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Science News and Member Spotlight

Scientific news reports, society updates, and weekly membership spotlight features from NSPS.

All Scientific News Reports Weekly Membership Spotlight Announcements

Scientific News Report

𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

October 21, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Researchers have demonstrated a way to transform ordinary plastic into extremely small diamonds using powerful laser pulses that briefly generate enormous pressures and temperatures. Scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Rostock, Germany, successfully produced and recovered nanodiamonds measuring approximately three nanometres across, each containing around 3,000 carbon atoms. Although previous experiments had shown that diamonds could form when plastic was exposed to extreme conditions, recovering the particles intact had remained a major challenge.

Scientific News Report

𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐲𝐧𝐞, 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐃𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧

October 21, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

A carbon structure first proposed more than three decades ago has now been produced experimentally by researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The material, called diamondiyne, is a three-dimensional carbon allotrope with a porous structure resembling that of diamond. Until recently, its existence had been predicted only through theoretical models. The research team successfully formed diamondiyne in a thin film at the interface between two liquids, using relatively inexpensive laboratory equipment. Electron microscopy subsequently revealed small crystalline regions whose atomic arrangements closely matched the predicted structure.

Scientific News Report

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬

October 20, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Researchers are using statistics and satellite observations to investigate how groundwater moves through underground aquifers, reducing the need to rely entirely on costly drilling and ground-based monitoring. A research team from The University of Texas at Austin combined satellite measurements of subtle changes in Earth's surface with a Bayesian statistical inversion framework to estimate how permeability varies within an aquifer.

Scientific News Report

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸: 𝗔 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀

October 20, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in Recent Advances in Natural Sciences systematically reviewed authenticity, integrity, and provenance assurance across five layers of the cyber stack: application, media, network, protocol, and implementation. Following PRISMA 2020, five studies were included from nine identified records and synthesised narratively because of substantial methodological differences. The reviewed mechanisms included application repackaging detection, audio watermarking, smart-meter authentication, anonymous signcryption, and side-channel analysis, with reported outcomes including 99.91% watermark accuracy, 94.18% spoofing-detection accuracy, a total signcryption cost of 887 ms for ten receivers, and masked AES key recovery within approximately 60 attack traces. Methodological quality ranged from 81.3% to 93.8%. Across the different layers, the review identified a common invariance principle: assurance mechanisms seek representations that remain stable under benign transformations but are sensitive to adversarial modification, while also revealing uneven benchmark maturity and a gap between empirical and formally provable assurance.

Scientific News Report

𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

October 20, 2026 • Mr. E.O. Adamu

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports reviewed conventional machine-learning and deep-learning approaches for pregnancy-related prediction tasks, including preterm birth, preeclampsia, and fetal distress. The review compared logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, recurrent networks, CNNs, transformers, and hybrid architectures across performance, temporal modelling, interpretability, data requirements, computational cost, and clinical relevance. In preterm-birth prediction, a transformer achieved an AUROC of 0.792, compared with 0.780 for logistic regression, 0.751 for random forest, and 0.717 for SVM. An ECG-based CNN achieved AUCs of 0.85 and 0.81 for preeclampsia on holdout and external validation, while CTGFusionNet achieved 97.85% accuracy for fetal-distress classification. The review concludes that no single architecture is universally superior, and model selection should instead depend on the clinical task, available data, interpretability, validation, fairness, and computational requirements.

Scientific News Report

𝗟𝗶𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲-𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻-𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗮-𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

October 20, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports investigated three conformable time-space fractional Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equations using Lie symmetry analysis. The researchers derived the corresponding symmetry generators and used them to reduce the nonlinear fractional partial differential equations to ordinary differential equations. Exact analytical solutions were then obtained using the (G′/G)-expansion method for the time-space fractional BBM equation and suitable ansatz techniques for the modified and power-law forms. The resulting solutions included kink, periodic, and bright-soliton wave structures. Bifurcation analysis and phase portraits were also used to examine the behaviour of critical equilibrium points, showing unstable saddle points and nonlinear centres in the reduced systems. The findings demonstrate that Lie symmetry analysis combined with analytical solution methods provides an effective framework for studying nonlinear conformable fractional BBM-type equations.

