Scientists Engineer “Tumor-Eating” Bacteria That Devour Cancer From Within

By U. of Waterloo, April 7, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-engineer-tumor-eating-bacteria-that-devour-cancer-from-within/

A new strategy uses genetically programmed bacteria to detect when enough of them have gathered inside a tumor – then switch on survival mechanisms at just the right moment. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Researchers are exploring an unconventional cancer treatment that uses engineered bacteria to target the unique, oxygen-free environments inside tumors.

A research team led by the University of Waterloo is developing a new way to treat cancer by engineering bacteria that can consume tumors from the inside.

“Bacteria spores enter the tumor, finding an environment where there are lots of nutrients and no oxygen, which this organism prefers, and so it starts eating those nutrients and growing in size,” said Dr. Marc Aucoin, a chemical engineering professor at Waterloo. “So, we are now colonizing that central space, and the bacterium is essentially ridding the body of the tumor.”

The approach relies on Clostridium sporogenes, a bacterium commonly found in soil that can grow only in completely oxygen-free conditions.

The center of a solid cancerous tumor is made up of dead cells and lacks oxygen, creating an ideal environment for this bacterium to thrive and multiply.

Waterloo researchers (L to R) Dr. Brian Ingalls, Dr. Sara Sadr, and Dr. Marc Aucoin have engineered bacteria to treat cancer by eating tumors from the inside out.

 Credit: University of Waterloo



However, there is a key limitation. As the bacteria spread toward the outer layers of tumors, they encounter small amounts of oxygen. This exposure causes them to die before they can fully eliminate the tumor.

To overcome this challenge, researchers introduced a gene from a related bacterium that is better able to tolerate oxygen. This change allows the engineered bacteria to survive longer near the tumor’s outer regions.

Engineering Bacteria to Survive

The team also developed a way to activate the oxygen-tolerance gene only when needed, which helps prevent the bacteria from growing in oxygen-rich areas such as the bloodstream. They achieved this using a natural process called quorum sensing.

Quorum sensing involves chemical signals released by bacteria. When enough bacteria accumulate inside a tumor, the signal becomes strong enough to switch on the oxygen-tolerance gene, ensuring it is not activated too early.

In one study, researchers showed that Clostridium sporogenes can be modified to tolerate oxygen. In a follow-up study, they tested the quorum-sensing system by engineering the bacteria to produce a green fluorescent protein.

“Using synthetic biology, we built something like an electrical circuit, but instead of wires we used pieces of DNA,” said Dr. Brian Ingalls, a professor of applied mathematics at Waterloo. “Each piece has its job. When assembled correctly, they form a system that works in a predictable way.”

Next Steps Toward Clinical Testing

Researchers now plan to combine the oxygen-tolerance gene with the quorum-sensing control system in a single bacterium and test it on tumors in preclinical trials.

The promising project grew out of work by PhD student Bahram Zargar, who was supervised by Ingalls and Dr. Pu Chen, a retired professor of chemical engineering at Waterloo.

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Childhood Junk Food May Rewire the Brain for Life

By U. College Cork, April 6, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/childhood-junk-food-may-rewire-the-brain-for-life/

Early exposure to high-fat, high-sugar diets may rewire how the brain regulates eating in ways that persist into adulthood, even after diet and weight improve. New findings suggest these hidden changes are linked to key brain regions involved in appetite and energy balance. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Early diet may leave hidden, long-term imprints on the brain’s control of eating.

Eating unhealthy foods early in life can lead to lasting changes in the brain and eating behavior, but gut bacteria may help restore healthier patterns, according to a new study from University College Cork (UCC).

Researchers at APC Microbiome, a leading institute at UCC, found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during early development can alter how the brain controls eating over the long term. These effects can persist even after the diet improves and body weight returns to normal.

Children today are surrounded by environments where high-fat, high-sugar foods are easy to access and heavily promoted. These foods are commonly present at birthday parties, school events, sports activities, and even used as rewards for good behavior, making them a regular part of early life.

The study highlights how this repeated exposure can have lasting consequences. Regular consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods during childhood may shape food preferences and reinforce unhealthy eating habits that continue into adulthood.

Lasting Effects of Early Diet on the Brain

Published in Nature Communications, the research also points to possible ways to reduce these long-term effects. Interventions targeting the gut microbiota, including a beneficial bacterial strain (Bifidobacterium longum APC1472) and prebiotic fibers (fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), naturally present in foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, and bananas, and widely available in fortified foods and prebiotic supplements), showed potential when used across the lifespan.

In a preclinical mouse model, early exposure to a high-fat, high-sugar diet led to lasting changes in feeding behavior that continued into adulthood. These changes were linked to disruptions in the hypothalamus, a key brain region that regulates appetite and energy balance.

