u/Zee2A

"Our Power Tower is a 20-meter-tall, vertically deployed solar array system designed to provide more than 10 kilowatts of power for Moon Base operations at the lunar south pole."

Fat Cells May Retain a Molecular Memory of Obesity

A recent Cell Reports study suggests that weight regain may partly result from a lasting epigenetic “memory” in fat cells. In mice, obesity activated TGF-β1, which altered the FBN1 gene and increased production of asprosin, an appetite-stimulating hormone. This molecular change persisted after weight loss, potentially increasing hunger and promoting regain.

The findings may help explain why weight regain is common after dieting, but the mechanism has so far been demonstrated in mice, not confirmed in humans. Future therapies could potentially target this pathway to reduce relapse.

Study: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(26)00887-9

Global Study Finds Women Report More Pain Than Men

A major Nature Medicine study analyzing data from more than 6 million people in 118 countries (1990–2025) found that women reported higher pain prevalence than men across all 11 body sites studied, with the largest gaps in headache, facial and abdominal pain. Pain increased sharply before age 55 and peaked at age 75 and older. Researchers also highlighted persistent disparities in how women’s pain is diagnosed and treated.

Study findings: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04696-w

Footage shared by Alexander Miller, Chief Technology Officer to the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, offers one of the first public looks at next-generation ground combat platforms undergoing live-fire trials. The demonstrations featured pre-prototypes of the M1E3 Abrams main battle tank—a redesign equipped with an uncrewed turret, autoloader, and hull-seated crew—alongside competing prototypes for the XM30 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (GDLS’s Wolf and Rheinmetall’s Lynx-based design) meant to replace the M2 Bradley. The live-fire event also showcased the Hanwha K9-based Mobile Tactical Cannon and counter-drone robotic units, emphasizing the Army’s strategic shift toward modular software, open architecture, and affordable mass to handle modern battlefield threats.

Camden, Arkansas, a small rural town, has become a key hub of U.S. missile manufacturing as defense demands surge due to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Companies including Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and L3Harris are expanding production, creating an economic boom but straining housing, skilled labor and infrastructure. However, missile manufacturing and solid-rocket-motor production involve complex, hazardous processes that can take weeks or months, making rapid increases in output difficult despite major federal investment.

An electrical engineer at Portland State University, Josh Méndez, has helped solve the classic science-demonstration mystery of why a pickle glows orange when electrocuted. After testing over 100 pickles, Méndez found that the phenomenon combines two leading theories: electrical current flowing through the salt brine creates gas pockets and a tiny electric arc (spark discharge), which then ignites volatile hydrogen gas generated by electrolysis at the negative electrode. The characteristic bright orange color itself comes from the sodium ions in the brine being excited by the spark.

Generating up to 100 times more antiviral drug candidates than was previously practical — in weeks rather than months or years — could improve the odds of finding a drug quickly when necessary.

Traditional antiviral drug discovery relies on screening massive libraries of molecules to identify "hits" that inhibit viral replication. However, creating diverse chemical candidates is typically a slow, complex bottleneck that takes months or years. Researchers at Simon Fraser University have supercharged this process by developing streamlined synthesis methods that can generate molecule libraries up to 100 times larger in just weeks. By dramatically expanding the volume and variety of candidate compounds available for screening early on, scientists can quickly pinpoint viable drug candidates, cut years off the early stage of development, and mount a faster response against emerging pandemic and viral threats.

Research findings: science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aed6880

The White House is monitoring reports of a suspected plague case in Russia after a 27-year-old institute worker died and 189 people were hospitalized following contact with her. The pneumonic plague is caused by the same bacteria as the bubonic plague, and can spread from person to person through airborne respiratory droplets. American officials continue to evaluate the potential outbreak and its broader biosecurity implications: https://interestingengineering.com/health/suspected-russian-plague-white-house-scrutiny

Russian authorities have not confirmed the diagnosis, while a hospital in the Irkutsk region has been placed under quarantine: https://kyivindependent.com/plague-death-triggers-quarantine-mask-mandates-in-russias-irkutsk-region-in-siberia/

Resaerch paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-026-02129-z

Northrop Grumman has won an $18.8 million U.S. Army contract to develop solid-fuel ramjet propulsion for prototypes of a longer-range counter-drone missile. The work is part of the Army’s eXtended Range Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System, or XRC, program.

A hit 1983 movie illustrates what computer scientists have long known: If you give an AI agent a goal but don’t control what it can and can’t do, you shouldn’t be surprised by what it does.

The exoplanet LHS 1140b may have a temperature that could allow for liquid water on its surface. Just possibly, it could support the existence of life: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea9708

Though not yet approved by any regulatory agency, retatrutide could help improve blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01861-1/abstract

Psilocybin could be an unexpected avenue for treating an injury that currently has few options beyond rest and symptom management: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-10804-w