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.  

Li, T., Wang, Z., Kyba, C.C.M. et al. Satellite imagery reveals increasing volatility in human night-time activity. Nature, April 2026.

From space, Earth at night appears steady with cities glowing like fixed constellations. For decades, scientists treated these lights as a simple story of growth: more light meant more development. But a recent study reveals something more subtle. The night is not steady. It pulses.

Using daily satellite images collected between 2014 and 2022, researchers found that artificial light at night is constantly shifting. Places do not simply brighten over time. They brighten, dim, and brighten again. On average, each changing location experienced several distinct shifts in less than a decade. What seemed like a smooth upward trend is, in fact, a restless pattern of activity.

These fluctuations reflect the rhythms of human life. A sudden blackout after a hurricane, a city expanding its suburbs, a factory shutting down, or a new policy reducing energy use all leave their mark on the night. Even global events appear in this silent language of light. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, large regions dimmed noticeably as movement and industry slowed. In parts of Europe, recent energy-saving measures have also darkened the night.

Not all dimming signals decline. In some places, it points to efficiency and restraint; in others, to instability and hardship. Light, then, becomes a kind of indicator—not just of growth, but of change itself.

Seen this way, the illuminated Earth resembles a living system. Its glow rises and falls, responding to forces both planned and unforeseen. What we once read as a static map of human presence is better understood as a dynamic record of our collective life—one that flickers, adapts, and reveals, moment by moment, the changing state of our world.

A New Way to Clean Microplastics with Algae

Susie Dai. Can algae help pull microplastics out of our water supply? Science Friday, April 2026.

Microplastics have been found in oceans, soil, human blood, and even in a cave sealed off for decades. This is alarming not only due to where these particles are found but also because of how silently they disperse, passing through filters and reaching areas we believed were safe. And yet, in the midst of this quiet spread, researchers are beginning to find equally subtle ways to respond.

Scientists in Missouri have been experimenting with a modified algae that exhibits unusual behavior. Both the algae and microplastics repel water, and this shared property causes them to cling to one another. When they do, the particles clump together and sink, making them far easier to remove. Controlled experiments demonstrated that this process can eliminate over 90% of microplastics from water, particularly the smallest pieces, which are typically the hardest to filter out.

The goal is not to release the algae freely into rivers or lakes. Instead, researchers propose using it within controlled environments, like wastewater treatment plants, where conditions can be precisely managed. In these settings, it can efficiently collect fragments that might otherwise slip through current filters unnoticed.

What makes the story more compelling is that this was not the initial goal. The algae were originally researched as a possible fuel source. Their water-cleaning ability only became apparent when scientists started exploring other potential uses, asking what else they might accomplish.

The idea is quite fitting. The issue of microplastics is a widespread, persistent problem often hidden from view. It may be that its solutions will arrive the same way: not in a single sweeping fix, but in small, patient discoveries that gather what has been scattered and begin, piece by piece, to bring it back into view.

Ancient Fossil Egg Sheds Light on Mammal Origins

University of the Witwatersrand. Mammal ancestors laid eggs, and this 250-million-year-old fossil finally proves it. ScienceDaily, April 2026.

A 250-million-year-old fossil egg containing a Lystrosaurus embryo has provided the first direct evidence that early mammal ancestors laid eggs. This discovery resolves a long-standing scientific question about how mammalian reproduction evolved.

Lystrosaurus, a plant-eating ancestor of mammals, became one of the dominant species after the End-Permian mass extinction, Earth’s most devastating extinction event. Its success in such harsh conditions—extreme heat, drought, and ecological collapse—has long intrigued scientists.

The fossil, first found in 2008, was only recently confirmed as an egg using advanced synchrotron X-ray imaging, which revealed a curled embryo inside. The embryo’s undeveloped jaw showed it had not yet hatched.

Researchers believe Lystrosaurus laid large, soft-shelled eggs, which explains why such fossils are extremely rare. Soft shells decay easily and seldom fossilize. These large eggs likely contained abundant nutrients, allowing the young to develop fully before hatching and survive without parental care.

The study suggests that Lystrosaurus hatchlings were precocial—born relatively mature and able to feed themselves immediately. This, combined with rapid growth and early reproduction, likely helped the species thrive in unstable post-extinction environments.

