A preprint posted on MetaArXiv on September 8 identified roughly 1,000 online ads for freelance peer-reviewer positions and included interviews with five current and former researchers in India, Spain and the UK who said they had taken such jobs. The study, led by Radboud University's Amna Pottarath, suggests some journals may be outsourcing peer review to third-party firms, though it does not name specific journals or quantify how widespread the practice is.
A systematic review published in August, co-authored by the writers, found that children and young people who vape face a wider range of adverse health effects than previously recognized. The authors report that e-cigarettes deliver nicotine as efficiently as or more efficiently than tobacco cigarettes, and that this efficiency likely explains both their usefulness as a quitting aid for adult smokers and their appeal as an entry point to nicotine addiction for young non-smokers.
Researchers, including Ying Zhang at Wuhan University and Shannon Miller at Scripps Research, are developing a range of genome-editing technologies that go beyond standard CRISPR-Cas9, some building on it and others operating independently. These newer methods are designed to insert or replace larger stretches of DNA, a task CRISPR-Cas9 struggles with, though the field remains in early stages.
Graham Farmelo's book 'Hawking: His Life and Work' (John Murray, 2026) chronicles the physicist's scientific achievements alongside his personal struggles, including his motor neuron disease diagnosis, two marriages ending, and his relationships with students and colleagues. The review, written by a physicist who was a close friend of Hawking's from 1996 while working together at the University of Cambridge, praises the book's research and readability.
Researchers led by Jesse Poganik at Harvard University report, in a bioRxiv preprint not yet peer-reviewed, that young donor hearts age faster once placed in older recipients, while older hearts appear to become biologically younger when transplanted into younger bodies. The team reached this conclusion by grafting extra hearts between mice of different ages and analyzing DNA methylation patterns linked to cellular ageing, and note similar patterns were examined in human transplant tissue.
A Boston Consulting Group analysis found that of 140 in vivo CAR-T-cell drugs currently being tested in animals or humans worldwide, 82% originate from Chinese developers, even though most early preclinical research came from the US and Germany. Researchers note China has moved unusually fast in pushing these therapies into clinical trials, with early results from at least one human trial for an autoimmune condition described as promising.
Startup Red Queen Bio is applying artificial intelligence to design antibody treatments aimed at novel pathogens. The company frames its work as preparation against future biological threats that could themselves be engineered using AI tools.
Entry-level 3D printers now cost between $200 and $400, with mid-tier models priced around $750 to $1,500, making the technology more accessible than during its initial boom over a decade ago. Users are applying the machines to practical fixes like replacing hardware parts, spacers and hinges, as well as creative projects such as custom home decor and tabletop gaming pieces.
Apple has overhauled the Apple Pay checkout screen used in apps and websites for iOS 27, letting users swipe directly between saved cards or tap to open a grid view showing all eligible cards at once. The new sheet surfaces card details like rewards, balances and pay-later options, which merchants and developers can customize based on order needs.
Foldable phone cases typically ship in two pieces covering the back, sides, camera island and front screen perimeter, guarding against drops, shock and scratches. Most basic cases skip full 360-degree coverage and leave the hinge exposed, while rugged options from brands like Casetify, Supcase and Otterbox add hinge protection and built-in screen protectors at the cost of extra bulk.
A Brookings Institution study by Columbia Business School professor Stijn van Nieuwerburgh finds that AI infrastructure investment—chips, electricity and data centers—now averages 3.63% of US GDP per year, exceeding prior booms in canals, railroads, electrification and highways. The study estimates 183 gigawatts of new data-center capacity is planned over seven years, more than tripling the roughly 57 gigawatts currently installed, and projects this could double the electricity consumption of the entire US residential sector.
A New York Times blind listening test compared traditional multi-speaker surround sound systems against soundbars, including Dolby Atmos-enabled models. Participants reported clearer dialogue and a stronger sense of immersion with discrete surround speakers, though most said they would still choose a soundbar due to space constraints and installation friction.
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