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Science Spark, New York, NY (2025)

08/13/2025

U.S firm unveils hypersonic plane that can reach anywhere on Earth in 90 minutes.

A hypersonic aircraft capable of flying from New York to London in less than 30 minutes has been unveiled by a U.S. firm HYPERLINER.

HYPERLINER promises to slash journey times by flying at ten times the speed of sound — or more than 7,600 mph — thanks to a hydrogen-powered propulsion system packing the kind of thrust used to launch a space shuttle.

The plane will cruise at a staggering 125,000 feet and be powered by a combination of next-gen scramjets, rocket propulsion and AI-assisted navigation.

Powered by a hydrogen propulsion system, have a capacity to carry 220 passengers, and produces zero carbon emissions.

The jet features AI-assisted navigation and advanced engines, with plans for freight and military variants.

Sources / Credits :
The European. "U.S. firm unveils hypersonic plane that can reach anywhere on Earth in 90 minutes."

Hyperian Aerospace or the HYPERLINER

Interesting Engineering: "Hypersonic cargo jet that will fly 10 times the speed of sound planned by US firm."

Logistics Insider: "Hyperian’s Hypersonic Dream: Game-Changer or Just Hype?" Mentions the project being unveiled via LinkedIn and X on March 24, 2025.

Tomorrow Desk: "Hyperian Aerospace and the Dawn of Hypersonic Flight." Notes the project's announcement via a LinkedIn post in March 2025.

07/23/2025

Zebrafish can regrow hearing cells, unlike humans, and scientists have identified two genes behind this ability, offering hope for future hearing loss treatments.

These genes control distinct support cell types in zebrafish neuromasts, maintaining stem cell reserves while generating new hair cells.

A study published on July 14, 2025, in Nature Communications by the Piotrowski Lab, led by Mark Lush, Ph.D., revealed that two cyclinD genes regulate cell division in active stem cells at the neuromast’s edge and progenitor cells near the center.

These cells divide symmetrically, ensuring continuous hair cell production without depleting stem cells.

By sequencing active genes, researchers confirmed the distinct roles of these cyclinD genes.

This discovery could guide efforts to activate similar regenerative pathways in humans, potentially reversing hearing loss by mimicking the zebrafish’s biological mechanism.

Because cyclinD genes also regulate proliferation in many human cells, like those in the gut and blood, the team’s findings may have implications beyond hair cell regeneration.

“Insights from zebrafish hair cell regeneration could eventually inform research on other organs and tissues, both those that naturally regenerate and those that do not,” said Piotrowski.

Source / Credits:
Stowers Institute for Medical Research

"Stem and progenitor cell proliferation are independently regulated by cell type-specific cyclinD genes" by Mark E. Lush, Ya-Yin Tsai, Shiyuan Chen, Daniela Münch, Julia Peloggia, Jeremy E. Sandler and Tatjana Piotrowski, 14 July 2025, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60251-0

Additional authors include Ya-Yin Tsai, Shiyuan Chen, Daniela Münch, Julia Peloggia, Ph.D., and Jeremy Sandler, Ph.D.

07/23/2025

Scientists are making a groundbreaking discovery: memory can be restored despite the presence of plaques.

Rather than focusing on eliminating damage, the key may be enhancing what still functions.

Astrocytes, the brain’s underappreciated support cells, are gaining attention.

Proteins like hevin, combined with cutting-edge gene therapies, are paving the way for a new approach to medicine—one that promotes regeneration over merely combating decline.

Each finding reframes Alzheimer’s not as an inevitable defeat, but as a challenge we’re increasingly equipped to tackle.

Researchers reversed memory loss in mice modeled with Alzheimer’s disease by increasing levels of a natural brain protein called hevin.

Published in Aging Cell, the study shows that elevating hevin in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub, restores learning and memory capabilities without clearing beta-amyloid plaques, traditionally considered a primary cause of Alzheimer’s.

Hevin, produced by astrocytes (support cells in the brain), is crucial for forming and maintaining synapses, the neural connections essential for cognitive function.

By boosting hevin levels in the hippocampus of Alzheimer’s-like mice, scientists enhanced synaptic strength and improved cognitive performance.

This finding shifts the focus from plaque-clearing treatments to synaptic repair, suggesting a novel approach for Alzheimer’s therapies.

Researchers are now investigating methods to safely increase hevin in humans, aiming to develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s and other dementias, offering hope for millions affected by these conditions.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance. The study is preclinical, and human applications are still under investigation.

Sources / Credits :
Cabral-Miranda, F., et al. (2025). “Hevin overexpression in astrocytes ameliorates cognitive deficits in aging and Alzheimer’s disease model mice. Aging Cell.

Hevin Overexpression in Astrocytes Slows Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Model Mice.” Fight Aging!

Social media post by
on X, July 18, 2025, summarizing hevin’s role in reversing memory loss.

Additional context from “Alzheimer’s disease: insights into pathology, molecular mechanisms, and therapy,” Protein & Cell, 2024, for background on Alzheimer’s pathology

The findings were published in a highly respected scientific journal. While the text says Cell, the specific, widely-reported study on hevin from Stanford was published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

It's possible related foundational work appeared in Cell, but the core findings described are from the JEM paper.

07/22/2025

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a technology that transforms Wi-Fi routers into surveillance systems capable of detecting human presence, positioning, and body poses through walls by analyzing Wi-Fi signal disturbances.

Using AI to interpret signal interference, this cost-effective system leverages existing infrastructure.

The technology uses radio signals from WiFi routers to map the 3D shape and movements of humans in a room, without the need for cameras or expensive LiDAR hardware.

It enables invisible monitoring without traditional cameras, potentially benefiting health and security applications but also carry a risk of misuse.

Researchers have developed a deep neural network that maps the phase and amplitude of WiFi signals to UV coordinates within 24 human regions.

The technology uses DensePose, a system developed by Facebook’s AI lab, to identify key points on the human body.

The researchers demonstrated the technology using three $30 WiFi routers and three receivers.

The system focuses on signals reflected off moving objects, reconstructing the pose of a person in a radar-like image.

This technology could potentially see through various opaque obstacles, including drywall and concrete walls.

The results of the study reveal that our model can estimate the dense pose of multiple subjects, with comparable performance to image-based approaches, by utilizing WiFi signals as the only input.

Source / Credits:
Credit: Carnegie Mellon
This is not the first time researchers have attempted to “see” people through walls. In 2013, a team at MIT found a way to use cell phone signals for this purpose, and in 2018, another MIT team used WiFi to detect people in another room and translate their movements to stick figures.

07/21/2025

Research from Belgium, published in Science Advances, demonstrates that the spinal cord can independently learn and store motor memories, challenging the view that it merely relays brain signals.

In transgenic mice with severed spinal cords, the spinal cord adapted to stimuli, enabling hind limb movement to avoid shocks.

The En1 gene in ventral neurons was critical: disabling it erased the learned response, while exciting these neurons restored it.

This discovery highlights the spinal cord's ability to encode and retrieve motor behaviors, opening new possibilities for spinal injury treatments by leveraging its learning circuits.

The hippocampus handles spatial relations, the prefrontal cortex manages executive functions, and the amygdala processes fear.

It often assumes a hierarchical structure where higher forebrain systems integrate sensory information and issue motor commands, which the brainstem and spinal cord execute obediently (Gallistel, 1980).

Here, the spinal cord acts primarily as a conduit, transmitting neural signals to and from the brain via its outer white matter fibers.

The inner central gray of the spinal cord is typically viewed as a basic switchboard, directing ascending fibers and motoneurons based on sensory inputs and modulated by descending signals.

Although the central gray is acknowledged for organizing simple reflexes, like withdrawing from pain, complex behaviors, learning, and temporal processing are considered exclusive to the brain.

Source & Credits :
Simon Lavaud et al, “Two inhibitory neuronal classes govern acquisition and recall of spinal sensorimotor adaptation“, Science Advances (2024).

Citation: Grau JW, Hudson KE, Johnston DT and Partipilo SR (2024) Updating perspectives on spinal cord function: motor coordination, timing, relational processing, and memory below the brain. Front. Syst. Neurosci. 18:1184597. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2024.1184597

Published: 20 February 2024

Olivia Gosseries, University of Liège, Belgium

Simon Arthur Sharples, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States
David Parker, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Copyright © 2024 Grau, Hudson, Johnston and Partipilo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

07/21/2025

Engineers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln appear to have created an innovative self-healing artificial muscle for soft robotics.

This system is designed to detect and repair damage on its own, using advanced materials and mechanisms inspired by how human and plant skin heal.

The system likely features a multi-layer design: a damage detection layer with liquid metal, a self-healing middle layer, and an actuation layer for movement.

When damage occurs, it seems the system uses heat (Joule heating) to repair itself and can reset for multiple uses, potentially extending the lifespan of robotic systems.

