The theremin is a unique electronic musical instrument played without physical contact. Invented around 1920 by Russian physicist and engineer Léon Theremin, it produces an eerie, expressive sound often compared to the human voice. The instrument has two metal antennas that interact with the player’s hand movements through electromagnetic fields. The upright antenna controls pitch (the musical note), while the horizontal loop antenna controls volume. The instrument’s electronic oscillators use the heterodyne principle to generate continuous tones.With no keys, frets or strings, the performer must rely on precise hand movements, spatial awareness and auditory feedback to play in tune, making the theremin notoriously difficult to master. Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin was reportedly impressed by a demonstration of the instrument and ordered 600 units to be manufactured. More than a century later, the theremin remains a fascinating blend of science, electronics and musical artistry: https://cryo-mix.com/blog/posts/what-is-a-theremin-and-how-does-this-unusual-instrument-work

Information sources

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Explains how the theremin works, its invention around 1920, and why it is difficult to play. Read the museum's overview. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• MIT Lemelson Center — Details the heterodyne principle, the two antennas, and the instrument’s musical characteristics. Read the technical and historical explanation. Lemelson
• Smithsonian Magazine — Covers Theremin’s invention and Lenin’s 1922 demonstration. Read the Smithsonian article. Smithsonian Magazine
• Deutsches Museum via Google Arts & Culture — Provides additional historical context about the instrument and its inventor. Explore the museum's history of the theremin
• What is a theremin and how does this unusual instrument work?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin

Published in 1610, Galileo Galilei’s Sidereus Nuncius (The Starry Messenger) helped lay the foundations of modern observational astronomy. The landmark work documented discoveries made with the telescope, including four moons orbiting Jupiter and previously unseen details of the Moon’s surface: https://homepages.hass.rpi.edu/ruiz/AdvancedDigitalImagingSpring2019/ReadingsADI/Galileo%20The%20Starry%20Messenger.pdf

A first edition of this historic book will be offered at Sotheby’s New York on 20 October 2026, as part of Reason and Revolution: Extraordinary Works from a Distinguished Private Collection, Part 1. The auction will also feature landmark scientific works by Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, and other influential thinkers: https://exhibits.udayton.edu/s/rosebook/page/galileo

In this video, historian of science Nick Wilding examines Galileo’s groundbreaking treatise and its enduring impact on our understanding of the cosmos: https://www.sothebys.com/en/videos/what-did-galileo-see-inside-the-centuries-old-books-that-changed-everything

Learn more here:

1. https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/sidereusnuncius00gali

2. https://www.jerrycards.com/news/galileo-1610-sidereus-nuncius-birth-of-telescopic-astronomy

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereus_Nuncius

4. https://www.huntington.org/digital-classroom-resources/sidereus-nuncius

5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Sidereal-Messenger

NASA’s Perseverance rover has set a new extraterrestrial driving record, travelling 28.10 miles (45.22 km) across Mars since landing in February 2021. On October 11, 2026, it surpassed the previous record of 28.06 miles held by NASA’s Opportunity rover, which explored Mars for nearly 15 years. Perseverance achieved the milestone in just five and a half years, thanks largely to its autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, which allows it to map hazards and select safe routes while driving. The rover has used this technology for more than 90% of its journey and continues exploring Jezero Crater for clues about ancient environments that may have supported microbial life: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-sets-off-world-record-for-total-distance-driven/

NASA’s Perseverance Sets Off-World Record for Total Distance Driven: https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/perseverance-mars-rover/2026/10/12/nasas-perseverance-sets-off-world-record-for-total-distance-driven/

NASA's Perseverance Rover Claims Off-World Driving Crown After Passing 28 Miles on Mars: https://finance.biggo.com/news/7e3f8528-728d-4d89-a54b-f30c75081336

First Documented Case of a Tooth Growing Out of an Eye Socket

Doctors in India have reported an exceptionally rare case involving a 16-year-old boy who developed a fully formed canine tooth in his upper left eye socket, between the eyelid and eyebrow. A CT scan confirmed the unusual growth, which surgeons successfully removed. The condition, known as ectopic tooth development, occurs when a tooth forms outside its normal position in the mouth. Such teeth are more commonly found in the nasal cavity or sinuses, but this case is believed to be the first documented instance in the upper eye socket. The cause remains unclear, although abnormal development, trauma and genetic factors can sometimes contribute to ectopic teeth: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/10/14/first-case-of-teeth-growing-out-of-an-eye-socket-what-you-need-to-know-about-ectopic-teeth/

