Metagenomics and AI could unlock uncultivated bacteria and archaea

Tree shade is one of the fastest ways to make heat more bearable. It cuts direct sunlight, protects people walking or working outdoors, and remains essential for heat action plans. A new study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) adds a sharper planning question: If greening is so important, why does the same strategy cool some urban areas more reliably than others?

Feelings of despair at the state of the world can be overwhelming. Social and environmental problems persist, but political discourse is polarized, divisive and often ineffective.

In new research published in Nature Materials, a team of researchers led by Columbia University chemist Xiaoyang Zhu, in collaboration with fellow Columbians Xavier Roy, Milan Delor, Dmitri Basov, and James McIver, has observed coherent ferrons for the first time.

Millions of people around the world now use AI companions—for friendship, emotional support, mental health counseling and romantic interactions. This includes 72% of adolescents, according to one study from the United States.