What we eat early in life matters

“Our findings show that what we eat early in life really matters,” said Dr. Cristina Cuesta-Martí, first author of the study. “Early dietary exposure may leave hidden, long-term effects on feeding behavior that are not immediately visible through weight alone.”

The findings indicate that poor diets early in life can disrupt brain pathways involved in controlling eating, with effects that persist into adulthood. This pattern may increase the risk of obesity later on, even if body weight appears normal at earlier stages.

Targeting the gut microbiota helped reduce these long-term effects. The probiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 significantly improved feeding behavior while causing only minor changes to the overall microbiome, suggesting a focused mechanism. In contrast, the prebiotic combination (FOS+GOS) produced broader changes in gut microbiota composition.

Targeting the gut microbiota can mitigate the long-term effects

Dr. Harriet Schellekens, lead investigator of the study, added, “Crucially, our findings show that targeting the gut microbiota can mitigate the long-term effects of an unhealthy early-life diet on later feeding behavior. Supporting the gut microbiota from birth helps maintain healthier food-related behaviors into later life.”

Professor John F. Cryan, Vice President for Research & Innovation at UCC and collaborator on the study, said: “Studies like this exemplify how fundamental research can lead to potential innovative solutions for major societal challenges. By revealing how early-life diet shapes brain pathways involved in the regulation of feeding, this work opens new opportunities for microbiota-based interventions.”

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Neanderthals Used Ancient Gloop as Antibacterial Medicine, Study Suggests

05 April 2026, By I. Farkas

https://www.sciencealert.com/neanderthals-used-ancient-gloop-as-antibacterial-medicine-study-suggests

Birch bark pitch. 

(Jorre/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Relatives of modern humans may have created and used a sticky substance both as a glue and to treat their wounds, preempting modern medicine by as much as 200,000 years, a new study suggests.

Researchers have known that Neanderthals used birch tar, a viscous substance derived from birch bark, to glue spear points onto handles in a process known as hafting.

This substance has been found across Europe, and it served multiple purposes, including as some of history's oldest water sealant and Hubba Bubba.

"Alongside these findings, there is also growing evidence of medicinal practices and the use of plants among Neanderthals, which is why we were interested in the use of birch tar in this context," explains Tjaark Siemssen, an archaeologist at the University of Cologne and Oxford University and the study's lead author.

So in the recent study, researchers at the University of Cologne, the University of Oxford, and the University of Liège recreated this birch tar using the ingredients and processes that were possibly utilized by Neanderthals.

Then, researchers at Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia, Canada, performed biological tests to confirm the tar's medicinal properties.

"That is exactly what we proved. The substance Neanderthals made 200,000 years ago, we now know, also possesses antibacterial properties," says Matthias Bierenstiel, a professor of chemistry at Cape Breton University and study co-author.

'Chewed' pieces of birch tar analyzed. 

(White et al., Proc. R. Soc. B, 2025)



To recreate this deeply historical glue-medicine, the researchers collected bark from two types of (dead) birch trees widely documented during the Late Pleistocene, circa 129,000 to 11,700 years ago.

They then used three tar extraction methods to turn the bark into a gooey, spreadable compound.

The first method involves heating birch bark in a tin. This technique is inspired by the Mi'kmaq nation, the Indigenous people of Nova Scotia, who for generations have used birch tar as a cornerstone of their traditional pharmacy.

The other two techniques recreated what Neanderthals may have done. In one method, the researchers burned birch bark in a sealed underground pit, achieving a dry distillation that occurs in the absence of oxygen.

In the second period-specific method, the researchers burned birch bark next to a hard surface, a stone, and then scraped off the tar that condensed on the stone's surface.

The tar samples obtained through these different methods showed varying but positive antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium associated with wound infections.

Yet perhaps unsurprisingly, the tar was not as effective as the common antibiotic Gentamicin. Additionally, the tar had no effect against the infamous Escherichia coli bacterium, which is commonly found in the lower intestine.

The findings suggest that ancient populations used birch tar to specifically treat wounds or skin conditions at risk of infection.

So how did our ancient relatives discover these secrets? Easily, since scientists say birch tar gets everywhere whenever anyone is trying to do anything with it. Plus, a little tar goes a long way: just 0.2 g can cover 100 cm2 of skin.

Importantly, this ancient knowledge may help fight antibiotic-resistant and hospital-acquired infections, as it's effective against S. aureus. Alarmingly, this pathogen is capable of becoming resistant to every class of currently used antibiotic and causes around 500,000 hospitalizations in the United States every year.

"Our findings show that it might be worthwhile to examine targeted antibiotics from ethnographic contexts – or, as in this case, from prehistoric contexts – in greater depth," concludes Siemssen.

Like other aspects of history, healthcare may be cyclical, so when new interventions become ineffective, it can be worthwhile to draw inspiration from (incredibly) older options.

