This Week in Science: Researchers discover living microbes in a millennia-old ‘Iceman’; birds, like some other animals, exhibit masturbation behaviors; parts of sea cucumbers might possess the secret to immortality, and much more!
Scientists Detect Active Microbes in Ötzi The Iceman
Ötzi the Iceman, preserved for 5,300 years, remains in such remarkable condition that scientists have found living microbes within his body.
It’s uncertain if these microbes have been continuously active on Ötzi’s body throughout the millennia or if they were dormant and reactivated when the mummy was thawed.
Read the full story here.
Brain Scans Highlight a Concerning Outcome of Night Shifts
MRI brain scans have shown a link between night shift work and a reduction in tissue volume in specific brain areas.
If the shift work ceases, these tissue reductions may partially recover within approximately two and a half years. The implications of these changes for health or behavior remain uncertain.
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Unusual Signal Could Be a Primordial Black Hole
An unusual signal may stem from a star’s light being distorted by a small, ancient black hole, which is a prominent dark matter candidate.
The mass of this primordial black hole is estimated to be about three times that of Earth’s Moons, with an event horizon comparable in size to a period at the end of a sentence.
Read the full story here.
Birds Also Engage in Masturbation, Evolution Offers Clues
A recent study reveals that birds, both in the wild and captivity, engage in masturbation, which might have evolutionary roots.
“Despite assumptions that masturbation among captive birds like parrots is a result of their often-solitary living, our study finds that it is natural, healthy, and widespread across diverse bird species, even in different environments,” states Chloe Heys, a biologist at the University of Lancashire.
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Sea Cucumber’s Tissue Shows Potential for Immortality
Parts of a sea cucumber continue to live and regenerate more than three years after being amputated, suggesting potential immortality.
“We are seeing pretty stunning growth and diversification of cells literally years after this tissue was removed,” says marine biogeochemist Rachel Sipler from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science, a nonprofit research institute in the US.
“It’s like a lizard that loses its tail. We know some lizards can grow new tails; we’re talking about whether the tail can grow a new lizard.”
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AI Uncovers Hidden Ozempic Side Effects Using Unique Data
An AI analysis has potentially identified previously unreported side effects of Ozempic by analyzing vast amounts of Reddit comments.
“Clinical trials are the gold standard, but by design, they are slow,” comments computer and information scientist Sharath Chandra Guntuku.
“This is not a replacement for trials, but it can move much faster, and that speed matters when a drug goes from niche to mainstream almost overnight.”
Read the full story here.
