Wednesday, October 28, 2026

OpenAI announced that its AI models have made discoveries in mathematics, computer science, and physics, including proving the local smoothing conjecture in every dimension, disproving the Exponential Time Hypothesis, and producing a rigorous existence proof for quantum chromodynamics.^[1]

James Webb Space Telescope observations reveal that the lava planet TOI-561 b, which orbits its star in just over 10 hours, appears to maintain a thick, reflective atmosphere with silicate clouds despite extreme conditions that should have stripped it away.^[2]

The World Meteorological Organization reported that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide all reached record highs in 2025, with CO2 levels reaching 426.8 parts per million, or 153% of pre-industrial levels.^[3]

Researchers at the University of Bonn found evidence that spiders may sleep in ways similar to humans, with distinct sleep stages including a REM-like state marked by eye movements and muscle twitches, based on studies of the Australian jumping spider Portia fimbriata.^[4]

Scientists at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience discovered that immature brain cells remain present even in people over 80, and that their behavior differs dramatically between those who develop dementia and those who stay mentally sharp despite having Alzheimer's pathology.^[5]

Engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a 3D thermal invisibility cloak that can hide complex objects from infrared cameras by guiding heat around them rather than blocking it, working from any direction.^[6]

An AI model called REDMOD can detect extremely subtle changes in pancreatic tissue that may signal cancer more than a year before the disease becomes visible to doctors or conventional imaging technology, according to research published in the journal Gut.^[7]

Smithsonian scientists have created one of the largest and most detailed simulations of the early universe ever made, offering new insights into the cosmos shortly after the Big Bang and covering the first two billion years of cosmic history.^[8]

Walter Koenig, who played navigator Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek television series and in seven films, died at age 90 at his home in North Hollywood, leaving just two surviving marquee cast members from the original series.^[9]