The Life of Earth

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Chuck's picture corner to April 5th, 2026

It's been a week of yard work, feels good to get out of the house each day for some exercise. My body has enjoyed less stiffness and more vigour as the week went on.

This morning Apl. 6 more snow and faster flooding in the basement. I had to pump for a half hr. this morning.

sunset through the back room window, last evening about 7:20

cloud gazing,

sunset off the back porch a few days ago

The silver maple out front is really starting to bud out

just an old stick, lol

raking the old front walk sedum bed

the same bed as the last pic a week later.

out front at the number sign

and across the driveway

after this clean up I went back and cut the hydrangea back to the ground

coming to the door

lots of water in the barnyard the ducks love it.

The start to another day

first cleanup of the season

Enjoy

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Scientists Engineered a Plant to Produce 5 Different Psychedelics at Once

02 April 2026, By M. Starr

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-engineered-a-plant-to-produce-5-different-psychedelics-at-once

(Victor de Schwanberg/Science Photo Library/iStock/Getty Images)

What do plants, toads, and mushrooms have in common? They can all produce psychedelic substances – and now their powers have been combined in one plant, like a trippier Captain Planet.

In a wild first, scientists have taken the genes these organisms use to make five natural psychedelics and introduced them into a tobacco plant (Nicotiana benthamiana), which then produced all five compounds simultaneously.

As interest grows in psychedelics as potential treatments for illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, the newly developed system could offer scientists a new way to produce these compounds for research purposes.

"[Our] strategy established a heterologous plant system for the production of five prominent therapeutically valuable compounds, their derivatives, and nonnatural plant analogs, providing a starting point for their production in plants," writes a team led by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

Where DMT accumulates in the tissues of various plants. 

(Berman et al., Sci. Adv., 2026)

Tryptamine psychedelics are a class of compounds that includes psilocin, psilocybin, and a number of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) compounds. The ability to produce these substances has emerged in diverse organisms across the tree of life – plants, fungi, and animals.

In recent years, a number of studies have shown that tryptamine psychedelics may represent an untapped resource when it comes to mental health treatments.

However, progress in this field remains limited, in part due to regulatory restrictions, underscoring the need for more research. This creates practical challenges for scientists.

"Traditionally, the supply of psychedelics relies on natural producers, mainly plants, fungi, and the Sonoran Desert toad," the researchers write.

"Harvesting these organisms for their psychoactive compounds raises ecological and ethical concerns, being increasingly threatened by habitat loss and overexploitation."

In an effort to tackle this, plant scientists Paula Berman and Janka Höfer and their team set out to map and rebuild the biochemical pathways behind these compounds.

They identified the key genes used by two plants – Psychotria viridis and Acacia acuminata – to make DMT, and the step-by-step chemical pathways involved in producing the compound.

Then, they combined these with genes and pathways already known from psychedelic mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis) and the cane toad (Rhinella marina), added supporting enzymes from rice and cress, then genetically introduced the combined genetic toolkit and kaboodle into tobacco plants (Nicotiana benthamiana).

The tobacco was chosen not because of its own drug production, but because it's basically the lab rat of plant species, with its fast growth.

Finally, the team carefully monitored the plant's production of five psychedelic tryptamines: DMT originally from plants; psilocin and psilocybin from mushrooms; and bufotenin and 5-MeO-DMT from toads.

The modified tobacco plants were found to produce all five compounds simultaneously. Because the different production pathways compete for the same resources, some compounds were produced in lower quantities than in their original sources.

However, the production was high enough to suggest that with a bit more tweaking, the system could function as a biological tryptamine factory for researchers.

Berman, Höfer, and their team also took it a step further. By tweaking the enzymes involved in the tryptamine production pathway, the researchers were able to produce modified versions of the compounds that do not naturally occur in plants, and which may also have therapeutic value.

With further research, the system could be optimized to research requirements, or even help design new compounds tailored for specific therapeutic applications.

"Blending catalytic functions across the tree of life, coupled with metabolic engineering guided by rational protein design of mutant enzymes, enabled substantially more efficient in planta production of the indolethylamine components," the researchers write.

"This work establishes a versatile platform for concurrent biosynthesis and diversification of psychoactive indolethylamines, paving the way for their production in plants."

The Life of Earth

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You Don’t Need To Be Rich: New Study Reveals a Simple Life Is the Real Secret to Happiness

By U. of Otago, April 5, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/you-dont-need-to-be-rich-new-study-reveals-a-simple-life-is-the-real-secret-to-happiness/

A growing body of evidence suggests that stepping back from consumer culture may unlock forms of well-being that material wealth alone cannot provide. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Researchers examining consumption and well-being have found that lifestyle choices may shape happiness in ways that challenge conventional assumptions about wealth and material success.

At a time when displays of extreme wealth dominate headlines and social media feeds, a new study suggests that more consumption does not necessarily translate into a better life.

