Below is a list featuring some of our most popular and favorite articles from 2025. We will resume regular Today in Energy publications on January 5, 2026. Thanks for your continued readership of Today in Energy. .

Some ants thrive by choosing numbers over strength. Instead of heavily protecting each worker, they invest fewer resources in individual armor and produce far more ants. Larger colonies then compensate with collective behaviors like group defense and coordinated foraging. The strategy has been linked to evolutionary success and greater species diversity.

New research suggests Alzheimer’s may start far earlier than previously thought, driven by a hidden toxic protein in the brain. Scientists found that an experimental drug, NU-9, blocks this early damage in mice and reduces inflammation linked to disease progression. The treatment was given before symptoms appeared, targeting the disease at its earliest stage. Researchers say this approach could reshape how Alzheimer’s is prevented and treated.

MIT scientists have achieved the first-ever lab synthesis of verticillin A, a complex fungal compound discovered in 1970. Its delicate structure stalled chemists for decades, despite differing from related molecules by only two atoms. With the synthesis finally complete, researchers created new variants that showed strong activity against a rare pediatric brain cancer. The breakthrough could unlock an entire class of previously unreachable cancer-fighting molecules.

How you walk may matter just as much as how much you walk. A large UK study tracking more than 33,000 low-activity adults found that people who grouped their daily steps into longer, uninterrupted walks had dramatically lower risks of early death and heart disease than those who moved in short, scattered bursts.

Black holes are among the most extreme objects in the universe, and now scientists can model them more accurately than ever before. By combining Einstein’s gravity with realistic behavior of light and matter, researchers have built simulations that closely match real astronomical observations. These models reveal how matter forms chaotic, glowing disks and launches powerful outflows as it falls into black holes. It’s a major step toward decoding how these cosmic engines actually work.

Eating full-fat cheese and cream may be associated with a lower risk of dementia, according to a large study that tracked people for more than 25 years. Those who consumed higher amounts of these foods developed dementia less often than those who ate little or none. Interestingly, low-fat dairy products did not show the same pattern. Researchers caution that the findings show an association, not cause and effect.

A new AI developed at Duke University can uncover simple, readable rules behind extremely complex systems. It studies how systems evolve over time and reduces thousands of variables into compact equations that still capture real behavior. The method works across physics, engineering, climate science, and biology. Researchers say it could help scientists understand systems where traditional equations are missing or too complicated to write down.

A Brazilian study has confirmed that Joseph’s Coat, a plant used for generations in folk medicine, can significantly reduce inflammation and arthritis symptoms in lab tests. Researchers observed less swelling, healthier joints, and signs of tissue protection. Just as important, the extract showed a promising safety profile at tested doses. The discovery could pave the way for new plant-based anti-inflammatory treatments.

Scientists have uncovered a missing feedback in Earth’s carbon cycle that could cause global warming to overshoot into an ice age. As the planet warms, nutrient-rich runoff fuels plankton blooms that bury huge amounts of carbon in the ocean. In low-oxygen conditions, this process can spiral out of control, cooling Earth far beyond its original state. While this won’t save us from modern climate change, it may explain Earth’s most extreme ancient ice ages.

Researchers studying a massive landslide in Alaska have detected strange seasonal seismic pulses caused by water freezing and thawing in rock cracks. These faint signals could become an important early clue to changes that might someday trigger a dangerous landslide-driven tsunami.

Astronomers have uncovered a massive hidden planet and a rare “failed star” by combining ultra-precise space data with some of the sharpest ground-based images ever taken. Using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaiʻi, the OASIS survey tracked subtle stellar wobbles to pinpoint where unseen worlds were lurking—then captured them directly.

A new study shows dopamine isn’t the brain’s movement “gas pedal” after all. Instead of setting speed or strength, it quietly enables movement in the background, much like oil in an engine. When scientists manipulated dopamine during movement, nothing changed—but restoring baseline dopamine levels made a big difference. The finding could reshape how Parkinson’s disease is treated.

Sediments from a Roman latrine at Vindolanda show soldiers were infected with multiple intestinal parasites, including roundworm, whipworm, and Giardia — the first time Giardia has been identified in Roman Britain. These parasites spread through contaminated food and water, causing diarrhea, weakness, and long-term illness. Even with sewers and communal toilets, infections passed easily between soldiers. The discovery highlights how harsh and unhealthy life could be on Rome’s northern frontier.

A major international review has upended long-held ideas about how top performers are made. By analyzing nearly 35,000 elite achievers across science, music, chess, and sports, researchers found that early stars rarely become adult superstars. Most world-class performers developed slowly and explored multiple fields before specializing. The message is clear: talent grows through variety, not narrow focus.

Spanish researchers have created a powerful new open-source tool that helps uncover the hidden genetic networks driving cancer. Called RNACOREX, the software can analyze thousands of molecular interactions at once, revealing how genes communicate inside tumors and how those signals relate to patient survival. Tested across 13 different cancer types using international data, the tool matches the predictive power of advanced AI systems—while offering something rare in modern analytics: clear, interpretable explanations that help scientists understand why tumors behave the way they do.

For years, scientists thought Saturn’s moon Titan hid a global ocean beneath its frozen surface. A new look at Cassini data now suggests something very different: a thick, slushy interior with pockets of liquid water rather than an open sea. A subtle delay in how Titan deforms under Saturn’s gravity revealed this stickier structure. These slushy environments could still be promising places to search for life.

Superconductors promise loss-free electricity, but most only work at extreme cold. Hydrogen-rich materials changed that—yet their inner workings remained hidden because they only exist under enormous pressure. Now, researchers have directly measured the superconducting state of hydrogen sulfide using a novel tunneling method, confirming how its electrons pair so efficiently. The discovery brings room-temperature superconductors a step closer to reality.

Old military air samples turned out to be a treasure trove of biological DNA, allowing scientists to track moss spores over 35 years. The results show mosses now release spores up to a month earlier than in the 1990s. Even more surprising, the timing depends more on last year’s climate than current spring conditions. It’s a striking example of how fast ecosystems are adjusting to a warming world.

By studying tiny distortions in the shapes of distant galaxies, scientists mapped dark matter and dark energy across one of the largest sky surveys ever assembled. Their results back the standard picture of the universe and show that even archival telescope images can unlock cosmic mysteries.