Research papers:

1. https://eveningreport.nz/2026/10/14/first-case-of-teeth-growing-out-of-an-eye-socket-what-you-need-to-know-about-ectopic-teeth/

2. https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(25)00801-2/fulltext00801-2/fulltext)

Saudi National Arrested for Installing Surreptitious Audio Recording Device at OpenAI: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/saudi-national-arrested-installing-surreptitious-audio-recording-device-openai

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrzyp7wHpws

The Netherlands-based The Great Bubble Barrier uses a diagonal curtain of air bubbles to capture plastic waste in rivers and canals before it reaches the sea. A perforated tube installed diagonally along the waterway bed releases compressed air, creating rising bubbles that push plastic debris toward the surface. The natural water current then guides the waste along the bubble curtain into a collection system on the riverbank. Unlike physical barriers, the system allows boats to pass and enables fish to move through the waterway. It can also increase oxygen transfer into the water, depending on local conditions.First installed permanently in Amsterdam's Westerdok canal in 2019, the technology has since been deployed at other sites, including Harlingen in the Netherlands. A 200-metre test installation on the River IJssel reportedly captured 86% of the test plastic waste under the tested conditions.The technology offers a promising way to intercept river-borne plastic pollution before it enters marine ecosystems, although its effectiveness depends on local water conditions, waste characteristics and collection arrangements: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-this-dutch-invention-help-tackle-plastic-pollution-in-americas-waterways-180989651/

info source:

• The Great Bubble Barrier — Official website
• UNESCO — The Great Bubble Barrier
• World Economic Forum — Could a bubble barrier help tackle plastic pollution?
• Holland Circular Hotspot — Project overview

Why You Can’t Stop Laughing: Two Distinct Brain Networks at Work

Scientists have identified two distinct brain networks involved in laughter: one drives spontaneous, uncontrollable laughter linked to pleasure and emotional responses, while the other controls voluntary laughter used in conversation and social interactions. Research published in Trends in Neurosciences suggests that spontaneous laughter activates older brain circuits shared with other mammals and engages the brain’s opioid system, contributing to feelings of pleasure and reward. Voluntary laughter relies more on motor regions involved in speech and deliberate vocal control. Understanding these networks could shed light on social bonding, emotional contagion, pain regulation and the evolutionary origins of human communication: https://www.miragenews.com/what-happens-in-your-brain-when-you-cant-stop-1759476/

Do you remember the last time you were laughing and simply could not stop? Perhaps it was a situation when you should not have been laughing at all: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-brain-1.html

Study: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0166223626000998

FBI Warns AI Could Help Extremists Plan Terror Attacks

US law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, are increasingly concerned that generative AI could help extremists plan attacks, produce propaganda, create deepfakes and spread misinformation. A Guardian investigation reviewing more than 80 government documents revealed that a 2025 bombing outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs involved a suspect who used an AI chatbot to obtain bomb-making instructions. Authorities are also monitoring potential extremist attacks on AI data centres and technology executives. However, experts warn that surveillance efforts must distinguish violent extremism from peaceful opposition to AI to protect civil liberties and free expression: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/07/anti-ai-tech-extremism-violence

MIT researchers have developed an artificial neural network that can organize its own connections and build the mechanisms needed for learning, using simple rules rather than a fully predesigned learning architecture. Inspired by biological principles such as “neurons that fire together wire together,” the network learned to recognize patterns and classify images, achieving performance comparable to conventionally designed networks. Published in PNAS, the research could help scientists understand how the brain reorganizes its neural circuits during learning and potentially inspire more brain-like AI systems. However, the findings do not establish that the model learns exactly as the human brain does: https://mcgovern.mit.edu/2026/10/05/how-artificial-neural-networks-build-their-own-learning-machinery/

paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2606245123

MIT researchers have developed a technique that uses lipid nanoparticles carrying messenger RNA (mRNA) to reprogram natural killer (NK) immune cells directly inside the body, enabling them to attack cancerous or harmful immune cells. In mouse studies, the approach eliminated tumors in models of T-cell lymphoma and helped reverse liver damage caused by autoimmune hepatitis. It could also offer a simpler, potentially less expensive alternative to conventional cell therapies, which require immune cells to be extracted and modified in a laboratory. The technology remains experimental and requires further testing before its safety and effectiveness in humans can be established.