Research from the University of Otago indicates that stepping away from material excess may be linked to greater day-to-day satisfaction and stronger social connections.

The team set out to examine how consumption relates to well-being. Their findings indicate that people report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction when they adopt more sustainable lifestyles and resist consumer-driven habits.

The researchers analyzed data from a representative sample of more than 1,000 New Zealanders. The group included 51 percent men and 49 percent women, with a median age of 45 and a median annual household income of $50,000.

They found that embracing simple living, formally known as ‘voluntary simplicity,’ supports well-being by creating more opportunities for social interaction and meaningful connection. These benefits often arise in settings such as community gardens, shared resource systems, and peer-to-peer lending platforms, which differ from traditional market exchanges.

Patterns and Social Dynamics

Women were more likely than men to adopt simpler lifestyles, although the reasons for this difference are not yet fully understood.

Co-author Associate Professor Leah Watkins explains that consumer culture often links happiness to higher income and the ability to acquire material goods.

“However, research is clear that attitudes to, and experiences of, materialistic approaches to life do not lead to increases in happiness or well-being. Nor do they lead to sustainable consumption necessary for planetary health.”

Environmental Pressures and Global Trends

From 2000 to 2019, global domestic material consumption rose by 66 percent. Since the 1970s, it has tripled, reaching 95.1 billion metric tons.

As incomes and living standards have increased, concerns have grown about the environmental impact of human consumption. These concerns, along with global warming and ongoing health and financial stress following the pandemic, have led researchers and policymakers to seek a clearer understanding of how simpler lifestyles influence well-being.

Co-author Professor Rob Aitken emphasizes that this approach does not require abandoning all material possessions.

“It’s not directly the commitment to material simplicity that leads to well-being, but the psychological and emotional need fulfillment that derives from relationships, social connection, community involvement, and a sense of living a purposeful and meaningful life.

“In a world where billionaire weddings are treated like state occasions and private yachts are the new status symbols, voluntary simplicity offers a quiet, powerful counter-narrative — one that values enough over excess, connection over consumption, and meaning over materialism.”

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Eerie Cosmic-Ray 'Cavity' Found Lurking in Earth-Moon Space

04 April 2026, By M. Starr

https://www.sciencealert.com/eerie-cosmic-ray-cavity-found-lurking-in-earth-moon-space

Composite of Earth and the Moon from Galileo data. 

(NASA/JPL/USGS)

The constant, omnidirectional hail of cosmic rays that stream through the Solar System from the galaxy beyond may not be as uniform as we thought.

According to China's Chang'e 4 lander on the far side of the Moon, there's a strange 'cavity' in the cosmic ray flux between the Earth and Moon that appears when the two bodies line up in just the right way.

It's a discovery that suggests galactic cosmic rays are not as evenly distributed as we had assumed, possibly opening opportunities for space exploration that could help mitigate the radiation hazard these charged particles pose.

Space can be a hectic place, alive with all sorts of wacky hijinks that spray the cosmos with energetic particles – such as supernova explosions and supernova remnants that fling cosmic rays out willy-nilly at high speeds. These are mostly protons, some helium nuclei, and a small amount of heavy atomic nuclei, and they're thought to be relatively ubiquitous.

An illustration of the shape of the Sun's magnetic field (purple) rippling out through the Solar System. 

(Werner Heil, NASA/Wikimedia Commons)



They are also ionizing radiation – you know, the stuff that can knock electrons off the atoms in your body, damage your DNA, and increase the risk of mutations that can give you cancer – so, not a good time.

Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are mostly absorbed by Earth's atmosphere before they can reach the surface. However, they pose a significant radiation hazard to astronauts and high-altitude pilots, which is accepted as part of the job and taken into account when designing missions and the technology that supports them.

The GCR flux – that is, the strength of the GCR background – can change based on what the Sun is doing. It drops a lot during solar maximum because the increased solar wind and magnetic activity deflect a large percentage of the particles.

The Sun is not the only source that can block GCRs, according to a new analysis from an international team, Earth's magnetic field can, too – but the Sun is still indirectly involved.

The observation comes from Chang'e 4, which has been sitting on the far side of the Moon using its Lunar Lander Neutron and Dosimetry (LND) instrument to monitor protons since 2019. It can only do this during the lunar daytime, when its location is lit by the Sun, since the Moon becomes too cold for the lander to operate when darkness falls.

But this dayside activity is an excellent opportunity to measure the impact of Earth's magnetic field on the GCR flux. The researchers collected data from 31 lunar cycles and looked for changes in the proton flux as the Moon traveled its path around Earth.

They found that, in one section of its orbit – the prenoon sector, before it reaches local noon relative to the Sun – the Moon experiences a region where the proton flux is about 20 percent lower than it is in the rest of the orbit.

