New findings from various research teams are offering fresh insights across diverse scientific fields. At CERN, physicists have taken a surprising detour into modern alchemy by transforming lead into gold at the Large Hadron Collider. In parallel, another international team has introduced a rapid method to pinpoint bacteria, while researchers in California have identified tap water as a potential conduit for E. coli. These advances aim to simplify complex challenges you may recognise from everyday headlines.
A comparative study in mammals has also caught the eye of specialists. By analysing 46 species, scientists discovered that larger-brained animals—think whales and dolphins—tend to live longer, bolstered by a plethora of genes linked to immune function. Even species with smaller brains, like bats and mole rats, display similar genomic traits that extend lifespans. Dr Benjamin Padilla-Morales from the University of Bath explains that the genomic boost in survival and maintenance isn’t merely coincidental but forms part of a broader biological blueprint.
In space, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured something rare: a massive, wandering black hole far from the centre of its host galaxy, 600 million light-years away. Clocking in at around 1 million solar masses, this rogue body is paired with a much larger black hole at the galaxy’s core—a find that marks the first tidal disruption event recorded outside a galactic nucleus. Ryan Chornock from UC Berkeley emphasises that such events could help uncover otherwise hidden giants in our universe.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is making strides in health prognostics. Researchers at Mass General Brigham have developed FaceAge, a deep-learning algorithm that predicts biological age and cancer survival outcomes using facial photographs. The study, published in The Lancet Digital Health, reveals that cancer patients tend to appear on average five years older than their actual age. Tested on over 6,000 patients, FaceAge has helped clinicians sharpen their short-term survival predictions, offering a practical tool for enhancing patient care.