Scientific News Report

𝗔 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿–𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼-𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺

October 20, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports developed a mathematical model to investigate the transmission dynamics of typhoid fever–amebiasis co-infection through direct human-to-human contact. The study examined reproduction numbers, disease-free and endemic equilibria, stability, bifurcation, and sensitivity of the model parameters. The results showed that disease elimination is possible when the reproduction number remains below one, while sensitivity and simulation analyses identified transmission, screening, treatment, and immunity-loss parameters as important drivers of infection dynamics. The simulations further showed that changes in typhoid and amebiasis transmission rates can shift the relative burden of the two diseases and the co-infected population. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of effective prevention, screening, and treatment in controlling both infections and their co-infection.

Scientific News Report

𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧-𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬

October 19, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Artificial intelligence can communicate naturally, respond to sounds, recognise emotional cues, and exhibit behaviours that closely resemble human responses. Yet, a new study suggests that people continue to distinguish between acting like a human and possessing human-like consciousness. Researchers from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and collaborating institutions found that even when an AI system and a human displayed identical behaviours under the same conditions, participants consistently perceived the AI as less conscious.

Scientific News Report

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑!

October 17, 2026 • Dr. O. O. Efemena

Astronomers have reported an extraordinary finding involving a white dwarf star known as WD J1330+6435, located approximately 280 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco...

Scientific News Report

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐬: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞

October 17, 2026 • Dr. O. O. Efemena

Imagine walking through a vast desert, surrounded by endless stretches of golden sand, only to discover fresh water hidden beneath or between the sand dunes. It may seem impossible...

Weekly Membership Spotlight

🌟 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊: 𝐃𝐑. 𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐉𝐈

October 16, 2026 • Goodness Nkankeya

The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences is pleased to celebrate 𝐃𝐫. 𝐈𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐣𝐢 as our Spotlight Member of the Week.

Scientific News Report

𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐍𝐮𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐢

October 15, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Scientists in Vienna have built the world’s first self-stabilizing nuclear clock, demonstrating that an atomic nucleus can independently stabilize the frequency used to measure time. The system is based on the isotope thorium-229, whose nucleus possesses an unusually low-energy transition that can be excited using laser light. Unlike conventional atomic clocks, which use transitions involving electrons surrounding an atom, the new clock uses an energy transition inside the atomic nucleus itself.

Scientific News Report

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲-𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝗽

October 14, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences introduced the inverse-order divisor graph, a hybrid graph combining the adjacency conditions of the inverse graph and the order-divisor graph. Focusing on the cyclic group Z₂ₚ for odd prime p, the researchers characterized the graph’s adjacency structure and derived exact formulas for vertex degrees and graph size. The graph was shown to have p² − 1 edges, to be connected but not complete, and to have domination number 2, radius 2, diameter 2, girth 3, clique number 3, and chromatic number 3. The findings establish fundamental structural properties of this new algebraic graph family and provide a basis for extending the construction to other finite groups.

Scientific News Report

𝐀 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

October 14, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Scientists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have identified a potentially much more efficient route to fusion ignition by changing the order in which plasma is prepared. Instead of increasing plasma density first and then supplying enormous amounts of heat, their calculations suggest that researchers may be able to heat the plasma first and increase its density afterward. That simple reversal could allow future fusion systems to reach self-sustaining conditions using significantly less energy.

Scientific News Report

𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐎₂-𝐭𝐨-𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

October 14, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Scientists have used artificial intelligence to uncover thousands of chemical reactions that conventional models had overlooked in the conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels and useful chemicals. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) combined quantum-mechanical calculations, machine learning and automated reaction-network generation to investigate CO₂ hydrogenation on a copper catalyst.

Scientific News Report

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗕 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲

October 13, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences examined how ensemble size and technique affect machine-learning prediction of hepatitis B patient outcomes. Ten models were evaluated on the UCI Hepatitis dataset using voting, bagging, boosting, and stacking ensembles containing two to five models. Among individual classifiers, SVM achieved the highest accuracy of 84.52% and an AUC of 0.873. The five-model soft-voting ensemble achieved the strongest overall performance, with 91.84% accuracy, 95.92% recall, a 92.16% F1-score, and an AUC of 0.960. The findings show that multi-model ensembles can improve hepatitis B outcome prediction and high-risk patient identification, although performance depends on strategic model selection rather than ensemble size alone.

