Across the board, the authors found that LLM responses were significantly more similar to each other than human responses. In isolation, a single LLM response to a task was typically rated as roughly equally creative or more creative than the average human response. However, when compared to other outputs from other LLMs—whether Gemini, GPT, or Llama—similar ideas and responses emerged again and again. According to the authors, relying on LLMs for brainstorming, problem solving, or making art risks harming human thinking.

Penn Engineers have redesigned a key component of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the delivery vehicles used in mRNA vaccines, to steer mRNA toward lymph nodes while reducing off-target accumulation in the liver. The modified “aroLNPs” delivered at least tenfold less mRNA to the liver than the lipid used in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, while preserving strong immune responses. The advance could enable more precise, lower-dose vaccines and expand the potential of mRNA therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease.

Researchers have developed a technique to precisely manoeuvre quantum sensors through highly viscous biological environments, such as the interior of living cells, using magnetic microbots

Frequent micro‑checks and bursts of messaging are most strongly linked to feeling overloaded — and these habits are the hardest to change, says research from Aalto University. The seven-month study followed the digital behaviour of nearly 300 adults in Germany across smartphones and computers. Participants completed repeated surveys about information overload, while all apps and websites used were logged, creating a rich longitudinal dataset of real world device use.

University of Cape Town researchers have discovered that the 2023-2024 El Niño triggered the largest sea level surge ever recorded across Africa's marine domains. A rare convergence of climate patterns amplified the event, causing sea levels to rise faster than the global average and placing over 15 million coastal residents at heightened flood risk. The study is published in Communications Earth & Environment.

Swarms of pico-satellites could work together as a single large antenna for direct-to-smartphone communications, as reported by researchers from Japan. Instead of relying on a single large satellite with a phased-array antenna, the team showed that pico-satellites orbiting Earth in formation could each carry individual phased-array elements and be synchronized wirelessly. The proof-of-principle experiment demonstrated reliable, high-quality data transmission, paving the way for cheaper, more reliable network coverage worldwide.