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Imagine a machine that can print a cake layer by layer, combine seven different ingredients, and cook the food using precisely targeted laser beams. What sounds like science fiction could become a new way of preparing meals. Cooking has remained largely unchanged for centuries. From traditional stoves and grills to modern microwaves and induction cooktops, most kitchen appliances rely on familiar methods of applying heat. However, researchers are exploring a new approach that combines 3D food printing with laser cooking , opening up exciting possibilities for personalized nutrition, creative food design, and automated meal preparation. In one demonstration, researchers attempted to create a cake slice using seven different ingredients. The experiment highlights how digital technology could transform not only the way food is prepared but also how it is designed, cooked, and customized. How Does Laser-Powered 3D Food Printing Work? The technology combines two processes: additive manufact...

Imagine a machine that prints your favourite food layer by layer and then cooks it with lasers, creating the perfect texture, moisture and browning exactly where you want it. What sounds like science fiction could become a reality as researchers explore a new technology that combines 3D food printing with software-controlled laser cooking. Scientists led by Jonathan David Blutinger have investigated how lasers can cook 3D-printed food with greater precision than conventional cooking methods. Their experiments used chicken as a model food and demonstrated that laser technology can brown meat, cook it through certain packaging materials and reduce moisture loss compared with traditional oven cooking. The research could open the door to a new generation of smart kitchen appliances capable of preparing customised meals with greater control over how food looks, feels and tastes. What Is 3D Food Printing? Three-dimensional (3D) food printing is a technology that creates edible products by d...

Scientists have discovered a surprising mechanism that could explain how small amounts of liquid water move huge quantities of sediment on Mars. Under the planet’s low atmospheric pressure, boiling water can create a cushion of vapor that lifts wet sediment, allowing it to travel farther and potentially reshape the Martian landscape. Mars is often described as a cold, dry desert, but its surface may be more dynamic than it appears. Scientists have observed gullies, dark streaks and channels that suggest material is moving down Martian slopes, sometimes under conditions where liquid water might briefly exist. The mystery is that liquid water cannot remain stable for long on the planet’s exposed surface. Its thin atmosphere allows water to boil or evaporate rapidly, raising an important question: If liquid water disappears so quickly, how can it move enough soil and rock to create visible changes in the landscape? A laboratory study led by planetary scientist Jan Raack and his research t...

Scientists discover that melting ice on Mars could trigger a surprising mix of boiling water, flying sand grains, and collapsing slopes. Mars is known as the Red Planet, a cold, dry world with a thin atmosphere and a landscape covered in dust, rocks, and ancient channels. Yet, beneath this seemingly lifeless surface, scientists are investigating a fascinating possibility: liquid water may still appear on Mars today, but only briefly and under unusual conditions. A new set of laboratory experiments led by Massé and colleagues suggests that water on Mars may behave very differently from water on Earth. When melting ice seeps into the planet's loose surface material, it may begin to boil, push sediment grains into motion, and destabilize entire slopes. This discovery could help explain some mysterious changes observed on the Martian surface, including features that resemble channels carved by flowing water. Why Is Liquid Water So Unusual on Mars? On Earth, liquid water is a familiar p...

A mysterious water-ice cloud above a giant Martian volcano may have revealed a cloud-forming process that scientists once considered unlikely under real atmospheric conditions. Clouds are a familiar part of Earth's atmosphere. They form when water vapour cools and condenses into tiny droplets or ice crystals. However, the process becomes more complicated when temperatures fall below freezing, especially in the thin atmospheres of other planets. Now, a study led by J. Hernández-Bernal and his research team has uncovered evidence that could change how scientists understand cloud formation. Their research suggests that a unique water-ice cloud on Mars may form through a process known as homogeneous ice nucleation . This discovery is particularly interesting because scientists have generally believed that this process is difficult to achieve under natural atmospheric conditions. The findings suggest that Mars may provide a real-world example of a cloud-forming mechanism that has largel...

Japan’s BepiColombo spacecraft has detected chorus waves near Mercury, revealing new clues about how energetic electrons behave around the Solar System’s smallest planet. Scientists have detected a type of natural electromagnetic wave in Mercury’s magnetosphere that had never been directly observed there before. The discovery, made by the BepiColombo spacecraft during its first and second flybys of Mercury, could help researchers understand how electrons gain energy and move through the planet’s magnetic environment. The waves, known as whistler-mode chorus waves , are found in the magnetic environments of several planets, including Earth. They play an important role in changing the energy of charged particles trapped within planetary magnetic fields. However, detecting these waves at Mercury has been challenging because of the planet’s harsh environment and the limitations of instruments on earlier spacecraft. Now, a research team led by Mitsunori Ozaki has reported direct observation...

A new concept called Zhuque Base uses cave-inspired architecture and advanced computer simulations to design stronger, better-insulated shelters on Mars, potentially reducing dependence on materials transported from Earth. What if the first human home on Mars looked less like a futuristic building and more like a cave? As scientists prepare for future human missions to the Red Planet, one of the biggest challenges is figuring out how astronauts will live safely in an environment that is cold, hostile, and far from Earth. Building a home on Mars is not simply a matter of transporting construction materials and putting up walls. Every structure must withstand extreme temperature changes, provide protection from radiation, and make the best possible use of limited resources. To address these challenges, researchers led by Zhou have proposed an innovative habitat concept called Zhuque Base , inspired by traditional cave dwellings on Earth. Using advanced computer simulations, the team inve...