3D-printed hydrogel is soft, and sometimes it can be tough. However, could it be hard?

Here, researchers from Zhejiang University report a 3D photo-printable hard/soft switchable hydrogel composite, enabled by the phase transition (liquid/solid transition) of supercooled hydrated salt solution (solvent) within the hydrogel. This work suggests a bright future for the direct use of hard hydrogel as a robust industrial material.

The sun may rise every morning, but the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface can substantially vary over decades. Stages of “dimming” and “brightening” correspond with increased air pollution and implementation of clean energy solutions, respectively.

Intelligent nanophotonics, combining nanophotonics and machine learning, is transforming optical information processing. This review highlights cutting-edge nanophotonic devices and the challenges to overcome for impactful technological advancements. It also explores opportunities in computational imaging, sensing, and machine vision, with significant implications for fields like the internet of things and smart health. Finally, it emphasizes the critical challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration to advance intelligent photonics.

New research reveals hailstones follow simpler growth paths than previously believed, with implications for severe weather forecasting

Researchers in China uncover the genetic and epigenetic basis of a unique super-early flowering phenomenon in soybean transformants, where the very phenotype is active in hemizygotes and silenced in homozygotes.

Seeking to develop soybean varieties adapted to diverse climates and growing seasons, researchers are exploring precise controlling of the flowering time. Now, scientists report that a super-early flowering phenotype driven by the key gene GmFT2a is expressed in hemizygous soybeans and becomes epigenetically silenced in homozygotes. This hemizygote-dependent dominance is caused by a two distinct rounds of DNA methylation triggered by different small RNAs (siRNAs). This finding opens new possibilities for designing flexible and reversible systems for manipulating target traits in future breeding program.

In the harsh environment of space—where microgravity, cosmic radiation, and isolation pose unprecedented health risks—flexible wearable devices have emerged as critical tools. These "smart skins" continuously monitor astronauts' vital signs, revolutionizing space medicine.