In a Groundbreaking First, Scientists Have Found Tiny Neutrinos in the Centre of the Milky Way

Scientists have achieved a groundbreaking feat by detecting neutrinos originating from the central disk of the Milky Way. Neutrinos, mysterious particles that can traverse matter effortlessly, offer an exciting opportunity to unveil new secrets of the universe. With the help of cutting-edge machine learning, researchers have filtered out cosmic noise to identify these elusive particles, potentially shedding light on the origin of cosmic rays and offering a new lens to study the galaxy's structure beyond the limits of light.

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A New Pain Therapy is Blocking Pain Without Opioids or Addiction Risk

For millions of people with chronic pain, the volume never really drops. A new preclinical study points to a gene therapy designed to turn down pain signals in the brain without the addiction risks linked to opioid drugs such as morphine. The findings, published in Nature, come from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing, working with collaborators from Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University. The team said the treatment directly targets pain-processing areas in the brain while avoiding the reward pathways tied to addiction. “The goal was to reduce pain while lessening or eliminating the risk of addiction and dangerous side effects,” said Gregory Corder, PhD, co-senior author and assistant professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Penn. “By targeting the precise brain circuits that morphine acts on, we believe this is a first step in offering new relief for people whose lives are upended by chronic pain.” Morphine is widely used for pain relief, but researchers said it carries a high potential for misuse. Over time, patients often develop tolerance, meaning they need increasingly higher doses to get the same relief. To better understand how morphine works, the researchers studied brain cells involved in tracking pain signals. They then used those findings to build an artificial intelligence-powered system in mice that monitors natural behavior, estimates pain levels, and helps determine how much treatment is needed. According to the researchers, that system guided the design of a targeted gene therapy meant to reproduce morphine’s pain-relieving effects without triggering addiction. They said the therapy introduces a brain-specific “off switch” for pain. When activated, it reduces pain over a sustained period without interfering with normal sensations or activating reward pathways associated with addiction. “To our knowledge, this represents the world’s first CNS-targeted gene therapy for pain, and a concrete blueprint for non-addictive, circuit-specific pain medicine,” Corder said. The study reflects more than six years of work supported by a National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award, which the researchers said allowed the team to investigate how chronic pain develops and persists. The push for safer pain treatment comes as opioid harm remains widespread. In 2019, drug use was linked to 600,000 deaths, with 80 percent involving opioids. A 2025 Pew survey found that nearly half of Philadelphians knew someone with opioid use disorder, and one-third knew someone who had died from an overdose. At the same time, chronic pain affects about 50 million Americans, according to the study summary. Researchers described it as a “silent epidemic” that leads to more than $635 million in annual costs, including medical expenses, missed work and reduced earnings. The team said future studies will be needed to confirm the findings, but the approach is being advanced toward possible clinical trials. The researchers are now collaborating with Michael Platt, PhD, the James S. Riepe University Professor, Professor of Neuroscience, Professor of Psychology, on the next stage of the work. “The journey from discovery to implementation is long, and this represents a strong first step,” Platt said. “Speaking both as a scientist and as a family member of people affected by chronic pain, the potential to relieve suffering without fueling the opioid crisis is exciting.” The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Whitehall Foundation, and the Tito’s Love Research Fund. The researchers also disclosed that some authors are inventors on a provisional patent application through the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University related to the custom sequences used to develop, and the applications of, synthetic opioid promoters, patent application number 63/383,462, “Human and Murine Oprm1 Promoters and Uses Thereof.”

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109-Year-Old Veteran Throws Ceremonial First Pitch at Orioles Opening Day

A 109-year-old veteran threw out the first pitch for the Baltimore Orioles on Opening Day. Arthur Green, a long-time Baltimore resident and veteran of World War II and the Korean War, took the mound at Camden Yards ahead of the Orioles’ 2–1 win over the Minnesota Twins. Green previously threw a ceremonial first pitch at age 106. Footage shows Green arriving with his daughter, Myra, stopping to have the ball signed by players before delivering the pitch to applause from the crowd. 📸credit: Baltimore Orioles via Storyful

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The World's Smallest QR Code is Smaller Than Bacteria and Could Store Data for Centuries

