Since 2010, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has been searching for high-energy neutrinos from space. In recent years, it has already provided important insights into the nature of these particles and the sources of these high-energy neutrinos in the universe. The main array of IceCube consists of 86 sensor strings embedded in the ice at intervals of 125 meters. As part of the IceCube upgrade, six new strings were installed between December 2025 and January 2026. This added over 650 modern photodetectors and calibration devices to the existing IceCube detector. The new instruments will improve our understanding of how light emitted by neutrino interactions in the ice propagates through the detector.

In a dark corner of a mechatronics lab at the Idaho National Laboratory, researcher Ben Baker types commands on a laptop to power up the reactor.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are helping to enable the next generation of abundant, affordable nuclear energy by combining 80 years of know-how with the latest scientific techniques, facilities and equipment. The lab’s longstanding expertise in degradation of materials in the harsh environments of nuclear reactors make it the go-to place for a resurgence of interest in liquid metals and molten salts for both advanced fission and fusion reactors. 

The HEROCARE (Holistic Empowerment in Radiation Oncology) programme, led by experts from the Department of Health Technology and Informatics and the Industrial Centre at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has achieved international acclaim. It recently received both the “Global Excellence Award” and “Impact Catalyst Award” at the 2025 International Sustainable Design Awards, demonstrating PolyU’s leadership in design-driven innovation that enhances healthcare experiences and treatment outcomes. 

The research team led by Dr. Young Cheol Park of the CCS Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (President: Yi, Chang-Keun, hereinafter “KIER”) successfully increased the amount of CO₂ captured from the air by 19-fold in just one year, from approximately 1 kg per day. The newly developed process also successfully completed more than 1,000 hours of demonstration operation, indicating strong potential for larger-scale demonstrations in the future.

The United States has long maintained strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan to deter escalation by both Beijing and Taipei. A survey of Taiwanese citizens by Incheon National University researchers shows that support for de jure independence is low and conditional, shaped by U.S. policy and Chinese coercion. Clearer U.S. security commitments raise support under limited pressure but fail once China escalates militarily. U.S. leaders should therefore avoid making explicit commitments to defend—or not defend—Taiwan.

Energy is fundamentally important — researchers have linked a lack of reliable energy to poor physical health, poor mental health and higher mortality rates. But when astronauts push the boundaries of space exploration, energy is a matter of life and death.