Feb 26, 2026

Email 1:

Subject: The age of animal experiments is waning — what’s next?

Sender: briefing@nature.com

Hello Nature readers,

This edition highlights the rapid advances in alternative methods to animal testing, known as new approach methodologies (NAMs). These include organs-on-chips, 3D tissue cultures called organoids, and AI-driven computational models that show promise in mimicking human biology better than traditional animal models. Despite this progress, scientists caution that some biological complexities still necessitate animal studies, and regulators have yet to fully approve many NAMs.

Also discussed are ways to identify fraudulent research papers, including checking for unrelated or fake references, verifying author affiliations, spotting AI-generated text oddities, and utilizing tools like COSIG for scientific integrity.

Plus, enjoy a video exploring the physics behind squeaky sneakers, revealing fascinating parallels with earthquake dynamics.

Thank you for reading,

Flora Graham, Senior Editor, Nature Briefing

(Additional topics in the newsletter include a study suggesting prehistoric notches as early writing precursors, a new pop-up journal initiative for policy-relevant research, and fresh findings contributing to the understanding of the Great Unconformity in geology.)

Email 2:

Subject: 🏥 Arbital Health Is Building the Actuarial Brain VBC Never Had

Sender: hospitalogy@workweek.com

Hello Hospitalogists,

Arbital Health is revolutionizing value-based care (VBC) risk management with its actuary-trained AI platform, Merlin AI. Unlike generic AI tools, Merlin AI is purpose-built by and for actuaries and executive leaders at risk-bearing organizations, providing real-time, transparent, and auditable insights into contract performance.

Recent healthcare market challenges, including rising costs and payor pullbacks from risk-bearing contracts, emphasize the need for robust infrastructure. Merlin AI accelerates actuarial analysis from months to minutes, enabling proactive decisions on population health, utilization trends, and financial risk factors. Users can query contract parameters and members’ clinical data in plain language and receive actionable reports backed by rigorous actuarial logic.

Arbital blends deep actuarial expertise with cutting-edge technology, employing “actuarial engineers” who embed complex risk contract math directly into the AI. The platform’s transparency earns trust from finance and compliance teams alike. Early results demonstrated significant potential savings and revenue capture opportunities in Medicare Advantage populations, highlighting its value in bending the risk curve earlier and avoiding costly surprises.

If you’re involved in managing risk contracts and want clarity and control, connecting with Arbital Health is strongly recommended.

Best regards,

Blake

(This sponsored analysis also invites healthcare executives to join the Hospitalogy community focused on strategy and finance in health systems.)

Stay Well!