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: 22-Dec-2025 00:11 ET (22-Dec-2025 05:11 GMT/UTC)
AI-powered occupancy tracking system optimizes open-plan office design
The University of OsakaPeer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a novel framework for measuring occupancy in open-plan offices with unprecedented precision. This innovative system uses computer vision and AI to analyze occupancy at a micro-scale level, focusing on specific functional zones within the office. This addresses a significant gap in current occupancy tracking methods, which typically only provide macro-level data and struggle to capture detailed usage patterns within shared spaces.
- Journal
- Journal of Building Engineering
Artificial intelligence revolutionizes catalyst design and synthesis
Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy SciencesPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Matter
AI-powered application enables clinicians to diagnose endocrine cancers faster and more accurately
The Endocrine SocietyReports and Proceedings
Machine learning-developed maps for discovering new phases released
National Institute for Materials Science, Japan- Journal
- Chemistry of Materials
- Funder
- Japan Science and Technology Agency
What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?
The Hebrew University of JerusalemPeer-Reviewed Publication
Despite a warming climate, bone-chilling winter cold can grip parts of the U.S.—and this study explains why. Researchers found that two specific patterns in the polar vortex, a swirling mass of cold air high in the stratosphere, steer extreme cold to different regions of the country. One pattern drives Arctic air into the Northwest U.S., the other into the Central and Eastern areas. Since 2015, the Northwest has experienced more of these cold outbreaks, thanks to a shift in stratospheric behavior tied to broader climate cycles. In short: what happens high above the Arctic can shape the winter on your doorstep.
- Journal
- Science Advances
A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists
Rutgers UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Scientists have discovered how a key protein helps maintain strong connections between brain cells that are crucial for learning and memory.
Results of the study, published in the journal Science Advances, could point the way to new treatments for traumatic brain injuries and diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, the scientists said.
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Funder
- NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research