New Scientists Awards

Unexpected rewards can make people move faster within a fraction of a second, revealing how closely motivation and movement are linked in the brain. In a joystick-based reaching task, participants accelerated toward targets that offered higher reward probability, and their movements gained an extra burst of speed when a low-probability reward appeared unexpectedly. The timing of this change matched classic dopamine reward-prediction signals, suggesting that movement vigor reflects the brain’s internal value computations. Over time, strings of positive or negative outcomes also shifted overall movement speed, showing that recent experience continuously recalibrates how energetically we act. These findings point to movement as a potential noninvasive marker for tracking dopamine function in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and depression. New Scientists Awards - NOMINATION OPEN NOW! Nomination Link:   https://newscientists.net/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Aw...

Deutsche Telekom, in partnership with Google Cloud, today announced the development and implementation of MINDR (Multi-Agentic Intelligent Network Diagnostics & Remediation), a multi-agentic artificial intelligence (AI) system designed by Deutsche Telekom to enable autonomous diagnostics and operations across complex, multi-domain telecommunications networks. Deutsche Telekom, in partnership with Google Cloud, today announced the development and implementation of MINDR (Multi-Agentic Intelligent Network Diagnostics & Remediation), a multi-agentic artificial intelligence (AI) system designed by Deutsche Telekom to enable autonomous diagnostics and operations across complex, multi-domain telecommunications networks. New Scientists Awards - NOMINATION OPEN NOW! Nomination Link:   https://newscientists.net/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Awardee Web Visitors:   newscientists.net For Enquiry:   info@newscientists.net #worldresearchawards #researcherawa...

Expertise Protects Against Cognitive Decline refers to the well-established neuroscience concept that sustained intellectual engagement and domain-specific mastery enhance cognitive reserve, enabling the brain to compensate for age-related neuropathology and delay clinical manifestations of disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Long-term expertise in fields such as music, mathematics, bilingual communication, medicine, chess, or scientific research promotes neuroplasticity, strengthens synaptic networks, increases gray matter density, and optimizes functional connectivity across prefrontal and hippocampal circuits.  Empirical evidence from longitudinal aging cohorts and neuroimaging studies indicates that individuals with high occupational complexity and sustained learning exhibit slower rates of memory decline, executive dysfunction, and processing-speed deterioration. Mechanistically, expertise enhances neural efficiency, scaffolds alternative compensatory pa...

Cancer immunotherapy has been a game-changer, but many tumors still find ways to slip past the immune system. New research reveals a hidden trick: cancer cells can package the immune-blocking protein PD-L1 into tiny particles that circulate through the body and weaken immunotherapy’s impact. Scientists in Japan discovered that a little-known protein, UBL3, controls this process—and surprisingly, common cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins can shut it down. Scientists discovered how cancer cells secretly spread immune-blocking signals using tiny vesicles filled with PD-L1. Even more surprising, widely used statins can disrupt this process, potentially making immunotherapy far more effective. Credit: Shutterstock. New Scientists Awards - NOMINATION OPEN NOW! Nomination Link:   https://newscientists.net/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Awardee Web Visitors:   newscientists.net For Enquiry:   info@newscientists.net #worldresearchawards #researcherawards #...

More than 250 quantum scientists have signed a “manifesto” opposing the use of quantum research for military purposes. The statement – quantum scientists for disarmament – expresses a “deep concern” about the current geopolitical situation and “categorically rejects” the militarization of quantum research or its use in population control and surveillance. The signatories now call for an open debate about the ethical implications of quantum research. While quantum science has the potential to improve many different areas – from sensors and medicine to computing – some are concerned about its applications for military purposes. They includes quantum key distribution and cryptographic networks for communication as well as quantum clocks and sensing for military navigation and positioning. New Scientists Awards - NOMINATION OPEN NOW! Nomination Link:   https://newscientists.net/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Awardee Web Visitors:   newscientists.net For Enquiry:...

Binary neural networks (BNNs) present a promising avenue for low-complexity and energy-efficient computation, yet their inherent non-linearity hinders interpretability and formal verification. Mohamed Tarraf, Alex Chan, Alex Yakovlev, and Rishad Shafik, all from Newcastle University, address this challenge by introducing a novel Petri net (PN)-based framework to model BNN operations as event-driven processes. This work is significant because it transforms traditionally opaque BNNs into transparent, analysable systems, enabling detailed examination of concurrency, state evolution, and causal dependencies. The researchers construct modular PN blueprints for key BNN components, composing them into a complete system-level model, and rigorously validate this model against a software-based BNN using Workcraft’s automated tools to establish properties such as 1-safeness and deadlock-freeness. Ultimately, this framework facilitates formal reasoning and verification, paving the way for the depl...

While the broader technology sector spent the second week of February 2026 reeling from a "SaaSpocalypse" that wiped billions off the valuations of software giants, Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) emerged as a beacon of resilience. On Friday, February 13, 2026, shares of the semiconductor equipment powerhouse surged by more than 8.1%, closing at a record $354.91. The rally marked a dramatic technical breakout, decoupling the company from a sharp sell-off in AI-centric software and services companies that have dominated the market narrative for years. The surge came as investors recalibrated their portfolios, shifting capital away from the companies providing AI services—now facing existential disruption and ROI skepticism—and toward the "pick-and-shovel" firms building the physical infrastructure of the digital age. This rotation highlights a growing market consensus: while the ultimate winners of the AI software wars remain unclear, the demand for the advanced har...