Brain
And the science Nobels for 2026 go to …
Top prizes went for an icy window into the cosmos, a light switch for the brain and solving the mystery of mirror image molecules.
By Nikk Ogasa
Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
More Stories in Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
- Environment
Wildfires can be tracked by their distinctive rumble
New sensors can map infrasound — a deep-bass thrumming lower than what human ears can hear — emitted by a fire as its flames spread.
- Humans
Analyze This: Spooky feelings may come from noises too low to hear
People exposed to low infrasound frequencies had higher levels of a stress hormone in spit and were more likely to rate music as sad.
- Animals
Some sea stars channel light like fiber-optic cables
The tiny cone-shaped structures in arms of chocolate-chip sea stars also triple their skeleton’s strength.
- Animals
Analyze This: How sea slugs get their flashy colors
Crystals beneath the skin of nudibranchs, also called sea slugs, allow the creatures to make an array of intense hues with just one material.
- Oceans
Big waves shape this surfer-scientist’s research and life
Professor and pro surfer Cliff Kapono studies human-ocean interactions through the lens of a surfer, from molecular to macro scales.
- Animals
Like living mood rings, these bees change color when it turns humid
Humidity makes North American sweat bees change color. This trait could be widespread among shiny insects, some biologists now suspect.
- Humans
Some people use echolocation to get around. Here’s how it works
As expert echolocators make multiple clicking sounds, their brains process the echoes to help them perceive their surroundings.
- Physics
Thunderstorms can make trees twinkle with an electric glow
The tiny, storm-driven electric zaps dance and jump around pine needles and other leaves. Videos have just captured that subtle flickering in forests.
- Life
Scientists Say: Biophoton
All living things glow with this mysterious light. But scientists need ultra-sensitive tools to detect it.
