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A discovery promises to improve care for patients with endometrial cancer, the most common gynecologic malignancy. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to spot patterns across thousands of cancer cell images, the researchers have pinpointed a distinct subset of endometrial cancer that puts patients at much greater risk of recurrence and death, but would otherwise go unrecognized by traditional pathology and molecular diagnostics. The findings will help doctors identify patients with high-risk disease who could benefit from more comprehensive treatment.

A research team has developed a small optical lens, only a few millimeters in size, whose refractive behavior changes in the presence of gas. This 'intelligent' behavior of the micro-lens is enabled by the hybrid glass material from which it is made. The molecular structure of the lens consists of a three-dimensional lattice with cavities that can accommodate gas molecules, thereby affecting the optical properties of the material.

Norcembranolide diterpenes, isolated from the soft corals of the genus Sinularia, are important compounds for the development of new drugs, owing to their diverse biological activities. However, total synthesis methods for these compounds are scarce. Now, a team of researchers has achieved the total synthesis of scabrolide F, a norcembranolide diterpene. They also revealed its non-toxic antifouling properties. This novel method can lead to the development of new drugs and antifouling agents.

Many municipal landfills 'burp' gas from decomposing organic matter rather than letting it build up. And burps from buried waste containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can release these 'forever chemicals' into the air, say researchers. Their study reports unexpectedly high levels of airborne PFAS at three landfills and demonstrates that vented gases and liquid by-products called leachates could transport similar amounts of these contaminants to the environment.

Clean, safe water is a limited resource and access to it depends on local bodies of water. But even dry regions have some water vapor in the air. To harvest small amounts of humidity, researchers developed a compact device with absorbent-coated fins that first trap moisture and then generate potable water when heated. They say the prototype could help meet growing demands for water, especially in arid locations.

Our cells and the machinery inside them are engaged in a constant dance. This dance involves some surprisingly complicated choreography within the lipid bilayers that comprise cell membranes and vesicles -- structures that transport waste or food within cells. In a recent paper, researchers shed some light on how these vesicles self-assemble, knowledge that could help scientists design bio-inspired vesicles for drug-delivery or inspire them to create life-like synthetic materials.

Traditional methods to assess balance often suffer from subjectivity, aren't comprehensive enough and can't be administered remotely. They also are expensive and require specialized equipment and clinical expertise. Using wearable sensors and advanced machine learning algorithms, researchers offer a practical and cost-effective solution for capturing detailed movement data, essential for balance analysis. This approach is more accessible and can be administered remotely, which could have significant implications for health care, rehabilitation, sports science or other fields where balance assessment is important.

Local rearrangements of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) upon twisting may be the cause for the poor mechanical performance of CNT bundles and yarns, report scientists. Using molecular dynamics simulations, they revealed that defects known as disclination lines appear when a CNT bundle is twisted, which alters the tensile properties of the whole system. Their findings could help us understand and solve current challenges holding CNT bundles and yarns back in many applied fields.

Early analysis of the asteroid Bennu sample returned by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission has revealed dust rich in carbon, nitrogen, and organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. Dominated by clay minerals, particularly serpentine, the sample mirrors the type of rock found at mid-ocean ridges on Earth. The magnesium-sodium phosphate found in the sample hints that the asteroid could have splintered off from an ancient, small, primitive ocean world.

With a new microscope that's as light as a penny, researchers can now observe broad swaths of the brain in action as mice move about and interact with their environments.

ChatGPT-written exam submissions for a psychology degree mostly went undetected and tended to get better marks than real students’ work

A fossil bone displaying features consistent with Down’s syndrome belonged to a Neanderthal child who survived beyond 6 years old, adding to evidence that these extinct humans cared for members of their community

Almost all the stars that will ever exist have already been born, and they have been around long enough for life to evolve on planets that orbit them

So bright you'll be able to see it without a telescope, a “new” star system, T Coronae Borealis, will become visible for the first time in 80 years between now and September. Abigail Beall explains where to spot it

A "new" star system, T Coronae Borealis, will become visible to the naked eye between now and September. Abigail Beall explains how to spot it

Meet Craig Foster, from the Oscar-winning documentary MY Octopus Teacher, who thinks we should reconnect with nature by plunging into icy waters or scanning remote landscapes

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Photographer Ignacio Evangelista's stark shots shine a light on the little-known VOR beacons, once key to aviation navigation but now being replaced by GPS

Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker's Love Triangle is fast-paced, with nuggets about everything from impossible soccer balls to duck wakes. But it doesn't leave our reviewer understanding trigonometry any better

While time is relative, it still flows in one direction for every observer. We don’t yet understand why, but some physicists are looking for answers that invoke the evolution of entropy, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein