Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have developed a game-based rainfall–runoff model that allows users to explore how floods form by adjusting land and environmental conditions. A classroom study with high school students showed that interactive, trial-and-error gameplay with score-based feedback improved their understanding of complex hydrological processes.

In recent years, atomically thin materials—crystals only a few atoms thick—have attracted growing attention because they can exhibit physical properties that do not appear in conventional bulk materials. Among them, atomically thin magnetic materials are particularly intriguing, as they can host unconventional magnetic states and offer new possibilities for spin-based electronic technologies.

Researchers at Tokushima University have demonstrated single-channel wireless transmission at 112 Gbps in the 560 GHz band using soliton microcombs, marking a significant step toward next-generation 6G communications.

Researchers at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, together with collaborators from RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (RIKEN CSRS) and The University of Osaka, have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which plants detect hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), a key signaling molecule involved in stress responses and immunity. Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals that plants rely on a copper-dependent sensing system, rather than the previously assumed cysteine-based mechanism, to perceive reactive oxygen species (ROS).

A recent trial of community-based and nurse-led ultrasound screening for hip dysplasia in Japan has been met with great success, according to new research at the University of Tokyo. The trial achieved almost universal reach and 8.7% of infants were found to have suspected developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), including children with no clinical signs or known risk factors. DDH is commonly checked for through a physical examination; however, late diagnosis remains a public health issue worldwide, leading to problems for adults later in life. More comprehensive ultrasound screening of infants during community-based public health services could help catch these missed cases without requiring hospital resources to conduct the initial screening.

Millions of people across the world suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, where sufferers experience memory impairment. Researchers from Tohoku University and the University of California, Irvine have recently identified dopamine dysfunction as a previously unrecognized mechanism underlying memory impairment. The discovery potentially opens the door to new therapeutic means that could reverse cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients across the globe.

Researchers have developed an optical fiber that uses laser-induced heating and bubble-driven convection to rapidly concentrate bacteria and nanoparticles in liquid samples. The method collects thousands of targets in 60 seconds with over tenfold higher efficiency than conventional approaches. This approach allows for faster and more sensitive detection in biomedical and environmental applications.

Students from the Faculty of Management at Okayama University of Science donated wooden toys to five children’s centers in Okayama City after successfully raising funds through a crowdfunding campaign. The project aimed to bring joy to children while helping them experience the warmth of locally sourced wood through play. The students collaborated with a local toy maker to create original dinosaur-themed wooden blocks and chestnut wood block sets, which were delivered during a presentation ceremony attended by representatives from the centers. The crowdfunding campaign surpassed its original goal, raising approximately 320,000 yen.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University examined how the concept of biodiversity is taught in schools. In a survey of schoolteachers in Hachioji City, Tokyo Prefecture, they found that key topics were being covered extensively and evenly, though omissions of topics like mass extinctions stood out. Importantly, they discovered that personal experiences of nature strongly influenced what teachers chose to highlight. Their findings reveal the challenges of effectively teaching a core component of environmental science.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a strategy to make aggregates of nanoparticles plastically deform under heating. Anionic groups are introduced onto the surfaces of cellulose nanofibers and paired with cations from an ionic liquid. At high temperatures, the cations diffuse across the interfaces between the nanofibers in the aggregates, enabling the aggregates to expand. This study is the first time nanoparticle aggregates have been thermoformed without loss of nanoparticle shape or crystallites.