This, the researchers believe, may have something to do with the alignment of the interplanetary magnetic field, which is the part of the Sun's magnetic field that stretches out far into the Solar System.

As the Sun spins, its magnetic field twists into a spiral known as the Parker spiral, and when this aligns with the Earth-Moon system in just the right way, a GCR cavity yawns.

A diagram illustrating the formation of the GCR cavity as the lines of the interplanetary magnetic field intersect Earth's.

 (Shang et al., Sci. Adv., 2026)

"In general, the motion of charged particles in a magnetic field is characterized by a helical spiral along magnetic field lines," the researchers write.

"When the Moon is located in the prenoon sector under the Parker spiral conditions, the local IMF lines may align in such a way that they connect the Moon to Earth's strong magnetic field region. Hence, the motion of particles along those field lines, in particular the protons we report here, is affected by the strong magnetic field of Earth."

So the curved lines of the interplanetary magnetic field arc through space that, in a specific position, tilt toward Earth and intersect the planetary magnetic field, creating a sort of GCR "shadow". When the Moon passes through that shadow, a process that takes about two days, Chang'e 4 records a dip in the proton flux from GCRs.

It's a discovery that, the researchers say, could offer a way to minimize astronaut exposure to radiation.

"This finding provides a potential strategy for mission planning, especially for [crewed] lunar missions and extravehicular activities, as operations could be timed to coincide with these lower radiation periods to reduce exposure risk," the researchers write.

"Future studies with extended datasets could further clarify the spatial extent and behavior of this cavity, offering deeper insights into potential radiation protection strategies, not only for the Earth-Moon system but potentially for missions near other magnetized bodies within the Solar System."

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

This Liquid Snapped Instead of Flowing and Scientists Were Shocked

By Drexel U., April 3, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/this-liquid-snapped-instead-of-flowing-and-scientists-were-shocked/

Research from Drexel University suggests that if pulled apart with enough force per area, a simple liquid — a liquid that flows into the shape of its container — will break like a solid object. 

Credit: Drexel University

Researchers discovered that liquids can suddenly snap like solids when stretched hard enough. This unexpected behavior challenges basic physics and could lead to new technological applications.

In a discovery that could reshape how scientists think about fluids, researchers at Drexel University have found that under certain conditions, a simple liquid can break apart like a solid. The study, published in Physical Review Letters, shows that viscous liquids can suddenly fracture when stretched with enough force.

This unexpected behavior points to viscosity, or a liquid’s resistance to flowing, as a key factor in how liquids respond to stress. It also suggests new ways liquids could be controlled in technologies ranging from hydraulics and 3D printing to biological systems like blood flow.

“Our findings show that if pulled apart with enough force per area, a simple liquid — a liquid that flows — will reach what we call a point of ‘critical stress,’ when it will actually fracture like a solid. And this is likely true for all simple liquids, including common examples, such as water and oil,” said Thamires Lima, PhD, an assistant research professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering, who helped to lead the research. “This fundamentally changes our understanding of fluid dynamics.”

New research from Drexel University shows how simple liquids, like the hydrocarbon liquid shown here, can actually fracture like a solid object if stretched with enough force.

 Credit: Drexel University



Unexpected Liquid Fracture During Testing

The discovery happened by chance while Lima and her team were studying the properties of two simple liquids as part of a project with ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company. During an extensional rheology test — which measures how much force is needed to stretch a liquid — the researchers noticed something unusual. Instead of thinning out gradually like honey, the tar-like liquids suddenly snapped apart.

“What we observed was so unexpected that we needed to repeat the experiments a few more times to make sure it was real,” said Nicolas Alvarez, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering whose lab led the research. “Once we confirmed the phenomenon, the research became an entirely different scientific endeavor.”

Using a high-speed camera, the team captured a process typically seen in solid materials. When solids are stretched, they elongate until they reach a critical stress point, then abruptly break. This type of failure is known as brittle fracture, and according to the researchers, it had never before been observed in a simple liquid.

“This was an incredibly surprising thing to behold,” Lima said. “The fracture caused a very loud snapping noise that actually startled me. I thought at first the machine had broken, but soon realized that the noise came from the stretching fluid.”

Critical Stress and the Role of Viscosity

The first liquids to show this behavior were tar-like hydrocarbon blends. These materials fractured at a critical stress of 2 megaPascals — roughly comparable to the tension you might feel if a laundry bag filled with 10 bricks caught on your fingernail while falling.

To better understand what was happening, the researchers repeated the experiments with a different simple liquid, styrene oligomer, that had the same viscosity as the hydrocarbon blends. It fractured under the same conditions, pointing to viscosity as the key factor behind the solid-like breaking behavior. This result suggests that many simple liquids may share a similar breaking threshold.

