Think your multitasking is impressive? A new study reveals that wild octopuses use their arms with incredible complexity. Each of the eight limbs can perform any type of movement, but clear patterns emerged: front arms explore, back arms support movement. Even more impressively, individual arms can perform multiple actions at once – and coordinate across several limbs – showcasing the octopuses’ remarkable motor control in natural settings.

Recurrent meningiomas pose a major clinical challenge, often returning with increased aggressiveness and treatment resistance. Researchers from Korea University used single-cell transcriptomics to map tumor evolution from primary to recurrent states, uncovering COL6A3 as a key molecular driver that links tumor proliferation with immune modulation. The study advances our understanding of meningioma biology and also highlights COL6A3 as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target, paving the way for smarter risk stratification and precision therapies.

Inspired by molecular motors in biological systems, researchers at Doshisha University develop the world’s first symmetric ratchet motor in which a perfectly circular disk spins in one direction when placed on vibrating particles. While conventional rachets rely on asymmetry, this motor emerges from spontaneous symmetry breaking. This discovery highlights a new principle in physics of extracting order from noise, setting the stage for innovative energy-harvesting devices that work on ambient vibrations.