Overall, the discovery not only confirms that mammal ancestors reproduced by laying eggs but also highlights how reproductive strategies contributed to survival during extreme global crises, offering insight into resilience in both ancient and modern ecosystems.

Algae plays a huge part in two natural cycles. They convert solar energy into chemical energy in aquatic environments and thus make the first ring of the food chain. Marine algae also produces two thirds of the world’s demand for photosynthetic carbon: the oxygen necessary for life is provided by the photosynthesis algae carries out. After fulfilling this role, they are then consumed by zooplanktons, which along with phytoplankton are eaten by small fish; bigger fish then eat the small fish; and these are eventually consumed by humans and larger carnivores. When these larger predators die, they become food for insects and bacteria, while also leaving their remains as nourishment for plants.

At first sight, we may see organisms in a struggle with each other; however, when we observe the entirety of life, we notice that all creatures are made to assist one another without being aware of it.

Algal foods and health care

Algae are also used directly in food for humans. Especially in Ireland, Wales, and Asian countries, algae is an important food source. It is rich in A, B1, B2, B6, and C vitamins, in addition to niacin, iodine, potassium, iron, magnesium, and calcium. Approximately 70 types of seaweed are consumed in China; in Japan, around 20 different kinds are used in cooking.

Seaweed can be eaten raw, cooked, or in other forms. In China and Japan, brown seaweed (Laminaria, Undaria or Ecklonia species) is consumed in dehydrated form. These help as expectorants and as a source of iodine. Algae is also recommended for cancer treatments in Chinese and Indian literature. In Korea, mothers follow a seaweed rich diet for three months after giving birth.

Various vitamins are also produced from these organisms. Certain algal species are cultivated as “supplementary foods” and sold in packaged forms. Much of the worldwide demand is fulfilled by Ireland, Scotland, and Norway.

Products prepared from brown seaweed can also be used as antidotes. Iodine and other elements contained in the seaweed prevent the absorption of some radioactive materials in the body. In recent studies, the active ingredients obtained from Undaria brown seaweed were found to eliminate harmful aromatic substances in mice. They were also shown to play a role in the prevention of infections related to the EBV, HSV, and HIV viruses, which can be associated with cancer and cause cold sores, chicken pox, and shingles. Furthermore, an algae rich diet was discovered to improve health and increase disease resistance in sheep and cattle.

The brown seaweeds Laminaria and Fucalesgrow naturally, especially on the American oceanic coasts. There are nearly 30 different types of these seaweeds, and they are the natural sources of iodine, which aids the thyroid and is important for human metabolism and development. Due to well-known benefits, there are many commercial brands of shampoos, soaps, creams, vitamin supplements, and diet products that include brown seaweed.

Algae in the pharmaceutical industry

In recent times, algal products have gained significance due to their cholesterol lowering, anti-cancer, and immune-system enhancing effects. As a sulfate containing polysaccharide that is exclusively found in brown seaweed, the antioxidant and anti-tumor effects of fucoidan have been demonstrated. Fucoidan helps the heparin sulfate receptors in charge of preventing in-vivo clotting of blood. It has also been shown in experiments performed on animals that fucoidan is a very powerful antiviral: it is in charge of the leukocyte transport to tissues and helps prevent metastasis.

It’s possible that seaweed heavy diets have contributed to the frequency of breast cancer in Japan and Korea being nine times lower than in the West. During experiments on animals, it was shown that brown seaweed and products derived from them help fight breast cancer, lung metastasis, and leukemia. The presence of iodine, tryptophan, fucoidan, or vitamins in the bodies of animals supports this conclusion.

The long life span and health of the Japanese people residing in Okinawa is associated with their seaweed-enriched nourishment.

Algae as a fertilizer

Algae have a positive impact on soil productivity and plant growth. It’s widely used in agriculture. Studies have shown that algae regulates the soil structure and improve its moisture capacity. The alginic acids contained in seaweed react with the metals in soil and become inflamed in humid climates. As result of this, the soil is rich with particles and nutrients. It becomes enriched with plenty of macro and micro elements (N, Ca, Mg, Mn, B, Br, I, Zn, Cu, Co) in addition to plant growth hormones (Auxin, Cytokinin, Gibberellins) and compounds like betaine. These are broken down to support the growth of beneficial soil bacteria (Rhizobium etc.). As such, root systems develop better, and the plants grown from the soil are healthier.