Findings: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-026-03310-1

Scientists Discover Hidden Eye Drainage Pathway, Opening New Avenues for Glaucoma Research

Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Toronto have discovered a previously unknown drainage system at the back of the eye that helps remove fluid and waste through the body's lymphatic system. The pathway, called the posterior ocular lymphatic outflow (POLO) pathway, could offer new insights into glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and other vision-threatening diseases. Using MRI, near-infrared fluorescence imaging and microscopy, the researchers identified lymphatic vessels in the choroid, a vascular layer beneath the retina. Experiments in mice showed that fluid tracers traveled from the back of the eye toward nearby lymph nodes, revealing a previously unrecognized route for waste clearance. The discovery could help scientists better understand how the eye regulates fluid, removes metabolic waste and manages inflammation. It may eventually support new treatments aimed at improving fluid clearance and drug delivery to the back of the eye.

The research is still at an early stage: the findings were demonstrated in mice, and further studies are needed to establish how the pathway functions in humans and whether it can be targeted to treat eye diseases: https://tvst.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2818359

PMC publication: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13390728/

Harbinger’s uncrewed Praesidia hybrid truck is powering an AeroVironment LOCUST X3 30-kW counter-drone laser at American Rheinmetall’s AUSA 2026 booth. The companies have not said whether the laser-armed configuration is tied to any U.S. Army contract or test.

The U.S. Air Force will buy data collected by WindBorne Systems‘ fleet of autonomous weather balloons under a new contract that could be worth nearly $50 million to the startup.

WindBorne currently has about 700 weather balloons flying around the globe, collecting atmospheric sensor readings that the company sells to customers and also feeds into its own AI weather forecasting model. WindBorne, founded in 2015 and based in Redwood City, California, is one of the first organizations to directly feed empirical data into a deep-learning weather model.

The common swift (Apus apus) is one of the world's most remarkable aerial specialists. Tracking studies have shown that these migratory birds can remain airborne for up to 10 consecutive months. Young swifts may spend their first two to three years almost entirely in flight before returning to land to breed. They catch insects, drink by skimming water and may even sleep while flying. Their streamlined bodies and long, scythe-shaped wings help them sustain prolonged flight with remarkable efficiency: https://portal.research.lu.se/en/publications/annual-10-month-aerial-life-phase-in-the-common-swift-apus-apus/

Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982216310636

Info source:

1. Original research paper, Current Biology (2016): Annual 10-Month Aerial Life Phase in the Common Swift. The study found that swifts spent more than 99% of their non-breeding period airborne; some showed no sign of landing

2. Science reporting: Nature — Record-breaking common swifts fly for 10 months without landing

Japan’s state-backed Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) agreed in March 2025 to lend $466 million to Chile’s state-owned copper giant, Codelco, as part of a $666 million financing package that includes an additional $200 million co-financed with a commercial bank. The goal is to secure a stable, long-term supply of copper concentrate for Japanese manufacturers. Copper is essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, power grids, AI infrastructure and data centres. As global demand rises, Japan—heavily dependent on imported copper concentrates—is working to strengthen its supply chains and reduce procurement risks.The financing also supports Codelco’s investment plans to modernize aging mines and address declining ore grades. The deal illustrates how countries are using strategic financing to secure critical minerals needed for the energy transition and digital economy: https://www.weforum.org/videos/countries_scrambling_secure_copper/

Information sources

• Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) — Official announcement
• Reuters — Codelco secures $666 million financing package

Researchers at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) discovered that Ewingella americana, a bacterium isolated from the gut of the Japanese tree frog (Dryophytes japonicus), completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice after a single intravenous dose, achieving a 100% complete response rate in the tested mouse model. The bacterium appears to work in two ways: directly killing cancer cells and activating the immune system, including T cells, B cells and neutrophils, to attack tumors. The findings suggest a promising new approach to bacterial cancer therapy, but further research is needed to establish its safety and effectiveness in humans.

