Core Insights - The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC) is a prominent STEM competition for middle school students, with a focus on inspiring young talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [1][3][9] Group 1: Competition Overview - The competition reached 60,000 middle school students across the U.S., with 30 finalists selected from nearly 2,000 applicants from 48 states and territories [3] - The top prize, the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award, was awarded to Miles Wu for his innovative research on origami-inspired engineering [1][2] - The finalists collectively received over $100,000 in awards during the ceremony [3] Group 2: Research Highlights - Miles Wu's project involved testing 54 variations of the Miura-ori fold, demonstrating that designs with smaller panels and steeper angles could support over 9,000 times their own weight, with potential applications in disaster relief [2] - Other notable projects included Akhil Nagori's development of glasses that translate text to speech for visually impaired students, and Peter Fernández Dulay's examination of AI biases in science [5][6] Group 3: Awards and Recognition - In addition to the top prizes, first-place winners in each STEM category received $3,500, while second-place winners received $2,500 to support STEM summer camp experiences [11] - The Team Award recognized a group for their collaborative problem-solving skills, with each member receiving a $200 gift card for science supplies [12] Group 4: Organizational Commitment - Thermo Fisher Scientific's sponsorship of the Junior Innovators Challenge reflects its commitment to broadening access to STEM education, with significant investments in school-based programs and employee volunteer efforts [9][10] - The Society for Science, which organizes the competition, aims to promote understanding and appreciation of science, ensuring opportunities for students to pursue STEM careers [14][15]

Core Insights - Hyundai Motor Group and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) are continuing their multiyear research partnership focused on the intersection of nature, art, design, and the future of mobility, with the 2025 theme being "Tangible Futures" [1][4] Group 1: Partnership Overview - The collaboration is now in its sixth year, involving RISD faculty, staff, and student researchers alongside designers from Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia to explore innovative materials and manufacturing methods [1][2] - The Regeneration Studio at RISD is central to this partnership, aiming to create new concepts in bio-innovation and promote a more sustainable human-planet relationship [1][3] Group 2: Educational Programming - The 2025-26 programming includes a fall biodesign studio course, a spring advanced studio course, and summer research opportunities for Hyundai designers and engineers [2][5] - Students from various departments will engage in interdisciplinary work, focusing on sustainable innovations and ecological futurity [2][4] Group 3: Statements from Leadership - RISD President Crystal Williams emphasized the shared commitment to advancing society through innovative design and materials [3] - Hyundai's Executive Vice President SangYup Lee highlighted the importance of human experience and nature's wisdom in guiding future mobility solutions [3][6] Group 4: Research Focus - The Regeneration Studio will investigate biomimicry and biodesign methodologies, combining scientific rigor with creative inquiry [3][4] - The partnership aims to produce actionable outcomes that enhance ecological design and prepare future designers for sustainable practices [6][10]

Core Concept - The article explores ambitious architectural proposals that challenge engineering and imagination, reflecting humanity's aspirations and fears in reshaping the environment [1]. Group 1: Proposed Megastructures - The Analema Tower is a conceptual skyscraper suspended from an asteroid, designed to address urban overpopulation and land scarcity, featuring residential, commercial, and recreational spaces [2][3]. - The X-Seed 4000, or Tokyo Tower of Babel, is a proposed 4,000-meter tall structure designed to house one million residents, incorporating advanced materials like carbon nanotubes and graphene [4][5]. - The Ultima Tower is a 3,218-meter-high vertical city inspired by natural forms, aiming to create a self-sustaining environment for over a million residents [6][7]. - The Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid is envisioned as a 2,004-meter tall floating structure above Tokyo Bay, designed to accommodate one million residents in a self-sustaining ecosystem [8][9]. - The Bionic Tower is a 1,228-meter-high vertical city proposed for Shanghai or Hong Kong, designed to house approximately 100,000 residents with a focus on sustainability [10][12]. - The Space Elevator is a theoretical structure that would enable transportation from Earth to space, with Japan's Obayashi Corporation proposing its construction by 2050 [13][14]. Group 2: Fictional Megastructures in Manga - Japanese manga presents iconic megastructures, such as the City in Tsutomu Nihei's Blame!, which reflects themes of technological sprawl and post-human civilization [15][16]. - Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira introduces Neo-Tokyo, a post-apocalyptic megacity that embodies urban density and societal tension [17]. - The city of Zalem in Battle Angel Alita represents a floating metropolis that highlights societal divisions between the elite and the oppressed [18]. - Coruscant from the Star Wars universe is a city-planet symbolizing grandeur and bureaucracy, with a deeply stratified society [21][22]. - Hive Worlds in Warhammer 40,000 depict immense vertical hives that generate their own ecosystems and political systems, illustrating the extremes of urban living [23]. Group 3: Conclusion and Implications - Megastructures serve as frameworks for organizing society, confronting scarcity, and exploring human aspirations and fears about growth and chaos [25][26].