BOULDER, COLO. — December 9, 2025 — A new study led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) links quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in solar flares to dynamic oscillations in magnetic reconnection, a phenomenon that can drive space weather and affect technology on Earth. This research could help refine traditional solar flare models and provide new insights into the mechanisms driving them.

For roughly two billion years of Earth’s early history, the atmosphere contained no oxygen, the essential ingredient required for complex life. Oxygen began building up during the period known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), but when and how it first entered the oceans has remained uncertain.

A new study published in Nature Communications shows that oxygen was absorbed from the atmosphere into the shallow oceans within just a few million years—a geological blink of an eye. Led by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the work provides new insight into one of the most important environmental shifts in Earth’s history.

University of Warwick scientists discover “hot spots” around atomic defects in diamonds – challenging assumptions about the world’s best heat conductor.

Biological supramolecular structures exhibit both lateral and longitudinal interactions, rendering the structure responsive to changes. Thus far, lateral interactions of synthetically assembled supramolecular polymers have only been elucidated. Inspired by microtubules, this study reports cooperative self-assembly of aryl barbiturate molecules into helical coils, driven by the concerted action of noncovalent lateral and longitudinal interactions. These synthetic polymers uniquely alter with changes in temperature. This conceptual advancement will influence future material designs of next-generation polymers.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common and challenging neurodegenerative diseases globally. It mostly affects older adults, causing irreversible changes in the brain that result in the progression of dementia, behavioral impairments, and worsening of daily living skills. Although Alzheimer's disease has been studied for over a century, there is still no effective treatment. Recent research demonstrated by interdisciplinary team of scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Poland and University of Burgos in Spain, highlight the important role of using combined analytical techniques to investigate potential drug candidates. They show how a novel molecule – TDMQ20 – that is proposed as a drug to treat AD, interacts with copper ions, decreasing the harmful effect on neurons. Let’s take a closer look at their breakthrough.