Scientific News Report

𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

October 12, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Scientists have found experimental evidence of an unusual form of magnetism in a thin, highly adjustable material that could help researchers develop faster and more energy-efficient electronic devices. The magnetic state, known as altermagnetism, combines important characteristics normally associated with two different classes of magnetic materials. Like antiferromagnets, altermagnets can avoid producing strong stray magnetic fields that interfere with nearby components. Yet they can also generate spin-polarized electronic states that could be useful for manipulating information through electron spin.

Scientific News Report

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

October 12, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences developed explicit prime labelings for families of unicyclic graphs formed by attaching stars or pairs of pendant paths to cycle vertices. The researchers proved that Cn ∗ S2, Cn ∗ S4, and Cn ∗ S6 are prime graphs, extending earlier results for related odd-sized star attachments. For graphs with two pendant paths Pk1 and Pk2 attached to every cycle vertex, prime labelings were established under specific greatest-common-divisor conditions involving k1, k2, and n. In particular, when both pendant paths contain k vertices, the graph is prime whenever gcd(k, n − 1) = 1. The study provides explicit constructions and worked examples, allowing the resulting prime labelings to be verified directly.

Scientific News Report

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘆-𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘆: 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝗧𝗙 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼

October 12, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences examined whether Shannon entropy regularization can reduce the concentration produced by classical minimum-variance portfolio optimization. Using twelve ETFs across equities, bonds, precious metals, and real estate, the minimum-variance portfolio allocated 61.87% to IEF and 38.13% to HYG, while the entropy-regularized portfolio at λ = 0.01 distributed weights almost equally across all twelve assets. A sensitivity analysis showed a gradual transition from concentration toward equal weighting as λ increased. The equal-weight and entropy-regularized portfolios recorded very similar Sharpe ratios, with no statistically significant difference, while rolling spectral entropy reached its minimum during the March 2020 COVID-19 sell-off. The findings show that entropy regularization is most useful as a concentration-control mechanism rather than a guaranteed source of superior investment performance.

Scientific News Report

𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

October 12, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences introduced degenerate multivariate Hermite–Fubini polynomials by combining three-variable degenerate Hermite and Fubini polynomials. The researchers derived the generating function, identified its admissible parameter domain and singularities, and used operational methods to obtain raising and lowering operators, differential equations, recurrence relations, series expansions, shifts, and addition theorems. Several known polynomial families were recovered through suitable parameter choices or limiting cases. Numerical computations of zeros up to degree 29 showed conjugate-symmetric root distributions and a systematic movement of the roots away from the origin as the polynomial degree increased.

Weekly Membership Spotlight

🌟 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊: 𝐃𝐑. 𝐀𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈 𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐄

October 9, 2026 • Goodness Nkankeya

The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences is pleased to celebrate 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢 𝐎𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐞 as our Spotlight Member of the Week. How solar-energy systems can be made more efficient when sunlight, temperature, shading, and environmental conditions are constantly changing and how physics, mathematical modelling, and computational methods can be transformed into practical solutions for the energy challenges faced by developing countries, are important questions that lie at the centre of Dr. Amusat’s scientific journey.

Scientific News Report

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵-𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀

October 8, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports developed a unified framework for comparing six functional path-flow substitutions in Wardrop network equilibrium models: cosine, sine, exponential, hyperbolic sine, hyperbolic cosine, and shifted hyperbolic cosine. For each substitution, the study analysed feasibility, injectivity, inverse form, zero-flow representation, and a dimensionless condition number. The researchers showed conditionally that when two admissible substitutions generate the same equilibrium flow, they also produce identical link flows and equilibrium costs. In a four-node, five-link communication network, the equilibrium was q* = (0.5, 0.5, 0), leaving one path unused. Sine, cosine, hyperbolic sine, and shifted hyperbolic cosine represented this zero-flow path at finite parameter values, while the exponential could not. The results show that substitution choice mainly affects feasibility, zero-flow representation, parameter uniqueness, and numerical sensitivity rather than the equilibrium quantities themselves.

Scientific News Report

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐬

October 7, 2026 • Dr. O. O. Efemena

The origin of life is one of the major unanswered questions in science. Scientists have developed substantial evidence explaining how living organisms changed and diversified after...

Scientific News Report

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

October 7, 2026 • Dr. O. O. Efemena

The arrow of time refers to the apparent one way direction in which events occur, from the past through the present toward the future. We remember events that have already happened...