It is hard to picture a QR code smaller than a bacterium, but researchers in Vienna have done exactly that, and Guinness has now made it official. Scientists at TU Wien, working with data storage company Cerabyte, created a QR code measuring just 1.98 square micrometers. The team says it can only be detected with an electron microscope, and Guinness has recorded it as a new record. The researchers say the result is about far more than shrinking a familiar black-and-white pattern. Traditional storage technologies such as magnetic drives and electronic systems tend to degrade within a few years, according to the team. They say encoding information into ceramic materials could preserve it for hundreds or even thousands of years. "The structure we have created here is so fine that it cannot be seen with optical microscopes at all," says Prof. Paul Mayrhofer from TU Wien's Institute of Materials Science and Technology. "But that is not even the truly remarkable part. Structures on the micrometer scale are nothing unusual today, it is even possible to fabricate patterns made of individual atoms. However, that alone does not result in a stable, readable code." The researchers say that at extremely small scales, atoms can shift positions or fill gaps, which can erase stored data. "What we have done is something fundamentally different," Mayrhofer explains. "We have created a tiny, but stable and repeatedly readable QR code." The team says the material made the difference. They used thin ceramic films, the same kind of materials used for coating high-performance cutting tools. "We conduct research on thin ceramic films, such as those used for coating high-performance cutting tools," explain Erwin Peck and Balint Hajas. "For high-performance tools, it is essential that materials remain stable and durable even under extreme conditions. And that is exactly what makes these materials ideal for data storage as well." Using focused ion beams, the researchers engraved the QR code into a thin ceramic layer. Each pixel measures 49 nanometers, which the team says is about ten times smaller than the wavelength of visible light. Because of that, the pattern is invisible under normal conditions and cannot be resolved using visible light. When viewed with an electron microscope, the QR code can be clearly and reliably read. The team says the storage density is also high. More than 2 terabytes of data could fit within the area of a single A4 sheet of paper using this method. Unlike conventional storage systems, they say these ceramic data carriers can remain intact indefinitely and do not need energy to maintain the stored information. "We live in the information age, yet we store our knowledge in media that are astonishingly short-lived," says Alexander Kirnbauer. The researchers say magnetic and electronic storage devices often lose data after only a few years, especially without continuous power, cooling and maintenance. By comparison, they point to ancient civilizations that carved knowledge into stone, allowing it to survive for thousands of years. "With ceramic storage media, we are pursuing a similar approach to that of ancient cultures, whose inscriptions we can still read today," Kirnbauer says. "We write information into stable, inert materials that can withstand the passage of time and remain fully accessible to future generations." The team also says ceramic-based storage has an energy advantage because it can preserve information without any ongoing energy input, unlike modern data centres that need significant electricity and cooling. The record-setting QR code and its verification, including electron microscope readout, were carried out jointly by TU Wien and Cerabyte in front of witnesses. The University of Vienna served as an independent verifier. TU Wien provided materials science facilities and high-resolution electron microscopes at its USTEM center. Guinness has recognised the new QR code as measuring 37 percent the size of the previous record holder. "The now confirmed world record marks just the beginning of a very promising development," says Alexander Kirnbauer. "We now aim to use other materials, increase writing speeds, and develop scalable manufacturing processes so that ceramic data storage can be used not only in laboratories but also in industrial applications. At the same time, we are investigating how more complex data structures, far beyond simple QR codes, can be written robustly, quickly, and energy-efficiently into ceramic thin films and read out reliably."

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UK TV Sees First Sugar-Free Easter As Chocolate Ads Move Past 9pm

