How can the James Webb Space Telescope see so far?

The James Webb Space Telescope has 2 powerful instruments that see light the human eye can’t.

Adi Foord, Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
June 30, 2025 ~9 min

Light-powered reactions could make the chemical manufacturing industry more energy-efficient

Chemical manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry. A team of chemists is designing a technique that could power the necessary reactions with sunlight or LEDs.

Anna Wolff, Ph.D. Student in Chemistry, Colorado State University • conversation
June 19, 2025 ~7 min


Blinding lights: the hidden science behind gambling’s glow

The effects can be powerful enough, governments should consider regulating lights in casinos.

Glen Dighton, Research Officer at the Centre for Military Gambling Research (MilGAM), Swansea University • conversation
June 18, 2025 ~7 min

‘Magic’ lenses make infrared light visible

"[We've] only scratched the surface so far and are very excited to see how much of an impact this type of new cost-effective technology will have..."

ETH Zurich • futurity
June 12, 2025 ~7 min

Do photons wear out? An astrophysicist explains light’s ability to travel vast cosmic distances without losing energy

The speed of light is the fastest anything can travel. What happens to a photon from a galaxy 25 million light years away on its journey toward Earth?

Jarred Roberts, Project Scientist, University of California, San Diego • conversation
May 20, 2025 ~6 min

Humans are killing helpful insects in hundreds of ways − simple steps can reduce the harm

Insects are often under pressure from several threats at once, from pesticides to habitat loss to pollution.

Eliza Grames, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
May 8, 2025 ~8 min

Membrane could pave way for sails for space travel

Lightsails have the potential to reduce flight time to nearby stars from several thousand years to perhaps just a decade or two.

Brown University • futurity
March 31, 2025 ~7 min

MIT scientists engineer starfish cells to shape-shift in response to light

The research may enable the design of synthetic, light-activated cells for wound healing or drug delivery.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News • mit
March 24, 2025 ~8 min


Insomnia can lead to heart issues − a psychologist recommends changes that can improve sleep

Insomnia and bad sleep can lead to high blood pressure and increase hormone levels and inflammation.

Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Neuroscience, and Public Health Sciences, Penn State • conversation
March 20, 2025 ~8 min

Spinning, twisted light could power next-generation electronics

Researchers have advanced a decades-old challenge in the field of organic semiconductors, opening new possibilities for the future of electronics.

Cambridge University News • cambridge
March 13, 2025 ~5 min

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