Planets form in disks of dust and gas called protoplanetary disks that whirl around a central protostar during its final assembly. While such disks have been imaged, just two planets have been caught in the act of forming so far. Astronomers are now aiming the James Webb Space Telescope at protoplanetary disks to find clues about the ways in which planets form, and how they influence their natal disk.

The first stem cell culture method that produces a full model of the early stages of the human central nervous system has been developed by a team of engineers and biologists at U-M, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Pennsylvania. The model, which resembles all three sections of the embryonic brain and spinal cord, could shed light on developmental brain diseases.

For the first time, load-bearing structures like bridges and shelters can be made with origami modules — versatile components that can fold compactly and adapt into different shapes. It’s an advance that could enable communities to quickly rebuild facilities and systems damaged or destroyed during natural disasters, or allow for construction in places that were previously considered impractical, including outer space.

Michigan explores the academic outer limits, introducing extended and virtual reality to the classroom. Its XR studio opens a new chapter on scalable, personalized, and immersive learning technologies. Oh, the places you’ll go!

The U.S. Army has extended its long-running relationship with the U-M Automotive Research Center, reaching a new five-year agreement of up to $100 million to boost work on autonomous vehicle technologies. As automakers explore self-driving cars, the Army-funded center will figure out how to take the tech off-road.

“Histotripsy” is a technique created by U-M engineers and doctors that harnesses soundwaves to attack cancer. It comes with the promise of few, if any side effects, a quick treatment time and, for patient Carrie Kumpel, the hope that it would completely destroy three spots that had formed on her liver.

U-M researchers have connected two blood biomarkers to changes in cognitive function in women in midlife, opening a potentially powerful path to noninvasive, earlier detection and interventions for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Experts working in artificial intelligence, from technological to public policy roles, discuss the critical turning point we are experiencing in AI and what it means for the future

Jeremy Bailenson, BS ’94, served as one of the consultants on the $2.3-billion Sphere in Las Vegas, the groundbreaking immersive entertainment venue. Extended reality isn’t just for play, he says. Impactful learning experiences are among the technology’s most impressive benefits.