Easter TV is looking a lot less sugary this year. For the first time in the UK, the usual run of television ads for chocolate eggs and hot cross buns has been cut back by rules banning junk food advertising before 9pm. The regulations came into force at the beginning of the year as part of efforts to tackle rising childhood obesity. Products high in fat, sugar and salt can no longer appear in TV ads before 9pm. That means the Cadbury Creme Egg, more than 200 million of which are eaten in the “season” from after Christmas until the end of Easter, will not appear in TV ads before 9pm this year. The advertising industry had already started following the rules from October on a voluntary basis, which meant Christmas was the first period with what the source described as “healthy” TV ads. Research conducted for the Guardian suggests that decision has already hit broadcasters’ revenues. TV advertising spending by confectionery and snacks brands almost halved year on year between October and February, according to that research. An analysis covering most companies advertising products covered by the government’s “less healthy foods” rules found overall TV ad spending was down at least 15 percent year on year. Broadcasters and industry bodies have challenged the value of the policy. The chief executive of ITV, Carolyn McCall, and former Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon had previously said the government’s own research showed the number of calories saved would be 1.7 a day, about a third of a Smartie. “The advertising and marketing of products is one consideration for helping tackle childhood obesity,” said a spokesperson for ISBA, the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers, according to the Guardian. “But successive governments have treated bans or restrictions as a silver bullet … legislating on the basis of headlines, not evidence.” Health campaigners say the rules still leave plenty of room for food brands to advertise. The food industry secured a concession allowing “brand” advertising to continue, as long as commercials do not show an “identifiable” product that breaks the junk food rules. Lindt is one example. It has run ads featuring the Master Chocolatier to promote the brand without showing any of the 14 products in the Lindor range. “The policy is riddled with loopholes which allow industry to continue to advertise branding for unhealthy products like Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Caramel or McDonald’s McFlurries,” said Fran Bernhardt, of the campaign group Sustain. “Aside from a few tweaks to adverts, this Easter will be much like Easters before. Industry will continue more or less as usual.” Campaigners also argue that food companies are making up for the restrictions by shifting spending into other media. The ban also applies to paid online advertising at any time of day, and media agency sources said outdoor advertising and radio have been among the main beneficiaries. Billboards and poster sites are only subject to junk food ad bans if they are within 100 metres of places such as schools or leisure centres. Even though the rules have been in place for less than three months, and the UK advertising watchdog is understood to have received only a small number of complaints that still need to be assessed, debate is already building over another possible tightening of the policy. The current restrictions use a nutrient profiling model created in the early noughties to decide if a product counts as junk food. A newer model was developed in 2018 but was not introduced. On Wednesday, the government launched a consultation on adopting that updated model, which it has said it is likely to do. If introduced, a much wider range of products would be classed as too high in fat, salt and sugar and banned from advertising from next year. The Food and Drink Federation said the updated model, as it stands, would ban advertising for products including 100 percent fruit juices, many cereals including Kellogg’s Bran Flakes, Ambrosia rice pudding pots, the Mr Kipling Delicious and Light range and Doritos. It said PepsiCo, Doritos’ parent company, had spent millions reformulating the product to make it healthier under the existing ad rules. The ISBA spokesperson said: “What goes into our food is important, but the updated nutrient profiling model threatens to discourage the investment which companies have put into changing what we eat and drink. Swathes more products which have not been considered ‘unhealthy’ will be barred. “A holistic plan would also think about how we incentivise healthier eating and buying by consumers, promoting food education, and creating a more active population. They are the things that will really move the dial, rather than always taking the easy path of yet more restrictions on advertisers.” Photo by George Dolgikh on Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/rabbit-chocolate-2072158/)

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Viral 'Pints and Ponytails' Event Invites Dads to Learn How to Braid Hair

A group of dads went viral after coming together at a London pub to learn how to braid their daughters’ hair. An event organised by Mathew Lewis-Carter and Lawrence Price, who run the podcast and social platform The Secret Life of Dads, saw 35 dads learn a variety of hairstyles from the stylists at Braid Maidens. The footage sparked a viral moment, gaining over 26 million views on Instagram and 9 million on TikTok, and leading to the dads giving a braiding lesson on Good Morning Britain. The concept began with Braid Maidens, who have hosted braiding classes with a combination of “bubbles/brews/beers/breakfast” since 2022. “While learning to braid or style hair is the entry point, the purpose runs deeper: creating space for fathers to connect with their daughters, and with each other, in a meaningful way,” The Secret Life of Dads wrote on Instagram. “We’re genuinely grateful to every dad who has shown up, shared their experience and helped shape what this is becoming.” 📸 Credit: @thesecretlifeofdads / Braid Maidens via Storyful

