Sunday Special: Spaghetti Science

Have you ever looked at a string of spaghetti and wondered how the universe works? Me neither. But some of the greatest physicists have used pasta to decode the universe’s secrets.

P.S. The Sunday Special is designed to help you discover the most important scientific and technological breakthroughs outside of AI. Our regular AI and Tech updates will resume as usual on Monday.

SCIENCE SUNDAY

The most interesting scientific discoveries and breakthroughs this week

Dark Twist: Findings from the DESI telescope have thrown a wrench in one of physics’ most established theories. Observations spanning billions of years show strange shifts in dark energy (the mysterious force pushing galaxies apart) — the force has dropped by 10%. Cosmologists could soon have to toss out their standard model entirely, forcing a fundamental rethink of our universe.

Sound Bubble: Penn State researchers have invented a breakthrough audio technology that beams sound directly to your ears without anyone else hearing a thing. Using a special sound-bending metasurface, they designed precise "audible enclaves," so the sound is heard clearly at a single point, while everyone else hears nothing. This could potentially revolutionize audio privacy and eliminate headphones in public spaces.

Spaghetti Science: Physicists just created the world’s thinnest spaghetti — 0.1mm thick —using high-tech electro-spinning. This ultra-thin pasta not only sets a culinary record but could lead to biodegradable alternatives to plastic, joining a century of physics breakthroughs derived from pasta studies — including Richard Feynman's work on why spaghetti never breaks cleanly in two and recent discoveries linking cacio e pepe sauce formation to the origins of life.

Charging Ahead: Road trips with electric cars are about to get a whole lot faster. Chinese automaker BYD's new battery system adds 292 miles of range with only 5 minutes of charging — much faster than Tesla's Superchargers. With 4,000 new fast-charging stations planned, BYD aims to dominate the EV market, piling pressure on Tesla.

PRESENTED BY HUBSPOT

Demystify AI for Your Business in Just 4 Steps

Overwhelmed by AI? HubSpot's free guide cuts through the noise. Get the ultimate crash course for non-technical entrepreneurs who want to harness AI's power—without getting lost in the jargon.

"AI for Business Builders" delivers:

• A 4-part roadmap to AI mastery

• Jargon-free explanations of large language models

• Practical prompt engineering tips you can use today

• Real-world examples of AI boosting businesses like yours

Arm yourself with the knowledge to make informed AI investments and skyrocket your startup's growth.

Download Your Free Guide Now

NEW TECH

Our favorite new tech gadgets this week

1. Gozney Tread: A modular oven and accessory system designed to be the world's most portable pizza oven. It’s built for high-heat cooking anywhere.

2. Growl AI Boxing Coach: A life-size, interactive boxing trainer that uses AI to track your punches and correct your form in real-time.

3. Mufee Essential Oil Maker: A 2-in-1 device that automates essential oil distillation and infusion, slashing processing time in half.

4. Thermomix TM6: An all-in-one cooking robot that replaces 20 appliances and features Wi-Fi access to 80,000+ guided recipes.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in tech on socials this week

💫 Welcome Back: In one of the biggest rescue missions in recent memory, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after being stranded in space for 9 months. A video of them splashing down on Earth flooded our socials this past week.

🚀 Moving Day: Elon Musk announced that the Starship will launch to Mars by late 2026, carrying the humanoid robot Optimus. Successful tests could mean the first human landing could happen as soon as 2029, though 2031 is more probable.

💍 Ring Riddle: A 1,900-year-old ring featuring a holographic-like image has scientists and the public astonished. Experts say its creation involved incredibly advanced ancient techniques.

🌀 Storm Science: A video explaining whether it’s possible to stop a hurricane with a nuke just blew up on Reddit. After watching it, we can safely say that the idea doesn’t look too promising.

📺 Ad Rage: Technology company Roku is testing auto-playing video ads that run before users reach the home screen, and it’s got Redditors fuming. Some are threatening to ditch the company’s products if it makes these intrusive ads permanent.

PRESENTED BY SEAMLESS. AI

Find the right leads faster with this B2B “search engine”

With Seamless. AI, you can quickly search through 1.3 billion business contacts and 121 million companies to find your ideal buyer. Emails, phone numbers, buying intent — it includes all the necessary info for you to close deals fast.

Sign up today to get 50 credits and immediate access to your next customer.

ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Walking Wonder: In a world-first, 4 paralyzed patients in China are walking again thanks to an interface developed by researchers at Fudan University. The implant enabled the patients to regain leg function, with some walking independently within weeks. Unlike Neuralink’s chips, this system reconnects brain and spinal nerves through tiny electrode chips, promoting rapid nerve regeneration without external computers.

Speech Secrets: NYU researchers have found how parakeets mimic human speech, revealing brain patterns previously thought unique to humans. By recording the birds’ brain activity, scientists found that certain nerve cells act like keys on a piano, generating sounds similar to vowels and consonants. This could make parakeets a powerful new model for understanding — and eventually treating — complex human speech disorders.

Fungal Fighter: Scientists have been raising the alarm on deadly fungi becoming drug-resistant for decades. Now, they’ve found a new antifungal compound that effectively kills drug-resistant fungi through a novel method. Tested in mice, the compound targeted fungal cell membranes directly, wiping out infections that resisted conventional treatments. While more tests are needed, this could pave the way for new oral antifungal drugs.

Early Edge: A new study by Washington University shows that an experimental anti-amyloid drug could delay Alzheimer’s-related dementia in genetically predisposed patients — cutting their risk in half. The groundbreaking trial backs the theory that removing amyloid plaques early can significantly delay or even prevent dementia — the first clinical evidence that treating Alzheimer's early could make dementia prevention a reality for millions.

SUNDAY SCIENCE TRIVIA

Your opinion matters!

You’re the reason our team spends hundreds of hours every week researching and writing this email. Please let us know what you thought of today’s email to help us create better emails for you.

Until next time,

Zain and the Superhuman AI team