Oceans and seas host one vital ring of the worldwide food chain because of the algae they shelter. Algae serves mankind not only as a food item, but also because of its rich compounds that aid both natural and pharmaceutical growth. Though often overlooked, algae is one of our great blessings.

Some additives obtained from algae

Thickening and emulsifying agents are used to process meats like sausage or bologna, as well as in other foods. Some of these substances are derived from algae. These are primarily substances like “alginate,” “agar,” “carrageenan,” and “gel.” Large amounts of algae are collected for this purpose.

Carrageenan: It is first obtained from the red Irish seaweed. One of the important features of carrageenan is that it can form gels of different textures when used in low concentrations in water and milk based foods. Therefore it is used in the food industry as a gelling, binding, thickening, and stabilizing agent. Carrageenan is utilized in dairy products, dairy gels, in pie fillings, frozen foods, frozen desserts, and in pasteurized and sterilized milks.

Alginate exists as the insoluble salts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium in the cell walls of brown seaweeds. This substance is used for improving fruit structure, in frozen gel preparation, for extending storage time of potatoes, to obtain a softer texture, and to delay the formation of ice crystals in ice creams.

Agar has different features depending on the seaweed of origin and production method. It can have a very elastic jelly structure or be very fragile. It is used as an agent to enhance the lifespans of fruit pie fillings, cake creams, filo dough, and similar bakery products.

Reference

• Helen Fitton, J., Brown Marine Algae: A Survey of Therapeutic Potentials, Alternative and Complementary Therapies, February 2003.

Brown and red algae are salt water organisms. These plants grow on rocky shores or in oceans with a rocky bottom. In quiet areas free of excessive waves they can live for up to 15 years. These can be utilized for the special polysaccharides in their bodies. That’s why they are commercially significant. For example, alginic acid and alginates obtained from brown algae can be used in many fields, from the food industry to the medical field, from cosmetics to paper and textiles. An algae species (Macrocystis Pyrifera) that can be found both in North and South America, New Zealand, Australia, and off the African coast is the primary source for the world’s production of alginic acid and alginate. In 2009, 26500 tons of alginate was produced, primarily by the countries of Scotland, Norway, China, and the USA.

Alginic acid is a macro molecule synthesized from mannuronic and gluronic acid molecules. Because of its hydrophilic property, the Na and K salts of alginic acid are used in providing homogeneity to frozen food during defrosting, preventing food decay related to instant temperature spikes, increasing viscosity, preparing jelly like deserts, and stabilizing fruit juices and ice cream. For similar reasons, Alginates are utilized in paper quality enhancement, and the advanced application of ink in glues and in pressed textile products, where they improve the flow of dye. Alginates are also used in cosmetic products, in production of waterproof or fireproof textiles, and in some synthetic dyes because they improve viscosity..

One of the most important uses of alginates is in the medical field. Many people suffer from stomach burn and acid reflux disease. In these treating these symptoms, the percentage of a prescribed medicine containing alginic acid content is 100 %, because in the case of acid reflux, alginic acid contains a preventive property, and antacids. This antacid neutralizes stomach acid. Alginic acid, however, reacts with saliva and Na Bicarbonate ion to produce foam in the upper stomach. In the case of a reflux, this foam barrier prevents the escape of acidic stomach content into esophagus.

According to a study conducted in England in 2010 about obesity treatments, alginic acid added natural fiber and was found to reduce lipid intake 75% in the intestines.

The absorption and removal of drugs in the stomach and intestines plays an important role in ensuring drugs act as intended. For instance a blood clog in a pulmonary vein can be transported to the lungs and may have fatal consequences (a pulmonary emboli). In order to prevent that, low molecular weight, heparin containing, drugs are used. The polymeric alginate beads in these drugs have been found to improve drug efficiency up to 80-90 %. In this kind of controlled release of drugs and enzymes, the use of polymeric alginate additives provides high efficiency.