The technology could significantly improve the reliability of robots in various industries.

This innovation appears promising for fields like healthcare (e.g., wearable devices), manufacturing, and agriculture, where robots often face physical damage. It may also help reduce electronic waste, benefiting environmental and human health.

Sources:
The research was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, NASA Nebraska Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and the Nebraska To***co Settlement Biomedical Research Development Fund, underscoring its credibility.

The findings were disseminated through multiple channels, including University of Nebraska–Lincoln news article "husker engineers advance work on intelligent self healing technology".

ICRA 2025 conference presentation and News coverage on Interesting Engineering title "us engineers make soft robot muscle.

Additional corroborative sources, such as ScienceDaily and Sustainability Times, highlight the system's ability to detect punctures or pressure, heal injuries, and repair its damage-detecting 'skin,' reinforcing the innovation's scope and impact.

07/21/2025

Scientists have found that oxytocin, the 'love hormone,' has the potential to promote heart regeneration after injury.

A recent study found that oxytocin stimulates stem cells in the heart’s outer layer (epicardium), prompting them to migrate and develop into cardiomyocytes—the muscle cells responsible for heart contractions.

Oxytocin, a hormone, stimulates stem cells in the heart’s epicardium to migrate and differentiate into cardiomyocytes, the muscle cells driving heart contractions.

In zebrafish, oxytocin levels increased post-heart injury, binding to epicardial receptors and triggering molecular events that promoted the formation of epicardium-derived progenitor cells (EpiPCs).

These cells can regenerate various heart cell types. In humans, where EpiPC production is naturally limited, oxytocin doubled the conversion of human induced pluripotent stem cells into EpiPCs via the TGF-β signaling pathway.

Other neurohormones showed no similar effect. Oxytocin’s potential as a heart regeneration therapy is promising, though its short half-life may require longer-lasting formulations for clinical use.

Source :
Oxytocin promotes epicardial cell activation and heart regeneration after cardiac injury” by Aitor Aguirre et al. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Articles from Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology are provided here courtesy of Frontiers Media.
Mischa Dijkstra – Frontiers

Copyright © 2022 Wasserman, Huang, Lewis-Israeli, Dooley, Mitchell, Venkatesan and Aguirre. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

07/06/2025

A study from Johns Hopkins and the National Cancer Institute finds that eating broccoli 3–5 times weekly may lower the risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli contain bioactive compounds that protect cells from DNA damage, potentially reducing cancer risk.

06/28/2025

Short Naps Linked to “Aha” Moments and Creative Insight
A new study reveals that short naps with deeper N2 sleep stages may promote sudden moments of insight during problem-solving.
Participants completed a task with a hidden pattern, then rested while their brain activity was monitored via EEG.
Those who entered N2 sleep were significantly more likely to discover the trick upon retesting.
The brain’s spectral slope during sleep, a marker of neural activity, was closely tied to who had breakthroughs.
These findings support the idea that even brief sleep can help unlock hidden solutions.

06/28/2025

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, equipped with the world's largest digital camera, has released its first stunning images of the universe, capturing vibrant nebulas, stars, and galaxies.

Named after Vera Rubin, a pioneering astronomer who provided key evidence for dark matter, the observatory will conduct a decade-long survey, creating a detailed time-lapse of the cosmos.

Rubin overcame significant sexism in her career, notably at Palomar Observatory, and championed opportunities for women in astronomy.

06/27/2025

Researchers from the University of Ottawa and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute have developed laser power converters that transmit power via optical fiber with 53.6% efficiency at a 1.446 μm wavelength.

These photonic power converters, designed for telecom wavelengths, enable reliable power delivery to remote or harsh environments, potentially enhancing connectivity for applications like smart grid monitoring, wind turbine sensors, and underwater devices.

The technology leverages multi-junction InGaAsP converters, achieving over 2 volts output, and could integrate with existing fiber optic infrastructure for simultaneous power and data transmission.

06/27/2025

CorPower’s C4 Wave Energy Converter, a three-story buoy that completed a six-month test off Portugal's coast.

It converts wave motion into electricity using an internal system that amplifies bobbing for increased power generation.

The buoy endured major Atlantic storms, producing up to 600kW, with potential to reach 850kW.

CorPower aims to deploy thousands of these buoys to create efficient wave energy farms, offering a sustainable energy source with a projected cost of $33-$44 per megawatt-hour at scale.

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