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- The manuscripts say: traces of ancient viruses in medieval books and the growth of the ozone hole
The manuscripts say: traces of ancient viruses in medieval books and the growth of the ozone hole
This week, scientists presented a variety of developments, from soft neuroimplants that will help restore sensitivity after injury, to satellites that can save trillions of liters of water. Meanwhile, researchers are discovering traces of ancient viruses in medieval books, and the ozone hole over Antarctica has set a record for the past 10 years. What discoveries and scientific events have become the focus of attention are in our selection.
Safer neuroimplants have been developed in Russia
Scientists of the Biomaterials department of the Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences of the Sirius University of Science and Technology have developed and patented a material for soft electrodes of neuroimplants. It is able to stretch by almost 50% without loss of electrical conductivity.
Sergey Kravchenko, Senior Researcher at the Biomaterials Department of the Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences at Sirius University of Science and Technology, and graduate students of the department
Compared with rigid analogues, this technology can reduce the risk of damage to nervous tissue and increase the service life of implants that help restore movement and sensitivity after injury, the scientists said.
The material is based on flexible silicone with graphene coating. Its thickness is about 25 micrometers. At the same time, the conductive layer retains its strength even during bending and stretching.
"Reducing the stiffness of the electrode can increase the active life of neuroimplants in the future,— explained Sergey Kravchenko, co-author of the development, senior researcher at Sirius University.
Students have developed mini satellites to save trillions of liters of water
Students of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) are developing compact satellites for monitoring agricultural land. Devices weighing about 6 kg and the size of a three-liter bucket will be able to determine the condition of plants and soil moisture, helping farmers to plan irrigation more accurately. The project is being implemented within the framework of the federal initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science "Personnel for Space".
The technology is based on the analysis of satellite images in various spectral ranges and the calculation of vegetation indices. These indicators make it possible to assess the condition of the vegetation cover, identify areas in need of additional moisture, and identify areas where irrigation is not required. This approach relates to precision farming and is designed to increase the efficiency of water resources use.
According to the developers, the implementation of the technology can save about 2 billion cubic meters of water annually, which is equivalent to 2 trillion liters.
"Studies conducted for African countries have shown that if you water specific areas based on measurements from space, you can use water about 30% more efficiently while achieving the same result," said Natalia Zavyalova, head of the Laboratory for Modeling Mechanical Systems and Processes at MIPT.
Scientists have found traces of an ancient virus in medieval manuscripts
An international team led by specialists from University College Dublin studied medieval manuscripts and found traces of the sheep pox virus (SPPV) in the parchment. The results of the study are published in the journal Science Advances. Scientists have obtained 21 new ancient genomes of the pathogen, and in total they analyzed 39 archaeological and historical samples.
Among the documents studied are the York Gospels, created about 1 thousand years ago, as well as the Corpus Glossary, one of the earliest English dictionaries dating from about the 9th century. Viral DNA has been found in other manuscripts from Britain and continental Europe.
Before the widespread use of paper, parchment, specially treated animal skin, was used to make books. If it was infected, the genetic material of the pathogen could be preserved in the skin and centuries later fall into the hands of researchers. Unexpectedly, the virus's DNA was also found on calfskin and goat skin parchment. Scientists admit that this could be due to infection of other animal species or contamination of the material during processing of hides.
AI has learned to more accurately identify the signs of Alzheimer's disease
The development of Yandex and the National Research University of Higher School of Economics has helped scientists at Harvard University and the University of Texas to increase the accuracy of cognitive impairment recognition to 77%. To do this, the researchers used artificially created data that allowed them to supplement a small sample of patients' genetic information.
542 people participated in the experiment. The use of TabDDPM technology made it possible to increase the quality index of violation recognition from 68% to 77%. The method generates additional data based on the patterns of real medical records, without copying them.
The development may expand the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in medical research, especially with a limited amount of data. At the same time, the algorithm does not yet diagnose Alzheimer's disease, but detects signs of cognitive impairment and can be used as a tool to support medical decisions.
Ozone hole reaches maximum in 10 years
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average area of the ozone hole during the period of the most active seasonal ozone depletion — from September 7 to October 13, 2026 — was about 25 million square kilometers. This is about 2.5 times the size of the United States. In terms of the average size for the season, the indicator ranked seventh in 48 years of satellite observations.
— In recent years, the ozone hole has been starting to form later, which indicates the recovery of the ozone layer. But an unusually powerful polar vortex has prolonged ozone depletion over Antarctica this season, allowing the hole to grow to sizes we haven't seen in 10 years," said Paul Newman, senior researcher at the University of Maryland and head of NASA's ozone research team.
The main reason for the expansion of the ozone depletion region was the unusually powerful polar vortex, a system of strong winds that circulates seasonally around Antarctica. Despite the increase in the area of the ozone hole in 2026, scientists believe that the long-term restoration of the protective layer continues.
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