Science & Technology — November 12, 2026

DeepMind AI maps where DNA variants act. Google DeepMind’s AlphaGenome 2 predicts which cell types a DNA variant likely affects, giving researchers a far more detailed view of how genetic changes drive disease.

According to Nature, the tool has drawn strong reactions from scientists for the level of detail it offers in connecting genetic variation to biology. By indicating the specific cell types in which a given variant is likely to operate, the model gives researchers a way to narrow down how particular mutations contribute to illness, a step beyond earlier approaches that offered a less granular picture of variant function.

Nature · Read more ↗

Independent analysis confirms first black hole image. A fresh analysis of Event Horizon Telescope data independently reproduced the iconic 2019 image of black hole M87*, confirming its ring-like structure was real.

The original image, released in 2019, was the first ever taken of a black hole and became a landmark result in astrophysics. Phys.org reports that the new validation used a separate, independent technique applied to the same Event Horizon Telescope data, rather than the original processing methods. Arriving at the same ring-shaped structure through a different analytical path strengthens confidence that the feature reflects the black hole itself rather than an artifact of the imaging process.

Phys.org · Read more ↗

U.S. on track to lose measles elimination status. A WHO regional body began a four-day review this week. It is expected to formally strip the U.S. of its measles elimination status as outbreaks continue.

Elimination status means a disease has not spread continuously within a country for an extended period, and the U.S. earned that designation for measles years ago. Scientific American reports the disease is now circulating widely again, prompting the formal review. The regional body’s four-day assessment, which started this week, is widely expected to end with the designation being revoked, marking a reversal of a long-standing public health achievement.

Scientific American · Read more ↗