Science on marusugibluvic.com

Tiny worms reveal backup circuits that keep survival reflexes from failing

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 16:00:03 +0000

Artistic illustration of the gentle touch response in C. elegans. A fine hair-like probe activates touch receptor neurons involved in the animal’s escape reflex. Credit: The University of Hong Kong

A research team led by Professor Chaogu Zheng from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), in collaboration with scientists from Princeton University and Columbia University, has discovered how sensory-motor circuits—nerve circuits that turn sensory signals into reflex actions—remain reliable even when some genes or neural connections are disrupted.

Could permanent magnets protect astronauts from solar storms?

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:30:01 +0000

The Orion capsule, which could have a protective magnetic field around it. Credit: NASA

Shielding astronauts from the deadly radiation they face is a central challenge for any designer of a deep-space crewed mission. Even relatively low levels of exposure over long periods can lead to everything from central nervous system damage to cancer. But current solutions, such as passive water shells or active superconducting magnets, have their own limitations. To get around those, a new paper, available in preprint on arXiv by Valerio Parisi and a team of researchers from Italy and Germany, looks at the feasibility of using a permanent magnet (and its associated permanent magnetic field) to potentially block some of that radiation without the costs of competing technologies.

Understanding anti-blackness at Hispanic-serving research universities

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 01:20:01 +0000

Credit: LinkedIn Sales Navigator from Pexels

At Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), conversations about diversity often center on supporting Hispanic/Latine students. New research from scholars at University of New Mexico highlights an important and sometimes overlooked issue--the experiences of Black students at these universities, specifically those classified as R1, or highly research-intensive institutions.

The study, titled "Conceptualizing Anti-Blackness at Hispanic-Serving Research Universities," explores how a broad array of Black students self-identifies, ways anti-Blackness shows up on campus, how it affects students, and what universities can do to create more inclusive environments. The research is published in the journal Social Sciences.

Visible light triggers three-step cascade to make 3D drug-like molecules

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:40:02 +0000

Preeti Chahar (right) und Utpal Kundu contributed to the study. Credit: Uni MS—Linus Peikenkamp

A team led by chemist Frank Glorius, a professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Münster, has developed a new light-driven reaction sequence. In this triple catalysis, one reaction step triggers the next like three dominoes in a row, toppling one after the other. The molecular transformations occur sequentially in a single reaction vessel. Such one-pot synthesis is considered an ideal process because it is particularly resource- and energy-efficient.