October 8, 2025—Chemical cages win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Plus, how to avoid scams and astronomers pick their favorite exoplanets.
—Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor
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An exoplanet orbits a star, in an artist’s depiction. ESO
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Molecular Cages Win the Nobel
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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded for a versatile technology that can be used for an astonishing variety of purposes, from environmental remediation to drug delivery and energy storage. Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi shared the award for their development of metal-organic frameworks (or MOFs), chemical cages that have small openings that can capture a diverse array of other small molecules.
How it works: The cages are made of metal ions held together by organic, or carbon-containing, molecules. The cages can be one-dimensional or multi-dimensional, and they can be formed from a host of metals and organic linkers. Unlike polymers that grow in only one direction, MOFs build out as crystals in all directions. They have a very rigid, uniform, and precise arrangement of atoms.
Why this matters: MOFs are being explored for their use in wastewater cleanup, PFAS removal, timed or multi-drug release systems, and more. Some experts say that MOFs could be used for soundproofing and sensors, or to pull carbon from the atmosphere.
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Every year, millions of adults lose their savings to scams (estimated annual losses of nearly $28 billion in the U.S. alone), but seniors are especially vulnerable. Scammers take advantage of the many challenges that come with aging, including cognitive decline, changes in life circumstances (such as the death of a spouse), and difficulty keeping up with evolving technology. Additionally, artificial intelligence has introduced new ways to scam people through replicated voices, videos, photographs and documents. But there are many ways to reduce the risk, research shows.
How to avoid scams: Criminologists Thomas Blomberg and Julie Brancale conducted surveys with hundreds of older adults and pinpointed practical steps people can take to avoid becoming a victim. Here are five of the many tips they share:
1. Resist pressure to act quickly.
2. Be suspicious of unsolicited telephone calls, mailings, online interactions or door-to-door services.
3. Never send personal identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire funds or information to unverified persons or businesses.
4. Never open an e-mail attachment or click a link in a text message from someone you do not know.
5. Create a secret family password to verify the identity of a family member to use in the event you receive suspicious telephone or online requests for money for personal information.
Why this matters: By inciting panic and inducing isolation, scammers targeting older people push them to make decisions alone and quickly. Not to mention the financial loss, these events can damage mental and physical health, erode self-confidence, diminish one’s quality of life, and even contribute to premature death. —Andrea Tamayo, Newsletter Writer
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