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.

In a study published in Water Research, Jingqiu Liao and a group of international researchers found that nanoplastics’ interactions with environmental microbes may pose indirect dangers to people, specifically by way of water systems.

A recent study investigated the tensile behavior and microstructural evolution of rubber-modified engineered cementitious composites (R-ECC) under coupled thermal–mechanical loading conditions. Unlike conventional post-heating evaluations, the research examined real-time tensile responses of R-ECC at elevated temperatures ranging from 25 ℃ to 150 ℃. The results reveal that while increasing temperature reduces tensile strength, sub-high temperatures (70–100 ℃) can significantly enhance ductility through favorable fiber-matrix interactions. The findings provide new insights into the design and application of ECC materials for structures operating in elevated-temperature service environments.

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.

In a recent paper, researchers from Texas A&M University compared three methods for measuring surface currents over large areas, identifying an ideal method that uses drones and wave-based current mapping. The technique relies on short aerial videos and mathematical analysis of wave patterns to determine a current’s speed and path.