Today's Science Highlights
These mice have human (nerve cells) on the brain
Researchers have successfully grown human brain tissue to fill most of a mouse's cortex, producing a hybrid model that could advance studies of brain diseases and neural circuit functions. Read more: These mice have human (nerve cells) on the brain
Scientists recreated what mice saw from brain activity alone
Researchers have developed a method to reconstruct 10-second video clips from the brain activity of mice, using signals recorded from neurons in the visual cortex. The technique offers new insights into how the brain processes and potentially reshapes visual information before it becomes our conscious perception of reality. Read more: Scientists recreated what mice saw from brain activity alone
Irrigation's climate benefit could equal 363 years of its own emissions
New research indicates that U.S. irrigation, while producing some greenhouse gas emissions, prevents vastly more by enabling farmers to grow food on less land, potentially avoiding emissions equivalent to 363 years of irrigation's own output. Read more: Irrigation's climate benefit could equal 363 years of its own emissions
A 240-million-year-old fossil just changed the dinosaur timeline
Researchers have identified a new Triassic-era animal fossil in Tanzania that belonged to a group previously known only from South America, a discovery that challenges existing assumptions about the age of the continent's earliest dinosaur fossils. Read more: A 240-million-year-old fossil just changed the dinosaur timeline
Scientists turn seawater into fresh water without harmful brine
Researchers have developed a solar-powered desalination system that converts seawater to fresh water while producing solid salt instead of toxic brine, potentially addressing a major environmental drawback of traditional desalination and enabling recovery of minerals like lithium. Read more: Scientists turn seawater into fresh water without harmful brine
Three robots worked together like an independent science team in NASA's latest test
NASA has demonstrated a system where three robots collaborate as an independent science team, making collective decisions without waiting for instructions from Earth—a capability that could fundamentally transform how robotic missions operate in deep space. Read more: Three robots worked together like an independent science team in NASA's latest test