Thursday, June 5th, 2025

Good Morning! 🌞

Thursday’s here. The weekend’s not far off, and if you're looking for something to unwind with, we’ve lined up a few solid movie picks for June. No hype, just films worth watching.

Let’s get into it!

Innovation

From Waste to Foundation

Japanese researchers have developed a breakthrough cement-free soil solidifier using industrial waste, offering a major step forward in sustainable construction. The material, composed of Siding Cut Powder—a byproduct of construction waste—and activated with Earth Silica, an alkaline agent derived from recycled glass, meets construction-grade compressive strength standards (over 160 kN/m²). It also prevents arsenic leaching through calcium hydroxide stabilization. The result is a geopolymer solidifier that significantly reduces carbon emissions, cuts down on landfill waste, and supports a more circular infrastructure economy.

As urban growth continues to accelerate, so does the demand for construction materials, placing immense strain on natural resources. Ordinary Portland Cement remains the standard soil solidifier worldwide, but it’s also a major contributor to carbon emissions. Simultaneously, construction waste continues to accumulate in landfills. These two issues—emissions and waste—are deeply intertwined and urgently in need of new solutions.

To tackle both problems, Professor Shinya Inazumi and his team at Japan’s Shibaura Institute of Technology developed this innovative geopolymer-based alternative. By repurposing Siding Cut Powder and Earth Silica, their method offers a dual benefit: reducing dependence on carbon-intensive cement and turning waste into a resource. Their findings, emphasizing the potential of this approach to reshape construction practices, were published online on April 21, 2025, and in the May issue (Vol. 26) of Cleaner Engineering and Technology.

Lifestyle

The ‘Tickle Lab’

Neuroscientist Konstantina Kilteni wants the scientific world to take tickling more seriously. At Radboud University in the Netherlands, she and her team have established a dedicated tickle lab to explore questions that have intrigued thinkers from Socrates to Darwin. “It is a complex interplay of motor, social, neurological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects,” says Kilteni, who calls the topic “under-researched.” Understanding tickling could open new doors in neuroscience, especially in how the brain processes touch and how those mechanisms relate to the development of the nervous system. “Tickling can strengthen the bond between parents and children, for instance,” she notes, “but how does the brain process ticklish stimuli and what is the relationship with the development of the nervous system?”

Kilteni also emphasizes that tickling isn't uniquely human. “We know that apes such as bonobos and gorillas respond to ticklish touches, and even rats have been observed being so,” she says. From an evolutionary perspective, the purpose of tickling remains unclear. The inability to tickle oneself may offer additional insights: “Because we know when and where we are going to tickle ourselves, the brain can switch off the tickling reflex in advance. But we don’t know what exactly happens in our brain when we are tickled.” One obstacle in advancing research, Kilteni argues, is the lack of a clear scientific definition—after all, there’s a big difference between a deep poke to the ribs and a feather brushed across a foot.

To bring precision to the field, Kilteni’s team at the Donders Institute built a custom tickling chair with a footplate and two holes through which participants place their feet. A mechanical stick delivers consistent tickling to their soles, allowing the researchers to control every variable. They track not just laughter or screams, but also heart rate, sweating, breathing, and brain activity. “By incorporating this method of tickling into a proper experiment, we can take tickling research seriously,” Kilteni said in a university media release. One area of particular interest is autism spectrum disorder, as previous research shows that individuals on the spectrum often perceive touch as more ticklish. And while children seem more ticklish than adults, it’s still unclear whether that’s due to developmental differences or just the joy getting “beaten out of us by adult life.” Either way, Kilteni’s lab is shedding light on how we interpret touch, build connection, and experience the world through our skin.

Entertainment

June Must Watch

Materialists
Following her Oscar-nominated Past Lives, Celine Song shifts gears with Materialists, a witty romantic comedy starring Dakota Johnson as a New York matchmaker who candidly sizes up her clients by wealth, height, and looks. But when it comes to her own heart, things get complicated. It’s lighter than her debut but thoughtful about love’s messy realities. A charming watch, out June 13 in several countries.

The Life of Chuck
This Stephen King adaptation begins at the end of the world and slowly unpacks the mystery behind Chuck (Tom Hiddleston), who’s suddenly become a figure of fascination. With standout performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan, the film balances humor and heartbreak in surprising ways. Best to go in knowing very little. Premieres June 6 in the US.

M3GAN 2.0
The robotic doll who took TikTok by storm returns in a sequel that pits her against a newer, deadlier AI. The film walks the tightrope between fresh and familiar, delivering suspense and thrills for fans of the first. A fun, adrenaline-filled choice for late June, releasing internationally on the 27th.

Elio
Pixar’s latest follows an 11-year-old boy mistaken for Earth’s ambassador by an alien council. With Spielberg-esque warmth and Pixar’s trademark emotional depth, it explores themes of loneliness and connection. A heartfelt family film arriving June 18–20 internationally.

28 Years Later
The 28 Days Later franchise returns with its original creators, exploring a virus-ravaged Britain where survivors cling to hope on a quarantined island. Dark, tense, and ambitious, it sets the stage for a new trilogy. Horror fans should mark their calendars for June 18–20 worldwide.

There you have it—five solid picks for June, ranging from lighthearted to gripping. Which one do you see yourself watching first?

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️

I dance with no feet,
I roar without breath.
I eat, but not meat,
And I’m often called death.
What am I?

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