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The latest positive stories in science, edited for an easier read.
A comparison of 100 primate species, including humans, found little connection between routine aggression and lethal violence. The researchers report that lethal attacks and infanticide were moderately associated with each other but appear evolutionarily distinct from everyday conflict.
Researchers affiliated with Tilburg University modeled Bloons Tower Defense as a multi-round optimization problem involving limited space and budget. Their two mathematical strategies completed the game in a simulator and sometimes outperformed human players, according to the university report. The work was published in International Transactions in Operational Research.
Researchers using live zebrafish and mouse embryos found that the E-cadherin/catenin complex, which helps epithelial cells adhere to one another, also enables those cells to engulf nearby dying cells. The work shows how cells can reshape their lower surfaces for cleanup while largely preserving the barrier-facing surface.
NASA has selected the Planetary Science Institute-led GIMLI project to investigate whether the Marius Hills pit on the Moon connects to an underground cave or lava tube. The team plans to combine ground-penetrating radar, active-source seismic measurements, gravity measurements and cameras on a Commercial Lunar Payload Services lander and rover. The work could clarify the pit’s formation and the volcanic history of the surrounding terrain whether or not a void is found.
A Euronews health explainer published on 1 October says researchers estimate that about 84% of lost body fat leaves the body as exhaled carbon dioxide and the remaining 16% as water. The article attributes the explanation to two University of Birmingham researchers writing in The Conversation. The supplied extract does not identify the researchers or the underlying study.
A Kyushu University-led team reported two water-soluble organic radical molecules that emit deep-red fluorescence and also act as MRI contrast agents without using metals. In cell and phantom-image tests, the molecules improved MRI contrast relative to earlier water-soluble TTM radicals; one also remained fluorescent in living cells for at least 24 hours. The work is a proof of concept, with animal studies still needed.
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University used laser irradiation to accelerate binding between antibody-coated microscopic beads and CEACAM-5, a biomarker associated with colorectal cancer. In diluted blood plasma, the method detected CEACAM-5 at 1–10 picograms per milliliter within minutes. The work is an early laboratory result; clinical validation is still needed.
Researchers led by Montana State University report that mammalian cells can produce cysteine through an alternative chemical route when known disulfide reductase systems are unavailable. The study, published in Nature Chemical Biology, may help researchers investigate whether this backup mechanism contributes to treatment resistance in some cancers.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo’s São Carlos Institute of Chemistry developed a porous starch-based sensor that shifts from blue to pink as humidity rises and reverses as it falls. In cream-cracker packaging tests, the color response tracked increased moisture associated with loss of texture. The current cobalt chloride formulation is toxic and cannot directly contact food, so further work is needed before commercial use.
Al Jazeera published a “By the Numbers” video on September 20, 2026, titled “How did the US recall a billion products in six months?” The supplied page does not provide the underlying recall data, period boundaries, product categories, agencies, or reasons for the recalls. The available evidence therefore supports reporting the video’s stated topic, not independently confirming its numerical premise.
Japan has recorded 107,677 people aged 100 or older, the first time its centenarian population has passed 100,000. The Health Ministry figure is 7,914 higher than in 2025 and extends a 56-year annual increase. The rise reflects longer lives but coincides with very low births, a shrinking workforce and growing demands on pensions, healthcare and care services.
A June 18 joint declaration by EU institutions names culture’s effect on health among principles intended to inform member-state cultural policy. A new Culture Next report and existing museum prescription programs in Europe and North America show how cultural participation is being considered alongside health and social-care responses. The evidence cited is promising but remains uneven across settings and populations.
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