A new kind of antimicrobial textile that does not stick to wounds is made from the silver coated fibers of an Alginate-carboxymethyl cellulose mixture. This fabric not only provides protection against infections but also, with its non-stick property, prevents traumas; and its high hydrophillic feature allows open wounds to heal faster.

Everything in the universe is beautiful, either directly, by itself, or indirectly, by its consequences. Algae, which many of us dislike, is in fact a great work of art as it is a source of food, a decoration of the seas, and is used to cure various diseases.

The phosphate and nitrogen compounds found in the waste material that are released into the environment go through some biological processes and are transformed into nourishing salts for the phytoplankton. When there is an increase in temperature, these salts may cause some of the phytoplankton to grow and reproduce excessively. The toxic materials released by some, and the use of excessive oxygen, are harmful to other organisms.

Another example of pollution is related with algae. When the number of microbial plants called algae reaches one million per cubic decimeter (1 million/dm3) of water, the consumption of oxygen required in order to mineralize, and break-down the organic materials found in the water increases, and therefore a compound of toxins which pollute the water, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), are released. This pollution can cause the death of fish and other organisms which live in the water. As a result of the reduction in water quality, an increase in the type of algae called cyanobacteria occurs and the biotoxins that they produce threatens human health.

More than forty types of algae produce various toxins. Some of these toxins damage the human liver, some attack the nervous system (particularly the brain), some can cause allergic skin reactions, and some can even induce cancer. The release of domestic, industrial, and agricultural waste and the high percentage of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphor compounds) into the aquatic ecosystem can cause an excessive increase of algae in the waters. This algal bloom in fresh water is referred to as eutrophication. In oceans, it is referred to as red tide because the water appears to be a reddish color. Both present a significant environmental problem.

In low doses humans are exposed to these toxins by the consumption of drinking water. In Brazil in 1988, almost 2000 people developed gastroenteritis over a forty day period due to the consumption of drinking water contaminated by these toxins, and eighty-eight of them died. In South Australia, as early as 1878, many sheep, horses, dogs and other animals died as a result of drinking water from Lake Alexandrina, which was covered by scum caused by an aglal bloom called Nodularia spumigena.

Mussels, a delicacy eaten and enjoyed by many, accumulate large amounts of toxins because they feed on phytoplankton. One study found that in fresh water mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) that fed on cyanobacteria, almost 10.7 g toxins per gram of bodyweight was accumulated. This is also the case in marine mussels. It has been determined that these toxins in gradually increased concentrations are passed onto organisms higher on the food chain by consumption. Accordingly, we should always consider the potential risk factors before consuming shellfish.

Biotoxins are released into the water after being broken down by algae. Thus, when an algal bloom reaches high levels, there is an increase in the density of toxins in the water. As these toxins dissolve in the water, purifying the contaminated water requires not only expensive, but also advanced technology methods. Unfortunately, it is impossible to remove this waste in many of the existing refining plants. The toxin concentration in drinking and utility water should be reduced in regions where drinking water is obtained from lakes by mixing it with uncontaminated water, particularly during the spring when the algal bloom occurs. Thus, reducing the amount of biotoxins in the water to a level that will cause minimal harm to aquatic organisms should help to reduce the risks to humans.

Many types of waste released into the environment cause damage, which adversely affect humans. Polluting the environment may be easy, but purifying the environment of this pollution is a very difficult task. Indeed, humans were not created to act irresponsibly and destroy the universe in which they are mere guests. On the contrary, the human is a delicate guest with sublime duties. Protecting the natural resources provided for our needs and utilizing these resources in the most productive manner, without disturbing the balance of nature, is a duty of every human on earth.

References

• Pouria S. de Andrade A. 1988. “Fatal microcystin intoxication in haemodialysis unit in Caruaru, Brazil.” Lancet 352:21-26.
• Carmichael W.W., Azevedo S.M.F.O. 2001. “Human fatalities from cyanobacteria: Chemical and biological evidence for cyanotoxins.” Environ. Health Perspect 109: 663-668.
• Codd G.A., Bell S.G., Kaya K., Ward C.J., Beattie K.A., Metcalf J.S. 1999. “Cyanobacterial toxins, exposure routes and human health.” Eur. J. Phycol. 34:405-415.