Ageing of the immune system is now realized to drive systemic ageing, and there is interest in targeting immune ageing in order to promote healthy ageing. Here, the authors detail how ageing affects different immune cell populations and discuss strategies to rejuvenate the immune system in order to extend healthspan.
On December 9, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a landmark report, A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars, laying out a comprehensive case for future crewed Mars missions. The report, authored by the Committee on a Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars that was co-chaired by Prof. Dava Newman, defines the highest-priority scientific objectives for humans on the Martian surface.
At the top of the list: searching for evidence of past or present life. “We’re searching for life on Mars,” said Newman in an interview with Ars Technica. “The answer to the question ‘are we alone?’ is always going to be ‘maybe,’ unless it becomes yes.”
The report identifies 11 top science goals for initial human missions, including biosignature/habitability experiments and water and CO₂ cycle studies, geology mapping, radiation monitoring, dust-storm research, and assessments of how Martian conditions affect humans and ecosystems.
Concordia researchers have developed a new 3D-printing technique that uses sound waves to directly print tiny structures onto soft polymers like silicone with far greater precision than before. The approach, called proximal sound printing, opens new possibilities for manufacturing microscale devices used in health care, environmental monitoring and advanced sensors. It is described in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.
The technique relies on focused ultrasound to trigger chemical reactions that solidify liquid polymers exactly where printing is needed. Unlike conventional methods that rely on heat or light, sound-based 3D-printing works with key materials used in microfluidic devices, lab-on-a-chip systems and soft electronics that are hard to print at small scales.
This work builds on the research team’s earlier breakthrough in direct sound printing, which first showed that ultrasound could be used to cure polymers on demand. While that earlier method demonstrated the concept, it struggled with limited resolution and consistency. The new proximal approach places the sound source much closer to the printing surface, allowing far tighter control.
A mysterious, extremely energetic particle, known as the Amaterasu particle, was detected coming from a distant region of space, and scientists have proposed explanations for its origin, potentially tracing it back to a starburst galaxy like Messier 82 ##
## Questions to inspire discussion.
Understanding Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays.
🔬 Q: What makes the Amaterasu particle exceptionally powerful? A: The Amaterasu particle detected in Utah in 2021 carries energy 40 million times higher than anything produced on Earth, equivalent to a baseball traveling at 100 km/h compressed into a single subatomic particle, making it one of the most energetic particles ever detected.
Solving the Origin Mystery.
🎯 Q: Where did scientists determine the Amaterasu particle actually originated? A: A 2026 study by Max Planck Institute scientists using approximate Bayesian computation and 3D magnetic field simulations traced the particle’s origin to a starburst galaxy like Messier 82, located 12 million light-years away, rather than the initially suspected local void with only six known galaxies.
