A planet 140 light-years from Earth is rapidly coming apart due to its close proximity to its star. The roasting planet is effectively evaporating away: It sheds an enormous amount of surface minerals as it whizzes around its star.

Solid-state batteries have attracted significant attention due to their high safety and high energy density. However, the continuous lithium (Li) consumption will lead to decrease of the energy density and lifespan of the battery. Efforts have been devoted to exploring new strategies to increase the content of the active Li-ions, among which application of sacrificial additives is one of the most effective ways to compensate for the lost lithium. To spur more research into a stable and high-efficiency additive, researchers in China assessed the current advances of research and proposed Li_xC₆O₆ (x=2 and 4) as high-efficiency Li-compensation additives in cathode.

Biomass is currently the EU’s largest renewable energy source, but climate strategies often focus on other energy sources. A comprehensive analysis, led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, now shows that biomass is crucial for Europe's ability to reach its climate targets, as it can be used to produce fossil-free fuels and chemicals and also enables carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. If biomass were excluded from the European energy system, it would cost an extra 169 billion Euros per year – about the same as the cost of excluding wind power.

A research team, led by Prof. HUANG Zhulin at the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully synthesized tungsten carbide (WC) and tungsten boride (WB₂) ceramics with excellent mechanical properties and ablation resistance.

Asymmetric interactions between molecules may serve as a stabilizing factor for biological systems. A new model from researchers of the department Living Matter Physics at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) reveals this regulatory role of non-reciprocity. The scientists aim to understand the physical principles based on which particles and molecules are able to form living beings and, eventually, organisms.

Researchers have developed a light-induced DNA detection method that enables rapid, PCR-free genetic analysis. Their technique offers ultra-sensitive mutation detection in just five minutes, reducing costs and simplifying testing. The method has significant potential in healthcare, environmental conservation, and personal health monitoring.