Harvard SEAS and University of Chicago researchers have tested and validated lightweight nanofabricated structures that can passively float in the mesophere, which is about 45 miles above Earth’s surface. The devices levitate via photophoresis, or sunlight-driven propulsion, which occurs in the low-pressure conditions of the upper atmosphere.

A team led by researchers from the University of Washington used a fiber-optic cable to capture calving dynamics across the fjord of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier in South Greenland. Data collected from the cable allowed them to document — without getting too close — one of the key processes that is accelerating the rate of glacial mass loss and in turn, threatening the stability of ice sheets, with consequences for global ocean currents and local ecosystems.  

Six Binghamton University, State University of New York faculty members have received more than $4.4 million in National Science Foundation CAREER Awards to pursue groundbreaking research in materials science, psychology, high-tech manufacturing and more.

Saliva is more than spit. It helps with chewing and swallowing, protects teeth and gums, and even has antimicrobial and digestive properties. However, certain conditions or medical treatments, such as hemodialysis, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, reduce natural saliva production. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Applied Polymer Materials have created a reusable hydrogel that releases artificial saliva over time, which could help provide sustained relief from dry mouth.

The three-year project is designed to improve monitoring contamination in Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s largest freshwater reservoir. The research focuses on how sunlight transforms common pollutants like pesticides and pharmaceuticals into potentially more toxic byproducts. Using innovative sampling and chemical analysis techniques, the team aims to track these changes in real-time, filling a critical gap in current monitoring methods. This work will enhance understanding of contaminant behavior, protecting both ecosystem and human health.

A public-private partnership between PPPL and Commonwealth Fusion Systems has led to a new artificial intelligence approach that is significantly faster at finding the magnetic shadows in a fusion vessel: safe havens protected from the intense heat of the plasma. Speeding up these calculations, which predict where the heat will hit and what parts of the tokamak will lie safe in the shadows of other parts, brings fusion power one step closer to reality.