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Paralyzed After a Car Crash, He Learned to Walk Again and Became a Teacher

Seven years after a crash changed his life, Ronnie “Tre” Lawson is teaching young students in Macon, Georgia, writing about his recovery, and planning a school in his hometown. Lawson, an educator from Macon, survived a 2017 car crash that caused a spinal cord injury and is living beyond what doctors first expected. Since then, he has regained mobility, built a career in teaching, and shared his story through writing. He was 17 when he was involved in the crash on the way home from a summer track meet. A friend who was driving fell asleep, causing the car to veer off the road and fall into a 30-foot ravine. Lawson suffered a brain injury, an incomplete T12-L1 spinal cord injury, and abdominal trauma. The injuries resulted in a loss of sensation from the waist down. In the months after the crash, Lawson said he faced serious mental health struggles and uncertainty about his future. He described a period when he questioned if he would survive, while relying on support from family, friends and faith to keep going. According to 11Alive, Lawson later underwent rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Therapists there helped him relearn basic daily functions and rebuild strength. Over time, his condition improved beyond initial expectations. He progressed to standing and walking short distances with assistance. Lawson also continued his education during his recovery. He attended Fort Valley State University and graduated with honors in early childhood and special education. He later pursued graduate studies at Louisiana State University. He began his teaching career in February 2021. Lawson now works in special education at Southfield Elementary School in Macon, where he teaches kindergarten and first-grade students. He has said the classroom became a central part of his recovery and purpose through daily interaction with children. In January, Lawson published a book titled The Hurdle That Broke Me. The book covers his life before and after the crash, including his injury, mental health challenges and the recovery process that followed. He is also planning his next step in education. Lawson wants to open a school in Macon called Roll of Hope Academy to create more educational opportunities for students in his hometown while continuing his work in special education. 📸 credit: 11Alive

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104-Year-Old WWII Veteran Becomes Oldest Organ Donor in US History

Two hours after Dale Steele died, his son got a call that turned a family loss into something else. Officials from the organ donation nonprofit Live On Nebraska told Steele’s children that Dale’s liver could be donated. Even at 100 years old, it was 100 percent healthy. “How could that even be?” his son Roger wondered. Live On Nebraska explained that the liver constantly replaces cells and regenerates, so its “functional age” is usually less than three years old. Dale’s liver was transplanted into a patient one day after his death. At 100, Dale became the oldest organ donor in US history. “One of the myths we hear out in the community often, is that ‘I’m too old to be an organ donor. I might not be healthy enough to be a donor.’ And I think a case like this truly proves that there is no age limit,” Kyle Herber, president and CEO of Live On Nebraska, told Nebraska Public Media. Dale was born near Ainsworth, Nebraska, in 1925. He served in Europe during World War II, then returned home and met his wife Doris. They were married for 72 years. He stayed active throughout his life. He raised cattle, worked at a farming co-op, and sold irrigation and grain handling equipment. “If he could help people, he would. But he wasn’t showy about it,” Roger said. “He had a strong body that was able to carry him through his 100th birthday. I think that came from hard work.” As Dale’s life was nearing its end in February, the organ donor group asked about donating his organs. Roger said the family did not hesitate. “We consented without any hesitation,” Roger said. “We thought, this is the kind of thing, if he were able to be asked, he’d agree to.” “I just know his response would be, ‘Well, if I can help somebody else, fine.” Herber said Dale’s case pushes back on a common belief that age rules people out from donation. He also pointed to the need. According to Herber, more than 100,000 patients in the US are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, including nearly 400 in Nebraska alone. About 17 people die every day while waiting for a transplant. Dale was able to save at least one of them. “This is a story about a life of service that didn’t end at death,” Herber told Live On Nebraska. “Mr. Steele lived a full century giving to others, and through (organ) donation, that generosity continues in a way that will impact lives for years to come.” 📸 credit: Courtesy of Live On Nebraska

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North America’s Largest Wildlife Overpass Opens in Colorado for Safe Animal Crossings

