EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Artificial Intelligence

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This month, we’re focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), a topic that continues to capture attention everywhere. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how AI is being developed and used across the world.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Mar-2026 01:16 ET (18-Mar-2026 05:16 GMT/UTC)

The cactus on your desk is an evolution speed machine

University of Reading
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research shows that cacti are surprisingly fast at creating new species.

Journal: Biology Letters

UBC study links artificial turf fields to lethal chemical threat for salmon

University of British Columbia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from the University of British Columbia has found that artificial turf fields across Metro Vancouver leach 6PPD-quinone, a chemical known to kill coho salmon, into municipal stormwater systems—and the contamination persists long after the fields are installed.

Decades of coding experience are powering the next era of fusion energy

Princeton University

Through continuous innovation, PPPL develops critical fusion computer programs that model plasma, enabling the design of fusion machines with increased speed and efficiency.

Sunscreen produces persistent free radicals when exposed to light, a recent study finds

Arnold School of Public Health

New research from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences explores how common sunscreen ingredients behave under light exposure. Led by associate professor Eric Vejerano, the team tested seven commercially available sunscreens (including four mineral-based formulas) and found that every sample produced persistent free radicals (PFRs) when exposed to artificial light. The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, provides new insight into sunscreen photochemistry and may help guide future evaluations of product performance and safety.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology Letters

Search robot thinks for itself

Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers combine 3D image recognition with language models.

Artificial intelligence can be integrated into any robot.

Robots use continuous probability calculations to guide searches.

Journal: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

NJIT physicists trace sun’s magnetic engine, 200,000 kilometers below surface

New Jersey Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) analyzed nearly three decades of solar oscillation data to trace the Sun’s interior dynamics, and have now pointed to the likely location of the star’s magnetic engine deep beneath its surface — roughly 200,000 kilometers down, about the length of stacking 16 Earths end to end.

Funder: NASA Headquarters

Frontiers in Science Deep Dive webinar series: Trace levels of foodborne pathogens do not always translate to health risk, says study

Frontiers
Meeting Announcement

Explore how risk-based decision-making approaches to foodborne pathogens can build healthier, more sustainable, and more resilient food systems.

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