Scientists have created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through the Universe – showing its influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets.

A new portable reactor based on solid oxide fuel cell solves thermal management and safety issues, as reported by researchers from Japan. This miniaturized reactor can start up rapidly within 5 minutes at room temperature and demonstrate electric power generation. Featuring an innovative structural design with high thermal insulation and a multilayered insulation system, this microreactor design could be used to power a wide variety of edge devices, including drones, compact robots, and AI hardware.

SAN ANTONIO — January 26, 2026 — A new paper by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) staff details how using popular culture could effectively teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts. The paper shares insights from SwRI staff who hosted “Physics of Anime” panels at anime and hobbyist conventions across the country, presenting complex scientific ideas in an engaging way to curious attendees.

Together with an international team, researchers from the Molecular Physics Department at the Fritz Haber Institute revealed how atoms rearrange themselves before releasing low-energy electrons in a decay process initiated by X-ray irradiation. For the first time, they gain detailed insights into the timing of the process – shedding light on related radiation damage mechanisms.

Muons are particles used to study fundamental physics and to image large structures such as volcanoes, bridges and ancient buildings. But despite their apparent benefits to science – and even society more broadly – muons only have a half-life of around one microsecond. Now researchers at the University of Plymouth have suggested a means of overcoming that, using intense laser pulses to reduce the rate of decay and at least double the muon’s lifetime.