The team then varied the temperature to change viscosity. At each level, they identified a specific stretching rate that triggered fracture, always tied to the same 2 megaPascal “critical stress” point. At lower viscosities, the liquids could not be broken because the equipment could not stretch them fast enough.

Challenging Traditional Views of Liquids

Until now, fracture has been understood as a property linked to elasticity, which is a material’s ability to store and withstand stress. Simple liquids do not typically store stress in this way. Instead, they flow when force is applied, rather than bending or breaking.

In most cases, elasticity only becomes important when a liquid is cooled below its “glass transition,” the temperature at which it begins to behave more like a solid. Observing fracture in liquids that are still fully in their liquid state shows that breaking is not limited to elastic materials.

“Although viscoelastic and polymer liquids — things like Oobleck or homemade slime — have demonstrated solid-like fracture behavior, simple liquids have always been thought to exhibit continuous deformation at temperatures above their glass transition and therefore would not fracture,” Lima said. “Showing that viscous effects are enough to promote solid-like fracture behavior opens a world of new questions to explore in this area of scientific inquiry.”

A Broad and Possibly Universal Effect

The researchers also compared a simple liquid, oligomer styrene liquid, with its polymer counterpart. Both materials fractured at the same critical stress level, suggesting that elasticity is not responsible for the behavior in simple liquids.

“This suggests that many other elastic liquids might also break at a relatively similar critical stress point,” Lima said. “This points to a phenomenon that is relatively chemistry independent and possibly generalizable to a wide range of liquids.”

What Causes Liquids to Break

The team plans to continue studying this phenomenon to understand the underlying physics. Early evidence suggests it may be related to cavitation — a process in which tiny vapor bubbles form and collapse rapidly, sending shockwaves through the liquid.

“Now that we have reported this unanticipated behavior, the work of fully understanding why it happens and how the behavior manifests in other liquids is an important next step,” Lima said. “It will also be interesting to see how this finding may be applied to assist fiber spinning and other applications that use viscous liquids.”

The Life of Earth

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Scientists Discover Strange Property of Rice and Turn It Into a Smart Material

By U. of Birmingham, April 4, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-strange-property-of-rice-and-turn-it-into-a-smart-material/

In a surprising twist, a common food staple has revealed a rare mechanical property that flips conventional material behavior. 

Credit: Shutterstock

A surprising property of rice has inspired the creation of a new class of engineered materials.

Rice behaves in an unexpected way under pressure. When compressed quickly, it becomes weaker, but under slow pressure it stays strong. This insight is helping scientists develop a new material that could be used in “soft” robots that automatically adjust stiffness, as well as protective gear that responds to how fast an impact occurs.

Using this property, researchers created a new type of “metamaterial,” an engineered structure designed to exhibit behaviors not found in natural materials.

In a study published in Matter, an international team led by the University of Birmingham found that tightly packed rice grains respond very differently depending on how quickly force is applied.

At higher speeds, the material weakens through a process known as “rate softening,” which is unusual for most materials. This happens because friction between the grains drops significantly as speed increases, disrupting the internal force networks that normally carry the load.
Designing a Smart Granular Material

To take advantage of this effect, the team combined rice-based particles with materials such as sand, which become stronger under rapid loading. The result is a composite granular material that can bend, buckle, or stiffen depending on whether forces are applied gradually or suddenly, without relying on electronics, sensors, or active control.

Dr. Mingchao Liu, from the University of Birmingham, said: “Rice might be best known as a staple food globally, but it’s rarely associated with advanced engineering. Our research shows that it can form the basis of a new class of functional materials.”

He continues, “Rather than treating this phenomenon as curiosity, we turned it into a design principle. This approach enabled us to create a material that can bend, buckle, or stiffen differently under slow movements versus sudden impacts – without electronics, sensors, or active control. Instead of telling a structure how to respond, we let physics decide: fast loads trigger one behavior, slow loads another.”
From Everyday Materials to Advanced Systems

The findings highlight how ordinary granular materials can be engineered into systems that respond intelligently through their inherent mechanical properties.

These speed-sensitive metamaterials could lead to new developments in soft robotics, enabling machines that are lighter, safer, and more adaptable than traditional metal designs. Such robots could work more effectively alongside humans, operate in extreme environments, or carry out precise tasks such as assisting in surgery.

Because the material does not require electronics, power, or sensors, it could also be used in protective equipment that reacts instantly to impact speed. It can absorb energy or deform in a controlled way under sudden force, helping reduce the risk of injury.

The Life of Earth

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160,000 Years Ago, Hominins in China Were Far More Advanced Than We Thought

By Chinese Acad. of Sciences. April 2, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/160000-years-ago-hominins-in-china-were-far-more-advanced-than-we-thought/

Reconstruction of Xigou tool-making. 

Credit: Hulk Yuan

New findings from central China are reshaping our understanding of early human innovation.

