Virtual reality feels more “real” when users can touch a physical prop, but most haptic proxies follow a one-object-one-model approach that is costly and hard to deploy. A new fabric topological haptic proxy (FTHP) integrates origami-inspired constraints and embedded sensing fibers so a single cloth can switch among flat, folded and transforming states for different interactions. A lightweight neural network decodes the signals and achieves about 92.4% action recognition accuracy.

The chemical composition of meteorites and asteroids acts as a kind of fingerprint, providing information about the origin of the building materials that formed the Earth. 

Using a new analysis of existing data, the researchers show that this material must exclusively come from the inner solar system. 

The material that formed the Earth is similar to that found on Mars and the asteroid Vesta. The Earth is thus part of a trend line extending from the Sun. 

This close relationship also enables predictions to be made about the composition of Venus and Mercury, from which we have no known samples. 

Researchers have developed a new brain–computer interface that records neural signals from the brain’s lateral ventricle, a fluid-filled cavity traditionally used only for clinical drainage. Using a lantern-inspired expandable electrode, the system delivers stable, high-quality recordings for months and decodes memory-guided decisions with up to 98% accuracy in rats. The approach reduces immune response compared with conventional cortical implants and opens a new route for long-term, minimally invasive brain–machine interfaces.