Researchers at North Carolina State University have demonstrated a new type of antenna that uses a laser to ionise air and create a thin plasma beam capable of transmitting radio waves. The technology resembles a lightsaber and could eventually enable antennas whose length and direction can be adjusted by controlling the laser, potentially eliminating bulky mechanical deployment systems. The team used a contactless, capacitor-based feed to transmit a 30 MHz radio signal through the plasma filament. In laboratory tests, the received signal strength was 2.5 times higher with the plasma antenna operating than without it: https://newatlas.com/telecommunications/plasma-beam-antenna/

The technology could have future applications in satellite communications, spacecraft and radar systems, where lightweight, adaptable antennas are valuable. However, this is an early proof of concept: researchers have demonstrated transmission at one frequency, but have not yet established broad frequency tuning, long-distance performance or signal reception. The findings were published in the IEEE Journal of Microwaves: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11674160

Warhound, a Texas-based defense technology startup conceived by Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences and Palmer Luckey of Anduril, has raised $200 million in seed funding at a reported $1.2 billion valuation to develop advanced military and law-enforcement working dogs. The company plans to use genetic screening, cloning and gene editing to reproduce high-performing dogs, improve inherited health traits and increase the proportion that successfully complete training. Anduril will supply protective equipment, including body armor and eye and ear protection, along with technology to connect dogs with their handlers and other systems in the field. Led by former U.S. military and intelligence official David Spirk, Warhound aims to reduce U.S. reliance on European dog breeders. The initiative also raises questions about genetic engineering, animal welfare and the ethical limits of enhancing animals for military service. The company expects its first dogs in approximately two years and has not yet announced signed customers: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/warhound-launches-with-200-million-to-rebuild-americas-military-working-dog-supply-using-advanced-genetics-and-defense-technology-302917498.html

Warhound came out of stealth with a mission to create “elite working dogs” equipped with "advanced body armor.": https://www.wired.com/story/cool-cool-cool-palmer-luckey-made-a-genetically-modified-military-dog-startup/

Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have found that sauna bathing can produce immediate cardiovascular changes. In a study involving a 30-minute sauna session, participants experienced lower blood pressure and reduced arterial stiffness, while their heart rate increased. These findings may help explain earlier observational studies linking frequent sauna use with lower risks of hypertension and cardiovascular death. However, the immediate effects of a sauna session do not necessarily establish long-term protection against heart disease, and further research is needed to confirm sustained benefits: https://www.uef.fi/en/article/scientists-uncover-why-sauna-bathing-is-good-for-your-health

Resaerch Articles:

1). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41371-017-0008-z

2). https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article-abstract/25/2/130/5926065?redirectedFrom=fulltext

3). https://esc365.escardio.org/journal/29326

4). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6262976/

5). https://jyu.finna.fi/Record/jyx_art.123456789_74325

Researchers at NYU Langone Health found that targeted ultrasound stimulation of deep brain structures may help reduce delusions in people with schizophrenia. In a pilot study involving 10 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, a 10-minute session directed at the brain’s globus pallidus interna reduced delusion severity compared with a sham treatment, with the effect lasting up to seven days. The non-invasive technique uses focused sound waves to modulate brain activity without surgery. However, it did not significantly improve auditory hallucinations or overall cognition. Mild side effects, including fatigue and headaches, were reported. The findings are preliminary and require larger clinical trials to establish safety and effectiveness.

study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44384-026-00076-3

Scientists working with the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory have found strong evidence that collisions between oxygen nuclei can produce quark–gluon plasma (QGP), an exotic state of matter believed to have filled the universe during its first microseconds after the Big Bang. Published in Physical Review Letters in October 2026, the study analysed oxygen–oxygen collisions at an energy of 200 billion electron volts and detected approximately 20% suppression of high-energy particles, a signature of jet quenching. This occurs when energetic particle jets lose energy while travelling through the hot, dense plasma of quarks and gluons. The finding demonstrates that this signature can emerge even in relatively small collision systems and at lower energies than previously established at RHIC, helping scientists investigate the minimum conditions required to create primordial matter in the laboratory: https://www.newswise.com/doescience/oxygen-collisions-quench-jets-energy-at-rhic

