Quaise Energy is on track to build the world’s first power plant using superhot geothermal energy. A Quaise analysis presented at the 2026 Stanford Geothermal Workshop validates the company’s belief that its first plant could produce at least 50 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity. That energy, produced from only a handful of wells, would be available 24/7.

An origami-inspired reflectarray antenna developed by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo enables CubeSats to achieve high antenna gain while fitting within the tight size constraints of small satellites. Weighing just 64 grams, it folds compactly inside a 3U CubeSat for launch and expands in space. Such designs could support higher data-rate communications, expanding the capabilities of future CubeSat missions, including deep-space and lunar exploration.

Prominences are cool plasma structures extending several thousand kilometers in the Sun’s hot corona. Some persist for weeks. For prominences to form and remain stable, they need a constant replenishment of plasma. A new study in the journal Nature Astronomy provides insights into their “supply logistics.” The Sun’s magnetic field is crucial. It lifts plasma from deeper layers into the prominences and directs the inflow through the corona. For the first time, the new computer simulations take into account processes in all involved layers of the Sun - including those below the surface.

- New observations: Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to study the atmosphere of a massive Jupiter-analogue.

- Evidence for clouds:  Surprisingly, the observations indicate the presence of water-ice clouds – previous models had been too simple!

- Part of a larger search: Observations and analysis provide a test run for certain challenges of observing a “second Earth”

April 21, 2026, Mountain View, CA -- The SETI Institute announced the launch of the Discovery and Futures Lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to understanding the global scientific, philosophical, and societal dimensions of discovering life beyond Earth.

The Discovery and Futures Lab’s mission is to anticipate and explore humanity’s responses to the discovery of life beyond Earth by connecting science with other kinds of research. It unites experts in astrobiology, SETI, social science, ethics, law, communication research, futures studies, and more to examine implications and guide preparedness.

"I'm incredibly excited to be a part of the Discovery and Futures Lab at the SETI Institute,” said Lucian Walkowicz, Co-Director of the Lab. “I see this effort as part of the SETI Institute's longstanding commitment to responsible science, and I hope it will be a transformative research accelerator for how we understand and communicate about the discovery process in the search for life."

 

Researchers in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University have demonstrated a new approach to light-driven motion, showing that lasers can be used to lift and steer objects in multiple directions without physical contact. This breakthrough may one day enable travel to Alpha Centauri within roughly 20 years.