11-May-2025 Deciphering the mechanisms of environmental change from traces of extinction-level celestial impacts Kyushu University What caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? The first thing that might come to mind is a meteorite crashing into the Earth. Assistant Professor Honami Sato, a geology researcher at the Faculty of Science, searches for traces of celestial impacts in geological strata to decipher the mechanisms of environmental changes on the planet. We spoke with Sato about her methods of stratigraphic surveying and her fascination with geology.
11-May-2025 Unlocking the hidden potential of plants Kyushu University Plants produce organic compounds from surrounding inorganic matter, and in turn, animals—including humans—live off the organic matter that these plants create. We spoke to Professor Akiko Maruyama from the Faculty of Agriculture to learn more about the essential nutrients required by plants, which support life on Earth, and her fascination with plant science research.
10-May-2025 From robots to living things: A multidisciplinary biologist strives to uncover the mysteries of the biological clock Kyushu University We've all had the experience of staying up late and not being able to wake up the next morning. This difficulty arises due to a shift in what's known as our biological clock, which is the central theme of Professor Hiroshi Ito's research at Kyushu University's Faculty of Design. We spoke with Ito to explore the advantages of cross-disciplinary studies and to discover how he uses his expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and engineering to understand the true nature of the biological clock.
9-May-2025 Integrating economics and data science for sustainable consumption and production Kyushu University In Japan, phrases like "sustainable society" and "sustainable development goals (SDGs)" have become buzzwords in recent years. With the numerous challenges facing modern-day societies, which include environmental issues such as air pollution, climate change, and marine plastic pollution, what approaches can be taken to achieve a truly sustainable society? To explore this question, we spoke with Lecturer Tomoaki Nakaishi from the Faculty of Economics, who is conducting research that merges the fields of economics and data science to achieve what he calls “sustainable consumption and production.”
9-May-2025 A battery breakthrough inspired by a can of compressed air University of California - San Diego Breakthroughs often begin with simple curiosities. In this Q&A, UC San Diego engineering alumnus Cyrus Rustomji reflects on how his ponderings about a can of compressed air, along with support from the university ecosystem and federal funding, fueled the development of a battery technology that can perform well at record low temperatures—an in turn, the founding of San Diego-based battery company South 8 Technologies.
9-May-2025 Why taking your research to new global audiences matters: An Alliance scientist’s experience The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture International engagement by scientists in the Global South, or those in relatively "obscure" or new fields, shows that research advances are increasingly tied to mutltidisciplinary, multinational collaboration.
9-May-2025 Climate change increases flooding and drought – researchers develop solutions for water management University of Turku Climate change disrupts the water cycle on Earth, causing potentially life-threatening flooding and drought. Researchers are developing solutions for predicting extreme situations and managing water.
9-May-2025 New building will meet Tennessee’s growing demand for chemical industry workforce University of Tennessee at Knoxville The Tennessee General Assembly has set aside $165.5 million in its fiscal year 2025-26 budget for a new chemistry building at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a groundbreaking scheduled for September and projected completion in 2029.
8-May-2025 It's hard to get meds to the lungs: breathable algae offer a new path University of California - San Diego UC San Diego engineers have uncovered a new, non-invasive way to deliver pneumonia-treating microrobots to the lungs—using breathable algae. This sort of breakthrough, which could one day be a game-changing medical treatment, is made possible by federal funding. Journal Nature Communications Funder Defense Threat Reduction Agency
8-May-2025 Mayo Clinic Q and A: How belly breathing benefits your body, mind Mayo Clinic When it comes to the correct way to breathe, it doesn't matter whether you breathe through your nose or your mouth. Where you breathe from matters — your belly and not your chest.
