Science

image: Satellite-based assessment of recovery after severe drought in large river basins. (a) Cumulative recovery probability measured from the time of maximum water storage loss. The black curve represents events in all basins, and the red curve represents events in basins with at least one event remaining unrecovered for more than five years. Shaded ribbons indicate uncertainty. (b) Median recovery time among recovered events in each basin. White circles indicate that recovery times differ by more than one year between events. (c) The longest observed period without recovery in each basin through 2025. Squares indicate that another severe drought prolonged the deficit. The return of rain does not necessarily mean that a river basin has replenished its water reserves. A new satellite-based study shows that recovery after severe drought is widespread across large river basins, but highly uneven. Some recover relatively quickly, while others experience water storage deficits that persist for years.

The Simons Foundation’s Life Sciences division is now accepting applications for its Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology. The application deadline is December 3, 2026, at 12 p.m. (noon) EDT. These postdoctoral fellowships support candidates who intend to pursue a career in basic research on fundamental problems in plant biology. This program supports researchers seeking to understand the inner workings of plants at the level of the whole organism or below. We are interested in applicants with training in disciplines that can be brought to bear on plant biology, including but not limited to engineering, computational modeling, theory, chemistry, synthetic biology and physics, as well as applicants already involved in the plant sciences.

The UNESCO Regional Office for the Caribbean participated in the 22nd High-Level Forum for Caribbean Ministers Responsible for Water, held in Grenada on 12–13 October 2026 within the framework of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association’s (CWWA) 35th Annual Conference and Exhibition. Under the theme “From Declaration to Delivery: One Caribbean, Advancing Water Security and Inclusive Wastewater Management,” the Forum brought together ministers, senior officials, water utilities and development partners to discuss practical responses to the region’s water challenges. Representing UNESCO, Bandiougou Diawara, Head of Natural Sciences Programme at the Regional Office for the Caribbean, followed the ministerial discussions and exchanged with national representatives and partners on opportunities for cooperation. Discussions highlighted the importance of reliable data, stronger local institutions and technical capacity to turn water-sector priorities into well-prepared investments and tangible improvements for communities. Participants also stressed the need to share expertise across the region and manage risks before they become crises.

Parts of the Earth’s climate system can change abruptly once warming pushes them beyond critical thresholds. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, the Amazon rainforest, coral reefs and major ocean currents are all among the systems containing potential climate tipping points. These climate systems are known as tipping elements, and research into them has expanded rapidly. But it has not expanded evenly. In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, colleagues and I examined 20,736 scientific publications on 14 climate tipping elements published between 2000 and 2025. We wanted to know where scientific attention has accumulated, and whether the systems with relatively low estimated warming thresholds tend to receive more of it. An uneven research landscapeThe Greenland Ice Sheet dominates the studies we analysed. It appeared in 4,141 publications — 20 per cent of the entire dataset. By contrast, abrupt thaw of permafrost in boreal forests just below the Arctic appeared in just 139 papers, or 0.7 per cent. The North Atlantic subpolar gyre, a system of ocean circulation south of Greenland, accounted for 649 papers, or 3.1 per cent.

Yann LeCun, founder and chairman of AMI Labs, a globally recognized authority in artificial intelligence and recipient of the 2018 Turing Award, directly pushed back against calls to slow AI development. He dismissed doomsday scenarios in which AI could threaten humanity as "closer to science fiction," emphasizing that safety issues are solvable technical challenges. Speaking at a forum titled "Industrial AI Sovereignty and Global Co-Development" held at the Westin Josun Hotel in Seoul on October 12, LeCun pointed out the limitations of current large language model (LLM)-based AI and forecast that "world models" capable of understanding the real world will become the core of next-generation AI.

Harbin, China (ANTARA/Xinhua-AsiaNet)- "Through science popularization books and metaverse courses, I followed digital humans to disassemble the structure of planetary rovers step by step. It was just like an adventure game. I've found that the working principles of lunar rovers and Mars rovers are so fascinating! " said Leng Xingsong, a student. Recently, the "HIT Integrated Media Science Popularization Series Entering Classrooms" campaign has been held in 27 schools across Guangxi, Yunnan, Qinghai and other regions, with more than 3,000 students participating. This is an epitome of the HIT Postgraduate Volunteer Teaching Corps' long-term efforts to bring science popularization resources to the front line of volunteer-teaching locations and to explore the working model of "science popularization + volunteer teaching".

