EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This month, we’re focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), a topic that continues to capture attention everywhere. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how AI is being developed and used across the world.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Nov-2025 13:11 ET (18-Nov-2025 18:11 GMT/UTC)

11-Jun-2025

SETI Institute names first William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellow

SETI Institute
Grant and Award Announcement

The SETI Institute is pleased to announce Dr. Karen I. Perez as the inaugural recipient of the William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellowship at the SETI Institute. Beginning in the Fall of 2025, Perez will develop real-time, machine-learning-enabled and GPU-accelerated analysis pipelines for detecting single-pulse transients, as well as narrowband and broadband technosignatures, using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in Hat Creek, CA and other telescopes around the world.

Her research will bridge science and engineering, advancing the field of radio astronomy through the integration of NVIDIA accelerator technology, which is crucial for advancing the SETI Institute's data-intensive search for signals from intelligent life.

11-Jun-2025

Single-material electronic skin gives robots the human touch

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have developed a low-cost, durable, highly-sensitive robotic ‘skin’ that can be added to robotic hands like a glove, enabling robots to detect information about their surroundings in a way that’s similar to humans.

Journal: Science Robotics

11-Jun-2025

Photonic processor could streamline 6G wireless signal processing

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT researchers developed a photonic AI hardware accelerator designed specifically to handle wireless signal processing, reducing latency. Their architecture encodes and processes data using light to dramatically accelerate deep learning computations on an edge device.

Journal: Science Advances
Funder: U.S. Army Research Laboratory, U.S. Air Force, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, National Science Foundation

11-Jun-2025

Toddlers’ eye movements predict ability to judge memories, new research suggests

University of California - Davis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The simple act of looking and comparing may be the first step toward learning how to judge what we remember, a skill that is fundamental to learning and making decisions.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

11-Jun-2025

AI-enabled control system helps autonomous drones stay on target in uncertain environments

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Reports and Proceedings

A new adaptive control system for autonomous drones minimizes trajectory tracking error. It uses AI to approximate the unknown forces that could affect the drone’s flight path and automatically pick an optimization algorithm that best suits the problem at hand.

Funder: MathWorks, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, MIT-Amazon Science Hub, MIT-Google Program for Computing Innovation

11-Jun-2025

Researchers find that, overall, prescribing ADHD medications via telehealth does not alter risk of substance use disorder

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mass General Brigham researchers scrutinized this concern with the first-ever study comparing substance use disorder rates in patients with ADHD who were prescribed stimulant medications during in-person versus virtual appointments. They found that, overall, telehealth was not associated with increased risk of substance use disorder. Still, the researchers noted the importance of comprehensive diagnoses and routine follow-ups.

Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry
Funder: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

11-Jun-2025

New quantum navigation device uses atoms to measure acceleration in 3D

University of Colorado at Boulder
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new quantum device could one day help spacecraft travel beyond Earth's orbit or aid submarines as they navigate deep under the ocean with more precision than ever before.