Science and Technology

Value-based care redirects health systems from counting how many services are provided to concentrating on the outcomes that genuinely matter to patients, built on a straightforward idea: compensation should reward value rather than volume, a shift that influences clinical choices, payment structures, evaluation methods, and patient involvement while helping curb unnecessary procedures and enhance quality, equity, and affordability.What value-based care meansValue-based care seeks to optimize health outcomes for every dollar invested by:Measuring outcomes: emphasizing clinical results, functional abilities, patient-reported measures (PROMs), and overall experience instead of tallying visits or procedures.Aligning payment: implementing incentives that promote prevention, coordinated care, and demonstrable…

A more secure direction ahead for lithium-ion batteriesBold innovation in battery chemistry is reshaping how safety and performance can coexist. A new electrolyte design developed by researchers in Hong Kong offers a promising way to reduce fire risks without disrupting how today’s lithium-ion batteries are made.Lithium-ion batteries have quietly evolved into essential components of everyday technology, energizing smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, e-bikes, medical devices and a vast range of tools that define modern living. Although known for strong performance and dependable operation, these batteries also possess an intrinsic hazard that has grown more apparent as their adoption has widened. Fires…

Whole-person health represents a practical approach to care that views individuals as interconnected beings instead of a set of separate symptoms, combining clinical treatment with consideration for mental, social, economic, behavioral and environmental influences on health, and in practice moves systems away from sporadic, disease-centered visits toward ongoing, tailored collaborations that ease suffering, enhance outcomes and reduce unnecessary costs.Essential elements of comprehensive whole-person well-beingPhysical health: evidence-based prevention, chronic disease management, function and mobility, and attention to sleep, nutrition and exercise.Mental and behavioral health: routine screening and accessible treatment for depression, anxiety, substance use, trauma and stress-related conditions.Social determinants of health:…

Artificial intelligence moved from promise to pressure point in 2025, reshaping economies, politics and daily life at a speed few anticipated. What began as a technological acceleration has become a global reckoning about power, productivity and responsibility.How AI reshaped the global landscape in 2025 and what lies aheadThe year 2025 will be remembered as the moment artificial intelligence stopped being perceived as a future disruptor and became an unavoidable present force. While previous years introduced powerful tools and eye-catching breakthroughs, this period marked the transition from experimentation to systemic impact. Governments, businesses and citizens alike were forced to confront not…

Strong evidence supports exercise as a clinically meaningful intervention for depressive symptoms across ages and settings. The benefit is not uniform for every person or every protocol, so understanding the dose — frequency, intensity, time, type — and how to individualize it is essential for achieving reliable mood improvement.What the evidence showsMultiple randomized trials and meta-analyses report a small-to-moderate antidepressant effect of exercise. Pooled estimates commonly fall in the standardized mean difference range of about -0.3 to -0.6, indicating clinically relevant symptom reduction for many people.Effects are seen for both aerobic and resistance training, and across supervised and home-based programs.…

Astronomers capture new images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS approaching EarthFresh observations of comet 3I/ATLAS reveal its unusual structure and dynamic tails as it nears its closest approach to Earth later this month. The interstellar visitor, which originated beyond our solar system, has sparked intense interest among scientists since its discovery in July 2025.Comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object ever detected traveling through our solar system, making every observation crucial for understanding its trajectory, composition, and behavior. Both the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission have captured detailed images of the…

Unprecedented dinosaur trackways unveiled in Bolivia’s Carreras PampasOver 16,000 fossilized footprints unearthed in Bolivia present a vivid glimpse into the movements of theropod dinosaurs from over 100 million years ago. These tracks, preserved along an ancient shoreline, offer rare insights into how these predators navigated their environment during the late Cretaceous period.The Carreras Pampas site, situated within Bolivia’s Torotoro National Park, has revealed an extraordinary concentration of theropod footprints, with scientists recently identifying 16,600 impressions. This number exceeds any previously recorded tracksite in terms of sheer volume. The preserved tracks cover approximately 80,570 square feet (7,485 square meters) and include…

A study suggests that a volcanic eruption might have set off the Black DeathNew research proposes that a massive volcanic eruption in the mid-14th century may have set off a chain of events leading to the Black Death, one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. By combining climate data from tree rings, ice cores, and historical records, scientists are shedding new light on how environmental and societal factors intersected to create a perfect storm for the plague.Researchers have extensively examined the Black Death, which devastated Europe from 1347 to 1351, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 million…

NASA is preparing to launch twin spacecraft on a novel, winding journey to Mars, aiming to unlock the secrets behind the planet’s lost atmosphere.The endeavor, christened EscaPADE—an acronym for Escape and Plasma Acceleration Dynamics Explorers—is designed to execute a novel orbital path to investigate the process by which Mars progressively shed its atmosphere eons ago. This initiative, led by the University of California, Berkeley, and backed by aerospace firms Advanced Space and Rocket Lab, signifies an audacious venture in economical planetary investigation. Diverging from conventional Mars missions that utilize direct routes within narrow launch periods, EscaPADE will employ an innovative…

NASA could be on the verge of a significant overhaul as billionaire Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump's contentious choice for administrator, presents an ambitious blueprint for the organization.Project Athena: an ambitious roadmapIsaacman, whose nomination to head NASA has been a recurring event, having been put forward, then retracted, and subsequently re-proposed, has released a 62-page report named Project Athena outlining his vision for the agency. Although certain parts are now deemed obsolete, the blueprint indicates extensive transformations, ranging from internal restructuring to bold objectives for deep-space missions. Isaacman has stressed that this document was conceived as an initial framework, designed…