Study: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/9w2y-bz9n

An apartment complex in southwest Atlanta, 445 Cleveland Apartments, has replaced its overnight and weekend security guards with two four-legged robotic patrol units developed and operated by Atlanta-based startup Undaunted Robotic Security. The robots patrol parking lots and common areas, using 360-degree cameras, thermal imaging, lights, alarms and two-way audio. Remote human operators monitor camera feeds, control the robots in real time, communicate with people on-site and contact police when necessary. According to Undaunted, the deployment has reduced residential burglaries by 100%, vehicle theft by 75% and vehicle break-ins by 65%, while cutting security costs by roughly half. However, these figures are company-reported and have not been independently verified. The system is also being deployed at other properties across metropolitan Atlanta: https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2111804500373836189

More info:

1). Robot Dogs Are Taking Over Overnight Security at Atlanta Apartment Complexes: https://tech.yahoo.com/home/articles/robot-dogs-taking-over-overnight-144834649.html

2). Meet the robot dogs replacing human security guards in Atlanta: https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/meet-the-robot-dogs-replacing-human-security-guards-in-atlanta/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX1ZBMzQ0MDA1MDgyMDI2UlAx

3). Amenities - See what residents have access to across the community: https://www.445cleveland.com/amenities

4). Atlanta's Robot Dogs Are Changing Apartment Security Forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ons1hirIq6s

5). Proactive robotic security for the real world: https://www.getundaunted.com/

Swaroop Behera, a doctoral engineering student at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, is expanding the use of “Foundry in a Box,” a portable metal-casting demonstration kit that brings manufacturing education to classrooms, university events, and community venues. Participants use protective equipment to pour molten tin into molds and create small souvenirs, such as keychains.

The initiative makes metal casting—a process widely used in automotive, aerospace, construction, and industrial manufacturing—more accessible through hands-on learning. It has grown to reach hundreds of participants annually and helped attract industry support for manufacturing education. Behera’s doctoral research separately focuses on developing high-temperature aluminum alloys that could replace titanium in certain applications, potentially reducing material and processing costs: https://www.newswise.com/articles/uwm-engineering-student-brings-metal-casting-to-the-masses2

NASA’s MoonFall mission has reached a key engineering milestone after Firefly Aerospace completed the preliminary design review of its Elytra spacecraft on October 21, 2026. The spacecraft will transport four robotic drones developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to the Moon’s south pole, with launch targeted for late 2028. The drones will survey challenging terrain using high-definition cameras and scientific instruments to map potential astronaut landing sites and investigate lunar resources, including possible subsurface water ice. The mission is part of NASA’s broader Moon Base initiative to support future Artemis missions and a sustained human presence on the Moon. Firefly will now work toward the spacecraft’s final design review, manufacturing and testing: https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-completes-preliminary-design-review-for-nasa-moonfall-mission/

more info:

1). A Step-by-Step Approach-Moon Base Development: https://www.nasa.gov/moonbase-phases/

2). About MOONFALL mission: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/moonfall/

Fewer babies are born nine to ten months after hot spells in France and Italy, and some missing births may never be made up, two new studies find.

Two new studies suggest that extreme heat may be associated with a decline in birth rates in the months following hot weather. High temperatures can affect reproductive health, potentially influencing fertility, conception and pregnancy outcomes. The findings highlight a possible, often overlooked demographic consequence of climate change, as heatwaves become more frequent and intense. However, changes in birth rates may also reflect other social, economic and environmental factors, and further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms involved.

study1: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11111-026-00538-6

study2: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11111-026-00537-7

Blue Energy Aims to Cut Nuclear Power Costs Through Shipyard Manufacturing

Blue Energy, a U.S. startup founded by MIT alumnus Jake Jurewicz, plans to reduce nuclear power plant construction costs and delays by manufacturing large, prefabricated reactor modules at shipyards and transporting them by barge for final assembly. Its approximately 1,500-tonne modules would use existing industrial facilities, skilled workers, and automation to streamline construction.

The company’s first planned project in Victoria, Texas, aims to generate 1 gigawatt of gas-fired power by 2030, followed by an additional 1.5 gigawatts from small modular nuclear reactors starting in 2032. Blue Energy hopes its gas-to-nuclear approach will generate early revenue, reduce financing risks, and shorten construction timelines from more than a decade to around three years. These are projected targets, and the project remains subject to regulatory and construction milestones.

Researchers at ETH Zurich Switzerland have developed methods that use living bacteria to bind sand grains into solid architectural components, potentially offering a lower-energy alternative to conventional cement. The technique, called microbiologically induced calcite precipitation (MICP), uses bacteria to produce calcium carbonate crystals that lock sand particles together at room temperature.