An international team of researchers has identified evidence of advanced stone tool technologies in East Asia dating from 160,000 to 72,000 years ago. The study was recently published in Nature Communications.

The project was led by theInstitute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with contributions from scientists in China, Australia, Spain, and the United States. The team carried out multidisciplinary excavations at the Xigou site in the Danjiangkou Reservoir region of central China.

Their findings point to sophisticated toolmaking practices over a long time span, showing that hominins in this region were more adaptable and inventive than once believed. During this period, several large-brained hominin species lived in China, including Homo longi, Homo juluensis, and possibly Homo sapiens.

Location of the Xigou site. 

Credit: Image by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, CAS.



Establishing the Timeline

To determine the age of the site, researchers used multiple luminescence dating techniques on six samples to cross-check results. They found that quartz recuperated optically stimulated luminescence (ReOSL) provided a dependable estimate for the age of the sediment layers.

Based on these results, the cultural layer at Xigou dates to about 160,000 to 72,000 years ago. This provides a clear timeline for examining hominin activity at the site.

Cores and tools.

 (a) Core-on-flake; 

(b) Discoid core; 

(c) Tanged borer; 

(d) Backed borer. 

Credit: Image by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, CAS.



A detailed study of 2,601 stone artifacts shows that early inhabitants used refined methods to produce both small flakes and more formal tools. These flakes were made using a range of core reduction approaches, from simple methods to more systematic techniques such as core-on-flake and discoid strategies. The consistent retouching patterns seen on many of the smaller tools suggest a high level of technical skill and standardization.
Earliest Composite Tools in East Asia

One of the most important discoveries is the earliest known evidence of hafted stone tools in East Asia, marking the region’s first confirmed composite tools. Analysis of wear patterns revealed two types of handles, described as juxtaposed and male.

These tools combined stone parts with handles or shafts, indicating careful planning and skilled craftsmanship. They also show that these early toolmakers understood how to improve tool performance by combining materials.

The discoveries at Xigou challenge the long-standing idea that early hominins in China showed little technological change over time. The site’s stratigraphic sequence spans nearly 90,000 years and supports growing evidence that hominin diversity in China was increasing during this period. Fossils from sites such as Xujiayao and Lingjing, some identified as Homo juluensis, may help explain the advanced behaviors reflected in the Xigou tool assemblage.

The birth of modern Man

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A New DNA Revelation Rewrites The History of The Neanderthals in Europe

03 April 2026, By D. Nield

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-dna-revelation-rewrites-the-history-of-the-neanderthals-in-europe

(Gorodenkoff/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

An international team of researchers has found that Neanderthals suffered a major population crash that started around 75,000 years ago.

While they did bounce back for a while, almost all late Neanderthals in Europe were descendants of one small group.

This low genetic diversity may have contributed to their extinction, around 40,000 years ago.

"We have evidence that Neanderthals inhabited Europe continuously between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago," says paleogeneticist Cosimo Posth, from the University of Tübingen in Germany.

"However, we have only fragmentary details of their population history. So far, we know very little about the evolutionary developments that preceded their extinction."

To investigate, the researchers on the new study combined DNA analysis with existing archaeological evidence to explain how, around 75,000 years ago, Ice Age conditions may have forced widespread groups of Neanderthals to retreat to a single safe zone, or refugium, somewhere in southwestern France.

The Late Neanderthals of Europe who were studied here lived between 60,000 and 40,000 years ago. The researchers analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA), passed down the maternal line, from the bones and teeth of 59 individual Neanderthals.

While mtDNA doesn't contain the full genome like standard DNA does, it is better at surviving in the environment across tens of thousands of years. It's also easier to extract from ancient remains, as was done here.

An artist's impression of the glacial landscape inhabited by the Neanderthals during the Ice Age. 

(Direction de l'archéologie du Pas-de-Calais/Benoît Clarys)

Through a statistical analysis of the mtDNA, the researchers were able to pinpoint 65,000 years ago as the time period when the population's genetics began to substantially diversify again – about the time the Neanderthals would have been able to emerge from their Ice Age refugium again.

While the mtDNA samples were taken across a wide geographical area, the same maternal branch of genetics was dominant across them all, pointing to a shared ancestry of a surprisingly small group of individuals.

"This explains why almost all Late Neanderthals sequenced so far – from the Iberian Peninsula to the Caucasus – belong to the same line of inherited mitochondrial DNA," says Posth.

It wasn't smooth sailing forever, though. The mtDNA also showed a sudden and steep drop in Neanderthal genetic diversity between 45,000 and 42,000 years ago.

This is evidence of a substantial and rapid decline in population numbers before the final extinction, which is thought to be around 40,000 years ago.

It's a strong indication of a species that has repeatedly spread out and broken up into smaller groups – which then makes them more vulnerable to natural disasters, environmental pressures, and the pressures of low genetic diversity (including disease and mutations).

