The H.E.R.M.E.S. Constellation of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).  The High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites - Pathfinder Mission was successfully launched into orbit aboard the Space X Transporter 13. The launch took place this morning at 7:43 Italian time from Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California, USA. The six CubeSats in the constellation were grouped on an ION release platform made by the Italian company D-Orbit, positioned on a Falcon 9 vector. The six nanosatellites are clustered in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500-520 km, with an inclination of 97.44 degrees, and will be deployed about a week after launch with the release of one per day.

UofL Assistant Professor of Anthropology Kathryn Marklein co-authored a study that contradicts past literature about the stress markers and lifespans of female and male-presenting individuals, with new indications of resource disparities between the two. Marklein sheds light on how social and cultural factors — such as the preferential treatment of individuals presenting as males — have influenced health outcomes throughout history.  

Associate Professor SHIMOJO Hisashi of the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies conducts research on spaces where state intervention is difficult from the perspectives of anthropology and Southeast Asian studies. His main research focus is on the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam, but he aims to understand the backgrounds of how such spaces are formed regardless of the country, and the social order that people weave in these spaces. His efforts illuminate the image of the state as seen by ordinary people and challenge the understanding of society. We spoke with Shimojo about the results of his research and future prospects. In his words, “If the front side of a coin represents the state, then I study its reverse side.”

Daniel Haskel of the lab’s Photon Sciences directorate has been selected to represent Argonne in the 2025 cohort of DOE’s Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program (OSELP).

Predictive processing is critical for survival but little is known about how our brains attempt to predict future events based on sensory stimuli and past experience. In a first-of-its-kind study, a global team of scientists has crowd sourced and designed experiments that will probe the mechanisms of how brains anticipate events in their environment. The experiments begin today at the Allen Institute in Seattle, Washington using the cutting-edge OpenScope platform.

Professor SAKURAI Aiko of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies has a unique background, pursuing a career in international cooperation before expanding her research to include disaster education. While keeping a focus on teachers and the classroom, she has been exploring the development of disaster education where schools can protect children’s lives, and has been involved in implementing and supporting efforts in the field. We asked her about how disaster education has changed after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, and how she hopes to spread the initiatives to the world.