For wildlife trying to cross Interstate 25 near Larkspur, the traffic problem just got a lot smaller. Moose, elk, black bears and mountain lions can now cross six lanes of highway traffic on a new wildlife overpass in Douglas County, Colorado. The Colorado Department of Transportation completed the structure in December after covering the surface with dirt and vegetation. The Greenland overpass is now North America’s largest wildlife overpass. State officials said it was built in less than a year, ahead of schedule and on budget. The overpass was designed specifically to give elk and pronghorn safe passage because those animals need more space. It links 39,000 acres of habitat on both sides of the six-lane highway between Larkspur and Monument. The project also completes a wider system of wildlife crossings along an 18-mile stretch near Castle Rock. That system includes smaller overpasses and underpasses built to improve safety in the area. Before the system was built, there was an average of one wildlife-vehicle crash per day in the fall and spring, when wildlife is most active. State research shows the five underpasses are already being used successfully by both large and small mammals. “The I-25 Greenland overpass is a momentous feat,” Governor Jared Polis said. “Colorado is leading the way in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, and protecting critical habitat for generations to come.” Transportation Director Shoshana Lew said the crossing system, known as the I-25 South Gap Project, is expected to cut wildlife-vehicle crashes by 90 percent. The bridge measures 200 feet wide and 209 feet long. It covers 41,800 square feet, or 3,900 square metres, making it the single largest bridge structure for wildlife in North America and one of the largest in the world. The structure is supported by 76 girders under the bridge deck. It was built to allow big game animals including moose, bear, mountain lions, elk, mule deer and pronghorn to cross above the interstate, while 100,000 vehicles travel below each day. “After more than nine years of planning and work, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is excited,” Wildlife Manager Matt Martinez said. “We look forward to deer, elk, bears, mountain lions and many other species safely crossing I-25, once a major barrier to migration and wildlife movements.” Funding and expertise came through a multi-agency public-private partnership that included the Federal Highway Administration. The bulk of the construction cost came from a federal grant award known as the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. The final construction cost was $15 million. 📸Credit: Colorado Department of Transportation

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This Man is Running 8,000 Kilometers Across Canada for Mental Health, Aiming to Raise $50,000

Most people would call one cross-country trip enough. Myles Dininio spent his first one thinking about the next. The Zephyr father of two says the idea for his latest challenge goes back to when he was 18 and riding his mountain bike across Canada. “I came up with the idea when I was 18 years old and I was riding my mountain bike across the country,” Dininio says to Newmarket Today. On that trip, he packed a tent and sleeping bag and headed west from Mount Albert with no training. He had no cellphone, no support and no sponsors. He rode for 49 days until he reached Nelson, British Columbia. Instead of treating that ride as a one-time feat, Dininio decided the next cross-country trip would be on foot. Now, 22 years after that solo bike ride, Dininio plans to start a cross-country run on April 1. This time, he says, the motivation is raising money and attention for mental health issues. His goal is to raise $50,000 for CAMH, which the source describes as the country’s largest mental health hospital. So far he has raised $11,000 and says he is hopeful the rest will come. “A lot has happened in that time,” he says to Newmarket Today, pointing to his home, his marriage to Jessica and their children, Oliver, 11, and Florence, 10. Dininio, who works as a carpenter in the film industry, plans to start in St. John’s. He will dip a Mason jar in the Atlantic Ocean and begin running west. He is travelling with a camper marked with a Myles Across Canada 2026 logo and a QR code linking people to details about the trip. His father will drive the camper for the first month. Dininio says he wants the run to help start conversations about mental health as well as bring in donations for CAMH. “I think it’s a good opportunity to talk about the mental health issues that people struggle with on a daily basis,” he says. “I have had no involvement with CAMH until I started this. I just have my daily struggles like most people.” He says the lead-up has been hard as he gets ready to leave home for months. “The build-up’s been a killer,” he adds. “I’m going to leave my wife and kids and go out and try this crazy idea. I think once it gets going, I think it will be easier. “I’m a carpenter, I’m not a super-star runner.” His plan is to run 60 kilometres a day for 130 days. He says there will likely be rain days and days when his body needs a break. He describes the run in simple terms. The run, he says, will be like daily life: just pushing forward. After the first month, his father will return home and friends will take over as his support team. On July 1, Jessica and the children plan to join him for the rest of the trip. He expects to finish in Vancouver at the end of August or the beginning of September. He has packed a second Mason jar in the camper. After completing the 8,000-kilometre run and reaching Vancouver, he plans to dip it in the Pacific Ocean so he has a pair of mementos from the trip. “Once the campgrounds are open, we’ll stay in campgrounds. In the beginning, it’s going to be a lot of Walmart parking lots and Crown land,” he says. Dininio says he has done the odd race, including the Oak Ridges Moraine Adventure Relay with Jessica and others, but he describes himself as a rogue runner. He trains on the road or in the basement gym when work and life allow. The trip also comes with costs. Dininio will not be working during that time. He says current gas prices mean it costs $250 to fill the truck with diesel. He also bought the camper for the trip and a back-up power system, and he expects to spend money on hotel rooms. Jessica says the family is behind him. “I think it’s great,” says Jessica, adding that it will also be an adventure for the kids to see their dad in action. “He proposed the idea for me a few years ago. Obviously, it’s going to be tough for the both of us.” If things go as planned, the family has also talked about doing a cross-country bike ride together one day, possibly when the children are older and off to school. 📸 credit: Newmarket Today

