Turning Coal Mines into Clean Energy
University of Victoria. This town found clean energy deep inside old coal mines. ScienceDaily, May 2026.
The town of Cumberland in British Columbia was known for coal mining for decades. Now, beneath the community lies a vast network of abandoned tunnels that may help power a cleaner future.
Researchers are studying whether water trapped inside the old mines can be used as a geothermal energy source. Deep underground, temperatures remain relatively stable throughout the year. The mine water stays warmer than outside air in the winter, while it remains cooler in the summer. Using heat pumps, this underground water can help heat and cool buildings above ground.
Cumberland hopes to transform these mines into a shared community resource. The project could reduce carbon emissions, lower heating costs, and support future development.
Scientists describe the underground mine system as a giant natural heat exchanger. Because the tunnels stretch beneath much of the town, the system could eventually support municipal buildings, affordable housing projects, and even local industries that require stable temperatures, such as greenhouses and food processing facilities.
Coal once powered industries around the world, yet it also contributed to pollution and climate change. Now, the same underground structures left behind by coal extraction may help reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Around the world, researchers are increasingly exploring ways to reuse abandoned industrial spaces for sustainable technologies.
Turning Algae into Smart Microrobots
Víctor de la Asunción-Nadal et al. Light-switchable swarming of biohybrid microrobots. Sci. Adv., May 2026.
A new type of “biohybrid microrobot” made from living algae can organize themselves into controllable swarms using light. Instead of building tiny robots entirely from synthetic materials, researchers used the natural swimming abilities of the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and combined them with engineered light-control systems. These microorganisms naturally swim and respond to light, a behavior known as phototaxis. They discovered that different colors of light could make the algae either gather together into organized swarms or spread apart again.
Under blue light, the algae move upward and begin sticking to one another, forming dense clusters and swarm-like structures. Under red light, the algae return to a free-swimming state and disperse. By shining light through custom masks, the researchers could create swarms in almost any pattern they wanted, including stars, arrows, geometric shapes, and even maps of Earth. The scientists demonstrated that they could repeatedly assemble and disperse swarms, move them across surfaces, split one swarm into multiple smaller swarms, merge separate swarms together, and continuously morph the swarm into new shapes without fully dispersing it first.
The team also made use of AI by having it analyze images of wounds and generated custom light patterns matching the wound shape. The algae microrobots, loaded with biodegradable drug-carrying nanoparticles, could then gather onto medical tape and later be released onto the wound using light. This new research is a step toward future smart drug delivery and wound-healing systems.
Can Virtual Reality Help Fight Frailty?
Tian, X., Zhou, Y., Zhang, R. et al. The application potential of virtual reality technology in managing elderly frailty: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep, May 2026.
Frailty is described as a common aging-related medical syndrome marked by weakness, reduced resilience, balance problems, slower movement, and increased vulnerability to falls and hospitalization. Since traditional exercise programs can become repetitive and discouraging for older adults, researchers explored whether VR could provide a more engaging alternative.
The researchers reviewed 9 randomized controlled trials involving 634 elderly participants with frailty or pre-frailty. The study used VR-based exercise systems such as Nintendo Wii Fit, Xbox Kinect, and other interactive “exergaming” programs designed to combine movement with immersive visual feedback. The findings showed that VR-based training significantly improved overall frailty status in older adults compared to standard exercise or usual care. Older adults using VR programs performed better on tests such as standing on one leg and lower-body strength exercises compared to those receiving standard care alone.
Unlike repetitive exercise routines, VR provide interactive environments that encourage movement through games, challenges, and real-time feedback. This may increase motivation and participation, two factors that are especially important in long-term rehabilitation.
However, the studies found little clear improvement in walking, speed, grip strength, fear of falling, or cognitive performance. Most of these trials were relatively small and lasted only a few weeks. Still, the technology points toward an important shift in elderly care. Rather than viewing rehabilitation as a passive medical routine, VR transforms it into an active and immersive experience.