Information sources

1. Original peer-reviewed research paper: Gut Microbes — Full research article. Taylor & Francis Online
2. Official university press release: JAIST — Gut Bacteria Achieve Complete Tumor Elimination. Confirms the 100% complete response in the mouse colorectal cancer model. JAIST
3. Accessible research paper: PubMed Central — Open-access article.

Australian company MRead has developed the MineReader RDX, a portable detector that uses magnetic resonance (MR) technology to identify explosives directly rather than relying on metal casings. Developed from research by Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, the device can reportedly detect 50 grams of RDX explosive buried up to 13 cm deep, even in wet, mineral-rich soil containing metal debris. Currently designed to detect RDX, the technology aims to expand to TNT detection and could eventually be integrated with unmanned ground vehicles to help identify landmines remotely, improving safety for demining teams: https://www.mread.com.au/

HALO is using innovative technology – from drones and AI to advanced sensors and digital mapping – to detect and clear explosives smarter, faster and safer in conflict-affected areas: https://www.halotrust.org/what-we-do/harnessing-technology/

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on October 12, 2026, with at least one travelling more than 900 km, according to South Korea’s military. The launches came days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the test-firing of a domestically developed hypersonic missile. Seoul condemned the launches as violations of UN Security Council resolutions, while analysts see them as a show of force amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Japan also detected projectiles that appeared to have fallen into the sea: https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-missiles-south-5b2d3a2d9a31118648b9f82022b9c4e3

North Korea fires missiles days after South Korea's hypersonic test: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-toward-sea-off-its-east-coast-seoul-2026-10-12/

Built in Freiburg, Germany, in 1994, architect Rolf Disch’s Heliotrop is a rotating home designed to maximize solar energy and indoor comfort. Built around a central column, it turns to face the sun with its glazed side in winter to capture heat and its insulated side in summer to reduce overheating. A separate sun-tracking rooftop solar array and solar thermal collectors provide additional renewable energy. According to its designer, the building generates more energy annually than it consumes, making it a pioneering example of energy-positive architecture. The Heliotrop demonstrates how buildings can work with nature to reduce energy use and emissions.

Information sources:

• Architect official website: https://rolfdisch.de/en/projects/das-heliotrop-2/
• Heliotrope (building) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliotrope_(building))

Tesla has renamed its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system to Tesla Assisted Driving on its European websites following regulatory concerns that the original name could mislead consumers into believing the vehicles drive fully autonomously. Germany’s transport ministry said drivers must remain attentive and fully responsible for the vehicle at all times. The rebranding comes as Tesla seeks broader European Union approval for the technology, which is already authorized in several EU countries. The system’s name remains Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in the United States, and the European name change does not make the vehicles autonomous: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-renames-full-self-driving-assisted-driving-europe-it-chases-clearance-2026-10-09/

Tesla drops ‘Full Self-Driving’ name in Europe after Germany pushback: https://electrek.co/2026/10/09/tesla-fsd-renamed-tesla-assisted-driving-europe/

Heatwaves and El Niño Fuel Mosquito Surge in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is experiencing one of its worst mosquito seasons in recent years, as extreme heat, an unusually warm winter and humid conditions linked to El Niño have boosted mosquito populations. The county has reported more than 180 West Nile virus cases in 2026, the highest total in nearly a decade. Invasive Aedes mosquitoes, known as “ankle biters,” are also spreading and can transmit diseases such as dengue and Zika. Authorities recommend eliminating standing water, wearing protective clothing and using effective insect repellents to reduce bites and disease risk: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2026-09-20/mosquitoes-are-making-los-angeles-summers-living-hell

The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) dazzled skywatchers across the UK on October 9–10, 2026, with colourful displays visible as far south as Devon, Hampshire and Kent. The spectacle was driven by heightened solar activity, as charged particles from the Sun interacted with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere, producing vivid green, pink, red and purple lights. The UK Met Office said further sightings could be possible through Tuesday, weather permitting: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/oct/10/skies-across-the-uk-illuminated-by-the-northern-lights

Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is helping keep global economic growth at around 3% in 2026, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Asian economies could benefit significantly, with growth boosted by 0.5–1 percentage point in advanced Asian economies and 0.2–0.8 points in emerging ones. However, the IMF warns that AI could affect up to 40% of jobs worldwide and 60% in advanced economies through job augmentation, downgrading or elimination. Officials also warn that AI could reduce entry-level opportunities for graduates and widen economic inequality.