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TIME’s Greatest Places of 2026 Includes China Bridge, Egypt Museum and More

If your travel wish list was already out of control, here’s some bad news, or good news, depending on how you look at it. It just got 50 stops longer. That’s thanks to Time, which has released its 2026 edition of the World’s Greatest Places, a curated list of destinations that range from brand-new museums to remote eco retreats and even an underwater art installation you can snorkel through. The list, built from nominations across Time’s global network of contributors, splits neatly into two halves: places to stay and places to visit. It is the latter that reads like a globe-spanning itinerary for the endlessly curious. Some entries have been a long time coming. In Cairo, the long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum finally reached completion in October 2025 after years of setbacks. Time Out’s North America head of content Will Gleason visited just before its official opening and described a preview that already felt historic. “The mummified reptile in front of me is one of 15,000 fascinating cultural artefacts that have been on display over the last year during GEM’s soft opening,” he wrote. “Visitors will also be able to experience the institution’s main attraction: the Tutankhamun galleries, containing 5,000 objects discovered in the famous pharaoh’s tomb in 1922, including his iconic gold funerary mask.” Across the world in Western Australia, another site offers a very different kind of history. The Murujuga Cultural Landscape, newly added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2025, features Indigenous rock carvings dating back as far as 50,000 years. That makes some of them older than both Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza, a reminder that the world still holds stories that stretch far beyond the usual tourist trail. Then there are places that feel like they belong in the future. Off the coast of Miami Beach, The Reefline blends art and environmental design into a snorkel trail where sculptures double as a living coral reef. It is equal parts gallery and conservation project, built with low-carbon materials to help restore marine ecosystems. Elsewhere, the list leans into variety over any single theme. In London, the V&A East Storehouse offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s most famous museum collections. In Philadelphia, Netflix House turns streaming fandom into a physical experience. And in Abu Dhabi, Surf Abu Dhabi brings artificial waves to the desert. Some picks are less about a single attraction and more about the journey itself. Highway 1 in California makes the list not as a new destination, but as a renewed one, a reminder that even familiar routes can feel different depending on when, and how, you travel them. Others highlight hyper-local creativity. Dib Bangkok in Bangkok and Ephedra Restaurant in San Pedro de Atacama point to a growing appetite for experiences rooted in place, not just spectacle. Canada makes an appearance too, with Naagan in Owen Sound earning a spot on the global list, a nod to the country’s quieter but increasingly recognized destinations. And then there are the outliers, the ones that are harder to categorize but harder to forget. Universal Epic Universe in Orlando promises blockbuster-scale entertainment, while El Camino de Costa Rica offers a multi-day trek across one of Central America’s most biodiverse countries. Taken together, the list does not try to define what travel should look like. Instead, it reflects how wide the definition has become. A museum can be as compelling as a mountain trail. A restaurant can carry as much weight as a historic landmark. A reef can be both art and infrastructure. And maybe that is the point. There is no single way to see the world anymore. Just a growing number of reasons to go.

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