Sunday Special: Pyramids and Shooting Stars

Look up - today could be your last shot at catching the year's final meteor shower. While you’re at it, you may even spot a flying car zipping through the sky. Also: babies are popping up in petri dishes and scientists have finally grown some backbone—literally.

SCIENCE SUNDAY

The most interesting scientific discoveries and breakthroughs this week

Ghost Trap: Chinese researchers are closing in on the origins of the universe with the $300M Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory. This advanced detector may finally capture the “ghost particles” that have eluded scientists for over a century, cluing us in on how the universe came together after the Big Bang.

Heat Hack: QUT researchers have built an ultra-thin, thermoelectric film that can use body heat to power next-gen wearable devices. It can also provide an efficient cooling system for electronic chips in smartphones and computers, opening the door to self-powered, energy-efficient tech in the future.

Tick Tock: Scientists may have found a way to build ultra-precise nuclear clocks. Using thin films of a material called thorium tetrafluoride, they can make nuclear clocks less radioactive and a lot gentler on the wallet. If this pans out, it could redefine accuracy in fields like GPS and quantum computing.

Spine Science: It looks like scientists took the phrase “grow a spine” a bit too literally. For the first time ever, they’ve successfully used stem cell models to grow a human spine entirely in the lab, potentially changing the course of developmental biology.

Pyramid Scheme: For centuries, scientists were stumped as to how ancient Egyptians lifted the huge stones that make up the pyramids. Now, they’ve uncovered steep ramps that may have been used to raise the blocks, plus traces of an ancient Nile branch that helped move them along, potentially solving a 4000-year-old puzzle.

NEW TECH

Our favorite new tech gadgets this week

1. Bebird Earsight Plus: This ear-cleaning tool includes a bendable 1080P camera and advanced tweezers to help you clean your ears safely.

2. INIU MagSafe Charger: This 10,000mAh power bank magnetically attaches to the back of your iPhone, making it easier to use your phone while it charges.

3. Open Vision Pocket: This AI-powered voice recorder fits comfortably in your pocket. It helps you keep track of your conversations, recording and transcribing them with accuracy.

4. Unitree Pump Max: Unitree finally dropped Pump Max, a home fitness device that provides adjustable resistance and integrates with an app so you can track your progress.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in Tech on socials this week

Bot Battle: A high-stakes battle between a robot and a drone ends with the drone in pieces.

Jobs on the job: Photos of ex-Apple CEO Steve Jobs testing the Photo Booth filter on the iPhone in 2005 have got Redditors smashing the like button.

Magic Carpet: A video of a flying car whizzing through the city skyline has got Reddit excited for the future.

Tentacle Takeover: A study claims that if humans die out, octopuses have what it takes to build the next civilization and replace us, causing Redditors to freak out.

Mirror Danger: Scientists have issued a warning to stop all research on ‘mirror life’, saying any future studies could pose a risk to all life on Earth.

ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Breakthrough Buzz: Scientists may just have found a breakthrough in the fight against HIV with a new drug called lenacapavir. Clinical trials show that the drug can virtually eliminate new HIV infections, earning it the title of "2024 Breakthrough of the Year" from the journal Science.

Petri Baby: Even science isn’t immune to baby fever. Scientists just used stem cells to help an embryo mature outside the womb in the world’s first live human birth. They’re saying this approach is faster, safer, and more accessible than conventional IVF.

Backyard Bones: A New Yorker stepped out into his backyard and made a historic (or more accurately, pre-historic) discovery — a complete mastodon jaw fossil, the first found in over a decade. It gives us a window into what the Ice Age may have been like in the New York region.

Stellar Send-Off: The last meteor shower of the year - the Ursids - will light up the night sky today. Though typically not as bright as other showers, the Ursids are highly unpredictable, with anywhere from 10 to 100 meteors streaking across the sky per hour.

Good Catch: UCLA researchers have finally spotted a potential biomarker that could detect dementia fairly early. This means that doctors could possibly conduct a simple blood test to spot cognitive decline and begin treatment before symptoms show up.

MEME OF THE WEEK

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