXSI sounding rocket mission. The findings, published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, represent a landmark achievement for Japanese X-ray astronomy and pave the way for high-resolution X-ray observations on future smaller satellites.

Rice paddies feed more than half of the world’s population, yet they are also hotspots for toxic arsenic contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. A new study reports a promising solution that addresses both problems at once, using an engineered biochar material enhanced with titanium dioxide.

Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed smart molecules that can both detect and treat cancer, offering a safer and more precise approach to care.

Gladstone Institutes investigator Ryan Corces, PhD, has been named a 2026 winner of the Pershing Square Foundation’s MIND Prize, a prestigious award recognizing next-frontier thinkers who are uncovering a deeper understanding of the brain and cognition. The 2026 Prize winners each receive $750,000 over three years to support breakthroughs in research on neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and other aging-related dementias, which affect millions of people worldwide. With funding from the MIND Prize, he will investigate why many families in which multiple members have Alzheimer’s disease do not have gene variants known to cause the condition.

AI-driven tests jointly developed by Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and Duke-NUS capture patients’ quality of life in minutes, helping doctors and researchers make faster, better-informed decisions.