Science Snapshots: May 24, 2026

AI agents Co-Scientist, Robin could accelerate research

Two new AI agents, Google Co-Scientist and FutureHouse Robin, offer to help researchers accelerate science work. Rather than replace scientists, they are intended as virtual collaborators. By generating and refining hypotheses, while scientists steered the process and gave feedback, Co-Scientist could identify drug combinations for leukaemia. Robin automated literature search and experiment planning, interpreting biological data and suggesting next steps while researchers performed the lab work. This way, the team found a promising treatment for macular degeneration.

Doubts arise over rock-based climate mitigation scheme

A climate mitigation strategy called ‘enhanced alkalinity’ involves spreading crushed rocks like silicates on land or in water. When the rocks dissolve, they release minerals that help the ocean absorb and hold CO2. Now, two researchers from New Zealand and the U.S. have reported a flaw: as the minerals travel from soil to the sea, they’re often trapped in secondary minerals like clay, removing the alkalinity needed to store carbon and smothering the method’s efficacy.

Neptune’s moon Nereid may not be from the Kuiper Belt

Astronomers previously thought Neptune had captured its moon Nereid from the Kuiper Belt thanks to its unusual looping orbit. However, new data from the James Webb Space Telescope suggests Nereid’s chemical makeup doesn’t match known Belt objects. It features crystalline water ice and a spectral signature unlike any other observed irregular moon. When the team modelled Neptune’s history, they found Nepture’s capture of its moon Triton could have caused gravitational chaos that ‘kicked’ Nereid into its orbit.