Oct 17, 2026 · 2 min listen · Last updated October 17, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. Hi, it's Chloe. October 17th. Ten in science — the one that made me re-read the abstract is at the top. Let's get into it. First, from ScienceAlert. Mysterious 'Golden Tree' Coral Is So Weird, Scientists Had to Create a New Family on The Tree of Life.
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Daily Science Brief · October 17th
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Mysterious 'Golden Tree' Coral Is So Weird, Scientists Had to Create a New Family on The Tree of Life
In the twilight deeps of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a magical sight can be found on a seamount off the coast of Costa Rica. As the underwater vehicle SuBastian glides over a rocky outcrop oddly coated with a fuzzy pink patina and punctuated with basket-shaped gleaming white sponges, a majestic yellow form emerges from the darkness. It looks like a golden tree, so vividly yellow you can imagine it glowing. Then, as the camera zooms closer, you can see the pink fuzz moving – a thick carpet of stars from which the golden tree blooms.
After 40 Years, Chornobyl's Radioactive Particles Are Surprisingly Stable
We're now 40 years on from the worst nuclear disaster in history, and scientists have been analyzing radioactive particles blown out by Chornobyl to see what's left of the fuel that got scattered – and what state those particles are in. Knowing how these chemical pellets have held up to decades of weathering and decay is valuable for understanding the safety of nuclear plants in the future – and for working out when it might be safe to return to the Chornobyl site without a protective suit.
New high-frequency method boosts 2D material readout for next-gen quantum computers
Quantum computers represent a next step in the fast-paced evolution of technology. Using quantum bits (qubits), they have the potential to run certain calculations exponentially faster than conventional computers. However, developing and fine-tuning quantum computers requires an enormous number of repetitive tests. To accelerate quantum technology development, we need a method that can read quantum states at ultrafast speeds.
Scientists discover cell division does more than make new cells: It helps reshape tissues
Every time a tissue grows or renews itself, cells must divide inside an already crowded environment. That creates a fundamental problem that scientists have not fully understood: How does a tightly packed sheet of cells make room for two daughter cells when there was once only one?