When two black holes merge or two neutron stars collide, gravitational waves can be generated. They spread at the speed of light and cause tiny distortions in space-time. Albert Einstein predicted their existence, and the first direct experimental observation dates from 2015. Now, Prof. Ralf Schützhold, theoretical physicist at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), is going one step further. He has conceived an experiment through which gravitational waves can not only be observed but even manipulated. Published in the journal Physical Review Letters (DOI: 10.1103/xd97-c6d7), the idea could also deliver new insights into the hitherto only conjectured quantum nature of gravity.

Acute sepsis alters how intravenous fluids and vasoactive drugs function in the body. Using a sheep model, researchers examined how sepsis affects the distribution of crystalloid fluids and the effectiveness of vasoactive drugs. Results showed that sepsis reduced urine output, weakened drug responses, and caused fluid to accumulate in the interstitial “third fluid space.” These findings highlight how sepsis disrupts normal fluid regulation, complicating effective fluid and drug management during treatment.

Microscopy plays a pivotal role in modern biomedical research, enabling the visualization of fine structures in complex specimens. Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) is a computational imaging technique that combines multi-angle illumination with numerical reconstruction to achieve both high resolution and a wide field of view on standard microscope hardware. However, for samples with thickness variation, tilt, or inherently three-dimensional structures, the limited depth of field means that only a narrow focal region appears sharp, while out-of-focus areas remain blurred. This fundamentally constrains the applicability of conventional FPM to real 3D biological specimens. To address this challenge, the authors propose an all-in-focus FPM framework that integrates three-dimensional implicit neural representations with a physics-based imaging model, enabling uniformly sharp reconstructions across the entire depth range and substantially improving the performance of downstream tasks such as image segmentation. This is particularly important for research that requires obtaining the full cell morphology, statistical feature distribution, or conducting large-scale cell behavior analysis. By significantly enhancing the usability of three-dimensional sample imaging, this method provides a more reliable image foundation for high-throughput cell phenotypic analysis, pathological screening, and other life science scenarios.

Ultra-light, super-flexible, highly insulating: An aluminum-coated polymer film is used to shield satellites from temperature extremes. Researchers at Empa have succeeded in making the material even more resistant by implementing an ultra-thin intermediate layer. The technology could in future also be used to improve flexible electronics and medical sensors.

Intense storms that sweep over the Southern Ocean enable the ocean to absorb more heat from the atmosphere. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that today’s climate models underestimate how storms mix the ocean and thereby give less reliable future projections of our climate.

A joint team from UOsaka has uncovered the core principles of the loss maximization in rotor-driven gas-liquid two-phase flows. Performing numerical simulations on the supercomputer "SQUID", they identified the causes as direct collisions between the rotor and the liquid surface and pressure imbalances around the rotor. The findings suggest that, in a resonant state, the enhanced fluid motion is drawn toward the front of the rotor, and the flow instability is intensified behind it. The insights from this research would open the possibility of improving energy efficiency, enhancing reliability and lifespan, and providing new design guidelines for various industrial applications.