🧪 Chemists unite for science reproducibility

Catalysis chemists are teaming up to boost the reliability of chemical research across the board. Fifty researchers met in Denver, gathering from academia and industry to discuss best practices for documenting science. The workshop, which happened in January, addressed issues related to a perceived reproducibility crisis in science. Consensus was reached that making research reproducible is a shared community effort involving everyone. These new recommendations have been published online for further input from other chemists. 🧪

🎬 Korean Kanakaraju beats rival film at box office

The Telugu comedy horror film Korean Kanakaraju surpassed the global lifetime of Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi on Day 5. Starring Varun Tej, the film collected 1.6 crore net in India on this day, bringing the Indian total to 16.90 crore. The film has grossed 24.34 crore worldwide, which is 44% of its 38 crore budget. It is now targeting Nagabandham's total of 28.17 crore next. The film aims to enter the top 10 Tollywood grossers of 2026. 🎬

🔬 AI and big networks are finding new materials

CuspAI has formed an AI Materials Foundry network involving 45 organizations to discover new functional materials. This alliance includes major players like Meta and Nvidia, spanning automotive and solar power industries. In 2025, they used AI with Meta to develop models for carbon dioxide capture. The company uses tools like Meta’s Universal Model for Atoms to speed up discovery significantly. They aim for real-world impact, moving beyond just predicting properties to actual manufacturing.

📉 Pankaj Tripathi's 'Ohh My Dog' struggles at box office

Pankaj Tripathi’s adventure drama, Ohh My Dog, is facing a tough run at the box office. The film, directed by Amit Rai, was released in India and is struggling to gain traction. After five days, the total net collection in India stands at 3.75 crore, with a gross collection of 4.42 crore. Considering the reported budget, the film is currently projected to be a losing venture. The movie now faces heavy competition from Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 soon. 📉

🦠 AI viruses, flawed trials, and NIH cuts

Stanford researchers successfully used an AI model to engineer simple, bacteria-only viruses, sparking biosecurity worries. Taylor Farms has a known history of outbreaks, including at least five involving Cyclospora and E. coli. In China, a child passed away during a CRISPR trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2026. Anthony Fauci's private notes show he both craved fame and considered protecting the US from disease. Meanwhile, the NIH has begun cutting health disparities grants based on new policy alignments. 🦠

🤰 Epidural use linked to longer labor, study shows

Epidural analgesia in low-risk pregnancies was found to correlate with prolonged labor stages and more clinical interventions. A retrospective cohort study in northern Italy analyzed 3406 women aged 18-45 from 2019 to 2023. Women receiving epidural experienced significantly longer first and second stages of labor compared to the non-epidural group. The use of EA was linked to higher odds of cesarean section and pharmacological augmentation. This research suggests careful monitoring is vital while avoiding unnecessary interventions. 👩‍⚕️

💰 DC crosses 50 crore mark in 5 days

Lokesh Kanagaraj's acting debut, DC, has gained significant traction at the box office. The film is currently playing in theaters across India and overseas. In just 5 days, DC has achieved a worldwide total of 52.85 crore. This success puts it on a path to potentially surpass Dhanush’s Kara and Vishnu Vishal’s Gatta Kusthi 2. The film is directed by Arun Matheswaran and is based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Devdas.

🎬 Jana Nayagan inches from 200 crore mark

Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan is close to hitting the 200 crore mark at the Indian box office. The film, starring Mamitha Baiju, Bobby Deol, and Pooja Hegde, collected 65 lakh on day 20 in India. Cumulatively, it reached 193.70 crore net against a 350 crore budget. Despite the progress, the producers are still facing losses exceeding 150 crore. The movie needs 6.3 crore more to reach the double-digit milestone. 🎬

🎬 The Odyssey keeps rolling strong at Indian box office

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is maintaining a solid run at the Indian box office during its fourth week. Starring Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson, the film is aiming for the 170 crore mark. On day 26, the movie added 1.60 crore net, marking a 28% jump from the fourth Monday's 1.25 crore. This total collection of 168.13 crore is challenging The Jungle Book and positioning it as a top Hollywood film. The movie will face competition from Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947 starting Friday.

🕷️ Spider-Man Nears $200M Milestone in China

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is close to hitting the rare $200 million mark at the China box office. The Tom Holland-starrer has completed 14 days and currently stands at $194.7 million. It has surpassed Godzilla vs. Kong’s total of $188.7 million in China. This makes it the fourth Hollywood film post-COVID to reach this milestone. The film could potentially overtake F9 and Avatar: The Way Of Water soon. 💰

🎬 Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 struggles early booking

Sunny Deol's period drama, Batwara 1947, is facing tough competition in its advance booking phase. The film, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, is set to release on August 14, 2026, in Delhi. As of 11 AM, only 11K worth of tickets were sold out of a 40 lakh gross advance booking. This underperformance is partly due to direct clashes with Awarapan 2, which has strong nostalgia appeal. All eyes are now on the next 48 hours to see if it can achieve a double-digit opening. 😬