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Health Science

Cancer-Fighting Implant

A breakthrough implant developed at Rice University could reshape how aggressive cancers like metastatic melanoma, pancreatic, and colorectal tumors are treated. The tiny device, described as a “cytokine factory,” is placed near a tumor and steadily releases interleukin-12 (IL-12)—a potent immune-activating protein. This release recruits precursor exhausted T cells (Tpex), which multiply into durable tumor-fighting cells. The approach, detailed in The Journal of ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, holds promise for enhancing immune responses in cancers that have been notoriously difficult to treat.

In preclinical trials, the IL-12 implant showed remarkable results when paired with checkpoint inhibitors, eliminating both nearby and distant tumors in animal models. Unlike other cytokines, IL-12 activated a broader and more sustained immune response, boosting its long-term impact. It also demonstrated a strong safety profile in both mice and non-human primates. “This technology was designed to make immunotherapy more effective and less toxic,” said lead researcher Prof. Omid Veiseh, who directs the Rice Biotech Launch Pad.

The innovation could offer a safer alternative to traditional immunotherapies, which often come with serious side effects, particularly in treating solid tumors. Dr. Nathan Reticker-Flynn of Stanford highlighted the potential for this implant to reduce toxicity while maintaining therapeutic strength. The Rice team now plans to seek FDA approval for clinical trials and intends to spin the technology into a biotech company focused on next-generation cancer treatments.

We had a chance to talk with Kenzan Boo, co-founder and CTO of Nook, a modern savings app, offering higher APY’s.

Kenzan spent years as an engineering manager at Coinbase, where he helped build and scale the secure infrastructure behind billions of dollars in assets. Now, with a team of former Coinbase colleagues and backing from Coinbase Ventures, he’s focused on building a savings platform that actually puts users first.

“Most banks keep over 80% of the profits they generate with your deposits and give you almost nothing back,” he said. “We built Nook to change that.”

With Nook, you can earn around 8% APY, earning interest in real-time and without any lockup periods or penalties. As a welcome, they even add a $20 bonus when you deposit $20 or more - something Kenzan said was important to them.

“It’s a way to say thanks for giving us a chance,” he said. “And if you want to withdraw everything tomorrow, you can - including the bonus. We think if people experience what we’ve built, they’ll want to stay.”

If you’ve been frustrated with your savings options lately, it’s worth taking a look at what they’re building.

Culture

The Power Affectionate Mothering

A new study of twins suggests that affectionate mothering in childhood can play a powerful role in shaping personality traits that influence long-term life outcomes. Researchers found that maternal warmth between the ages of 5 and 10 is strongly linked to higher levels of openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness—traits associated with better educational achievement, career success, and overall well-being. The findings offer compelling evidence that positive parenting doesn’t just shape behavior in the moment, but may leave a lasting imprint on personality.

Led by Dr. Jasmin Wertz of the University of Edinburgh, the study analyzed data from 2,232 British identical twins followed from birth to age 18. Because identical twins share both genes and household environments, the researchers could isolate how differences in maternal affection affected personality. By age 18, the twin who experienced more maternal warmth was more likely to score higher in openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Interestingly, maternal affection had little impact on extraversion or neuroticism, suggesting that traits like sociability or emotional stability may be shaped more by peers or life experiences.

The study underscores how seemingly small variations in parenting can have meaningful, long-term effects. Since traits like conscientiousness are tied to school and work success, promoting warmth in parenting could improve outcomes far beyond childhood. Wertz cautions, however, that personality is shaped by many factors, including genetics and life experiences—so while parenting matters, it’s only part of the story. Still, the research offers valuable insight for parenting programs and early childhood interventions aimed at boosting mental health, academic performance, and social development.

Lifestyle

How to Remember Everything

In a world where information moves faster than ever — and is forgotten just as quickly — there remains a time-honored approach to learning that refuses to fade with the trends. This method, rooted in simple but powerful principles, offers a clear path for those who seek not just to study harder, but to study wiser.

Through the practices of active recall, spaced repetition, and building a truly focused learning environment, the Japanese approach reveals a quieter wisdom:
True understanding does not come from endless repetition or modern multitasking, but from working with the natural rhythms of the mind. If you believe that learning is a lifelong craft — one worth doing well — then this is a method worth understanding.

Join us as we explore how these principles can help us all retain knowledge more deeply, study more meaningfully, and honor the true discipline of learning.

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Mind Stretchers

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I’m a two-digit number. My digits add up to 11. My digits multiply to 28.
Which number am I?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

I’m a three-digit number. The sum of my digits is 12. If you subtract 99 from me, you get the digits in reverse order. What number am I? — 615 nobody got this correct today! Better luck next time 😊 

The first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured