Editor’s note: How can a beam of light “switch” on our brain, sparking memories and emotions? How can certain molecules (分子), which are essential to life, be separated from their poisonous “evil twins”? How can a huge block of ice keep watch on “messengers” from the farthest reaches of space? Answers to these questions have just secured the 2026 Nobel Prizes in the field of science. The prize winners were announced earlier this month.