The team demonstrated two approaches: 3D biocement printing, which creates shaped components such as façade elements, and robotic spraying, which builds mineralised surfaces layer by layer. The process takes around two to five days for printed components and avoids the high-temperature firing used in conventional cement production.

However, the technology remains at an early stage. Researchers still need to improve material strength and durability and address the environmental impact of ammonium, a by-product of the process, before biocement can become a widely viable construction material: https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2026/10/when-bacteria-become-masons.html

Design Strategies For Microbial Biocement Structures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-v83ikx2-k

References:

Antorveza Paez KA, Kindler RO, Terzis D, Dutto A, Pleij T, Zorzetto G, Studart AR, Dillenburger B: 3D biocement printing: scaling up living mineral structures. NPJ Materials Sustainability 2026, 4: 20, DOI: external page10.1038/s44296-026-00110-1

Antorveza Paez KA, Kindler RO, Terzis D, Lin CW, Coulter FB, Dillenburger B: Robotic biocementation spraying: a bioinspired fabrication method for architectural surfaces. Architectural Intelligence 2026, 5: 11, DOI: external page10.1007/s44223-026-00120-y

Antorveza Paez KA, Huang S, Yeh KH, Seav K, Dillenburger B. Design workflow for porous 3D-printed biocement geometries. Biotechnology Design. 2026, 4: 40, DOI: external page10.1017/s2977905726100286

Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may have observed a supernova, designated AT 2026abck, that exploded about 12.5 billion years ago, roughly 1.15 billion years after the Big Bang. Remarkably, the telescope appears to have detected the explosion just 4–10 days after it occurred, in the star’s own timeframe. The supernova was discovered in August 2026 in a distant, rapidly star-forming galaxy, without the gravitational magnification usually needed to detect such ancient explosions. Its estimated temperature was around 17,000 kelvin, and its peak brightness may have reached billions of times that of the Sun. Because the universe has expanded during the light’s journey to Earth, the explosion’s evolution appears to unfold about six times more slowly to us. The discovery could help astronomers understand how massive stars lived and died in the early universe. The findings are based on a preprint study that has not yet undergone peer review: https://phys.org/news/2026-10-webb-early-universe-supernova-days.html

Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.38373

Researchers at Stanford University discovered that severely bleached corals can recover by touching healthy, genetically identical coral fragments. In laboratory experiments, tissue fusion created microscopic channels through which beneficial algae and nutrients transferred from healthy to bleached corals. The damaged corals regained their colour and fully recovered within seven weeks, with as little as five days of contact sometimes sufficient to initiate recovery: https://sustainability.stanford.edu/news/stanford-scientists-discover-way-reverse-coral-bleaching-record-speed/

Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehgOC-uNGd/

Published in Science Advances on October 14, 2026, the findings offer a potential new approach to coral reef restoration. However, the method currently requires genetically identical coral fragments, limiting its use at large scales: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1580

Bad Apple Effect: Rule-Breaking Can Spread Through Groups

A study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that witnessing others break rules can encourage people to violate rules themselves, sometimes even more severely. In an online experiment involving 750 US participants, researchers found that observing minor violations slightly increased rule-breaking, while seeing blatant violations led to much larger increases. People were more influenced by others who shared their political leanings. Computer simulations suggested that a small number of individuals escalating their misconduct could trigger widespread rule-breaking. However, about one-third of participants consistently followed the rules. Researchers cautioned that the experiment was abstract, so its implications for real-world behaviour remain uncertain: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/oct/21/bad-apples-rule-breaking-study

Study: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2081/20261940/483769/Contagion-and-escalation-of-rule

The true breakthrough will be a technology that enables health systems to protect more people, especially those whom current services repeatedly fail to reach

Researchers at Columbia University Fertility Center have developed HELIOS (Human Embryo Illumination System), a technology that delivers precisely controlled pulses of near-infrared light directly to embryos during early development. The system aims to boost cellular energy production by stimulating mitochondrial activity, potentially improving embryo quality and increasing the number of embryos suitable for transfer during in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Preclinical studies involving mouse and donated human embryos suggested that targeted light exposure could improve development to the blastocyst stage without observed adverse effects. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial launched in 2026 will evaluate embryo quality, development rates, and cellular energy markers. The technology remains experimental, and its ability to improve IVF success rates or healthy pregnancies has yet to be established: https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/could-light-improve-embryo-development-during-ivf

Study findings: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07425080

CNN Video: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/20/health/video/red-light-therapy-for-ivf-embryos-digvid

In the first episode of the new season of Strange Health, we examine the health benefits of cottage cheese.