While several assumptions need to be made to piece together the timeline that the researchers have come up with here, and mtDNA doesn't quite provide the complete picture that complete DNA records do, the study makes a compelling case.

It means we probably shouldn't think about European Neanderthal ancestry as being linear. Rather, it contracted, expanded again, and crashed down, before going completely extinct – that's the tale told here.

Each new Neanderthal study contributes something more to this fascinating period of history, just before Homo sapiens started to become the most dominant species on the planet. Learning more about the Neanderthals can often lead to a better understanding of our own species and our own history.

The study also showcases how different approaches to analysis in the same study – in this case both mtDNA and a wider collection of archaeological records, showing the movements of Neanderthal populations over time – can be used to reconstruct ancient history in a meaningful way.

"This allowed us to combine the two lines of evidence and reconstruct the demographic history of Neanderthals in terms of space and time," says Jesper Borre Pedersen, a paleolithic archaeologist from the University of Tübingen.

The birth of modern Man

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Are Your Vegetables Safe? Scientists Uncover Hidden Chemical Risks in Crops

BY MCGILL U., APRIL 3, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/are-your-vegetables-safe-scientists-uncover-hidden-chemical-risks-in-crops/

A global meta-study reveals that crops can absorb a wide range of “contaminants of emerging concern,” including pharmaceuticals and microplastics. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Researchers uncover how trace contaminants move through crops and soils, quietly influencing plant biology and agricultural systems in ways not fully understood.

A sweeping international analysis is raising new concerns about what may be quietly entering our food supply. Scientists report that crops can absorb “contaminants of emerging concern” (CECs), a broad group of modern pollutants that includes pharmaceuticals, microplastics, engineered nanomaterials, and PFAS (commonly known as “forever chemicals”).

Even in trace amounts, these substances can interfere with plant growth, reshape soil ecosystems, and potentially move into the human diet.

Unlike traditional pollutants, many CECs are not routinely monitored or regulated in agriculture. Yet the study shows they can enter farmland through unexpected routes, including recycled wastewater, treated sewage sludge, manure, and plastic-based farming materials. Some of these practices are widely promoted as sustainable solutions, which raises a difficult question about hidden trade-offs in modern agriculture.

“What’s new here is the holistic perspective: we bring together evidence across chemical classes, environmental pathways, plant uptake mechanisms and societal impacts,” said Audrey Moores, co-author of the meta-study and Professor of Chemistry at McGill.

“This review highlights major knowledge gaps, including the effects of chemical mixtures, long-term accumulation and sublethal impacts not captured by standard toxicity tests,” she said. “Crucially, we show that reducing contamination at its source, through smarter chemical design and sustainable production, is essential, alongside improved regulation and monitoring.”
Overlooked issues identified

The review was led by Laura J. Carter of the University of Leeds and involved researchers from the United Kingdom, Israel, China, the United States, and Canada.

To reach their conclusions, the team analyzed hundreds of lab, greenhouse, and field studies. They compared how different types of CECs move through soil and plant tissues, how environmental factors influence exposure, and how these substances build up in edible crops under realistic conditions.

The findings show that CECs reach soil and crops through several pathways that are often underestimated. These include practices such as wastewater irrigation, the use of biosolids and manure, and agroplastics. Many of these methods are intended to support more sustainable agriculture but may unintentionally introduce contaminants.

After entering plants, CECs can travel through internal vascular systems and accumulate in leaves, fruits, and roots.

The researchers found that many of these chemicals remain biologically active even in trace amounts. They can affect plant hormone systems, microbial communities, and nutrient cycling in soil.

CECs may also contribute to antimicrobial resistance, disrupt plant biochemical processes, and alter soil structure. These effects can ultimately influence crop yields and food quality. Persistent substances such as PFAS are especially likely to accumulate in leaf tissues.

The review also points to several underexplored areas. Interactions between multiple contaminants may increase or reduce toxicity, but these combined effects are not well understood. Some exposure routes, such as absorption through leaves (“foliar exposure”), remain poorly studied. In addition, there are uneven global data gaps when it comes to risks for specific crops.

Next steps

The authors call for updated regulations that better reflect real-world conditions, including the effects of chemical mixtures and the role of CECs in antimicrobial resistance. They also recommend long-term field studies, broader geographic representation in research, and the development of safer, degradable alternatives for use in agriculture and industry.

Moores emphasized that the findings align with green chemistry principles, which focus on designing substances that break down into harmless byproducts rather than persisting in the environment.

“Safer chemicals can only be produced by having a design approach where we are thinking about end-of-life from the onset. Preventing pollution is far more effective than trying to clean it up later. Participating in this study was important to me as it illustrated with real-life examples the need for chemicals and materials design and discoveries to be better aligned with the realities of their applications and afterlife,” she said.

The Life of Earth

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