The compound responsible for vanilla's familiar sweet flavor and aroma could have an unexpected future in medicine. Scientists at Flinders University have identified properties in vanillin that could make it a promising ingredient in treatments for chronic wounds, infections, and damaged tissue. Researchers from the university's Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory found that vanillin has notable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Together, these effects could make the compound useful in developing wound care products that address several challenges associated with healing.

Istanbul, Türkiye – For many years, the simplest view of dark energy has been that it remains unchanged. Throughout cosmic history, the mysterious ingredient believed to drive the Universe's accelerated expansion is thought to have behaved in the same way at every epoch. However, an increasing number of observations are challenging this idea. Data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which is creating the largest three-dimensional map of the Universe, suggest that dark energy's effect might have evolved over time. While not conclusive enough to declare a discovery, this has intensified one of cosmology's key questions: What if dark energy isn't constant? It is also the question behind recent theoretical research led by scientists at Istanbul Technical University (ITU). In a 2025 paper in Physical Review D, an international team led by Prof. Özgür Akarsu of ITU's Department of Physics examined an alternative theory of gravity, deliberately exploring a region of the theory that earlier studies had set aside.

Μake us preferred on Google When ChatGPT first came out, along with the whole story around artificial intelligence, its creators promised us the moon and the stars. They told us AI would be the great “key” that opens doors for everyone, allowing a 24-year-old who just entered the job market to deliver work like a seasoned veteran. But things are not exactly like that. A new study from MIT brings us back down to earth, showing that AI may help you finish a job quickly, but in the end it teaches you nothing if you don’t already know the basics. NEWSLETTER TABLE TALKNever miss a story. Subscribe now. The most important news & topics every week in your inbox. This story is very reminiscent of the old “China shock,” which hit the market when China forced its way into global trade and many factories closed. Only now, the “blow” is not landing on industries but on offices. If young workers expect the computer to do everything for them, they risk falling into a major illusion: thinking they have become experts, while in reality they are just pushing buttons.

Artificial intelligence is in the news every day. It solves fundamental math problems by hundreds, hacks into highly protected networks, and outstreams Taylor Swift. AI is also supposed to lead us to a singularity, by doing science. Much of the news about AI in science comes in two flavors. Flavor one: super-smart AI will surely help some lunatic, or a nation state, to build a bioweapon. Flavor two: super-smart AI will cure cancer, probably by end of business on Thursday.

The winner of one of the world’s most prestigious scientific photography awards has been stripped of the top prize after their entry was outed as using generative AI. Dr Ning Xu, from Tsinghua University in China, grabbed the top spot in Nikon’s 16th annual Small World in Motion contest, which looks to reward the best microscopic videography. Dr Xu had submitted a short video showing tiny, hair-like structures called cilia moving through the airway of a child suffering from primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare respiratory condition that can lead to chronic lung, sinus, and ear infections.

Behind the brilliant sparkle of every natural diamond lies a geological miracle formed deep within the earth over billions of years. To deepen public appreciation for these natural treasures, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world’s leading authority on gemmology and creator of the 4Cs, is highlighting the scientific magic behind diamonds. GIA is helping enthusiasts, consumers, and industry professionals see natural diamonds in a whole new light while empowering the next generation of talent through its comprehensive educational programmes in Hong KongAs an independent, non-profit organisation established in 1931, GIA remains dedicated to protecting public trust through objective research, state-of-the-art laboratory services, and advanced instrument development. Through decades of scientific research, GIA gemmologists utilise sophisticated technology, such as the GIA iD100® tester and Gemolite® NXT photomicroscopes, to precisely differentiate natural diamonds from laboratory-grown diamonds and simulants. This rigorous scientific foundation ensures that every evaluation provided in GIA Grading Reports and Dossiers remains the world's most trusted standard.