Sunday Special: Life's Alien Beginnings

Author

Zain Kahn
February 02, 2025

For centuries, we’ve stared up at the stars and asked the same question: are we alone? A groundbreaking discovery might finally bring us one step closer to the answer. Also: supersonic travel is back, and promises to get you from New York to Paris in about the same amount of time it takes you to put an Ikea chair together.

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

Source: KDVR

Cosmic Beginnings: Life on Earth may have an alien passport. Scientists have uncovered traces of organic compounds on a sample from the asteroid "Bennu". This groundbreaking finding supports the theory that the key ingredients for life might not be exclusive to our planet, and could have been delivered to Earth by asteroids billions of years ago.

Sonic Surge: When the airliner Concorde retired in 2003, it looked like the era of supersonic travel had come to an end. That changed this week, when Boom Supersonic’s prototype jet, XB-1, shattered the sound barrier, becoming the first civilian airliner to do so since the Concorde. It’s also much more fuel-efficient — a breakthrough that could significantly cut travel times for flyers.

Juice Boost: Although lithium-air batteries pack more energy than lithium-ion batteries, they have been unviable until now because of their short lifespans and limited efficiency. Now, scientists are testing a soluble catalyst as the battery’s electrolyte, which boosts the transport of electrical charge and increases the battery’s life to 960 hours, with an efficiency of up to 95.6%. 

Life Next Door: The search for alien life took a twist this week. Astronomers have found an exoplanet, located 19.7 light-years away, that could potentially harbor alien life. "Super-Earth HD 20794 d" drifts in and out of its star’s habitable zone, creating the ideal temperature shifts to make liquid water — a key ingredient for life to form — possible.

Frost Guard: Scientists have solved the mystery of how polar bears survive in freezing conditions. Polar bears secrete sebum—natural grease—on their coats, which prevents ice from building up on their fur and helps them stay warm. This discovery could help us reduce our reliance on harmful “forever chemicals” and develop sustainable anti-icing solutions.

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NEW TECH

Sources: Fujifilm, Fellow, Engadget, Zero

1. Fujifilm Instax WIDE EVO: The first hybrid instant camera with a wide-angle lens. It combines retro aesthetics with modern technology, has multiple lens effects, and can print from your phone.

2. Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker: This coffee maker has precise temperature control, customizable brew profiles, and is integrated with an app that lets you create your own brewing settings.

3. Amazon Kindle Scribe 2: This e-reader and notebook has a glare-free display that feels like writing on paper. Also, a new upgrade — the Active Canvas feature — lets you create notes directly in books.

4. Zero BREEZE Mark 3 AC: A portable air conditioner, packed with instant climate control — perfect for camping, outdoor use, or RV travel.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

@Y2SHAF on X

Quantum Streak: A video of uranium ore emitting radiation inside a cloud chamber has taken Reddit by storm. The fact that we can see subatomic particles zip through the vapor is "akin to a grain of salt making a trail wider than Jupiter.”

Signal Savior: A backcountry skier fell more than 1000ft, broke his leg, and would have probably frozen to death were it not for an Apple Watch SOS, which alerted the authorities on time and probably saved the skier’s life.

Ad Pocalypse: YouTube users are fuming over having to sit through extremely long, unskippable ads, which sometimes stretch up to an hour. Alphabet has responded, saying ad blockers may be eating up the "Skip" button while failing to block the ad.

Bot Bosses: Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff has claimed that today’s CEOs may be the last generation to manage an all-human workforce as more companies start to integrate AI in their day-to-day, leaving some Redditors excited and others worried.

Sneaky Spill: A DeepSeek R1 user found a workaround to bypass the chatbot’s guardrails, getting it to spill censored political information about China.

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ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Source: IFLScience

Tumor Slayer: Scientists have developed a single-molecule drug that eliminates breast cancer tumors in mice with a single dose, while significantly shrinking larger tumors as well. It has no known side effects, and with human trials coming up, the breakthrough could give people a safer, non-invasive alternative to combat the disease.

Fast Fix: Australian researchers have developed a new AI model, which is a game-changer for lung disease detection. The model scores a 96.7% accuracy in identifying pneumonia, COVID-19, and other diseases via ultrasound videos. It not only outperforms previous tools but also explains its decisions to radiologists, speeding up diagnoses.

Antibody Ace: Since 2024, the US has reported 67 human cases of bird flu including one fatality. Now, scientists have successfully tested a new antibody therapy that could become a key weapon against the deadly virus. Initial testing on monkeys successfully prevented severe illness and death from the infection, with human trials soon to follow.

Heart Hack: A breakthrough clinical trial shows that muscle patches — grown using stem cells — can offer a lifeboat to a failing heart. The procedure, tested on a 46-year-old woman, stabilized her heart for 3 months, long enough for her to find a donor for a transplant. This treatment offers hope to thousands of patients waiting on the donor list.

Father Factor: In a scientific first, a mouse with two male parents has successfully reached adulthood. Researchers used embryonic stem cell engineering to tweak the genes involved in reproduction, creating the bi-parental mouse. This has promising implications for advancements in regenerative medicine for humans.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: @KevinNaughtonJr on X

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Until next time,

Zain and the Superhuman AI team