Scientific News Report

𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐗-𝐑𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫

October 7, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Scientists have captured an unusually detailed picture of a fundamental chemical process in which electron transfer, proton movement and the surrounding water environment reorganize together. The reaction, known as proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), plays an important role in processes ranging from photosynthesis and metabolism to catalysis, fuel cells and energy-storage technologies. Researchers led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) combined two ultrafast X-ray techniques with advanced computer simulations to investigate how a light-activated molecule changes as it accepts a proton.

Scientific News Report

𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲–𝗦𝗮𝘄𝗶 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

October 6, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences developed a double Laplace–Sawi decomposition technique for nonlinear partial differential equations by combining the double Laplace–Sawi transform with Adomian polynomials. The framework introduces explicit conditions for transform existence, separate recursive formulations for first- and second-order time operators, a sufficient contraction condition for convergence, and a truncation-error estimate. The method was tested on three nonlinear problems, including a transport–reaction equation, a cubic nonlinearity exhibiting finite-time blow-up, and the inviscid Burgers equation. For the Burgers problem, the decomposition coefficients were proved by induction, the exact characteristic solution was recovered, and explicit truncation errors were reported. The findings show that the technique provides a systematic analytical construction for nonlinear PDEs within its stated convergence domain.

Scientific News Report

𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 (𝗥𝗵𝘆𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀)

October 5, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports examined how different feedstocks influence the survival and development of African palm weevil larvae. The researchers compared palm trunk fibre, coconut husk, plantain stem fibre, and a combination of these substrates, while also assessing their nutritional composition. High larval mortality was recorded in week 3 for palm trunk fibre and plantain stem fibre, whereas coconut husk produced the highest pupation in week 3 and the highest adult emergence in week 4. Although the feedstocks differed in moisture, ash, crude fibre, crude protein, ether extract, and carbohydrate content, the nutritional differences were not statistically significant. Overall, coconut husk was identified as the most suitable substrate for mass rearing African palm weevils.

Scientific News Report

𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼-𝗗𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗶𝗢 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀: 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

October 5, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports investigated cobalt-doped nickel oxide electrodes for supercapacitor applications and examined the effect of adding propylene carbonate during hydrothermal synthesis. The researchers prepared 10%, 20%, and 30% cobalt-doped NiO, together with 30% Co-doped NiO containing propylene carbonate, and characterized their structural and electrochemical properties. The propylene carbonate additive increased the BET surface area from 11.05 to 17.67 m² g⁻¹ and further improved the performance of the 30% Co-doped NiO electrode. The modified electrode achieved a specific capacitance of 551 F g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹ and 661 F g⁻¹ at 5 mV s⁻¹, while also showing the lowest charge-transfer resistance among the tested materials. The results indicate that propylene carbonate can enhance the electrochemical performance of transition-metal-oxide electrodes during synthesis.

Scientific News Report

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐢𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐬

October 5, 2026 • V. Dansuleiman

Researchers have proposed an unusual new quantum bit built around superfluid helium-3 that calculations suggest could be around 100 times less error-prone than conventional superconducting qubits. The concept, developed by scientists at the University of Surrey in collaboration with Northwestern University, aims to tackle one of quantum computing’s biggest problems: protecting extremely fragile quantum information from environmental noise. Instead of storing information primarily in electrically charged superconducting circuits, the proposed device would exploit quantized mechanical oscillations in electrically neutral superfluid helium. Because the superfluid carries no electric charge, researchers predict that the system could be naturally less sensitive to some forms of electromagnetic and electrical noise that disturb today's quantum processors. The device remains theoretical and has not yet been experimentally demonstrated. The team's next major step is to build a prototype and test whether the predicted reduction in errors can be achieved in practice.

Scientific News Report

𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗠 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺: 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆

October 5, 2026 • Mr. E. O. Adamu

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports developed a maximum-likelihood framework for analysing sensitive four-category ordinal survey responses using a randomized-response mechanism based on a six-sided die. The approach protects respondent privacy while allowing the underlying category probabilities to be identified from scrambled responses. Because the true response category remains hidden, the study uses an expectation-maximization algorithm with closed-form updates to estimate the population distribution. Across five simulated response distributions and sample sizes up to 1,000, the maximum-likelihood estimator reduced mean squared error by up to 27% at n = 200 for polarized distributions and avoided the invalid probability estimates that affected the method-of-moments estimator in more than half of small polarized samples. The framework therefore provides a practical way to measure sensitive ordinal outcomes while preserving respondent trust.