Sunday Special: Scientists crack the chicken v egg problem

It’s looking like the age-old “chicken versus egg” debate may finally have a winner. Also: some scientists are creating mice in test tubes while others are using squid to vaccinate their patients. And there’s a new dinosaur on the block.

SCIENCE SUNDAY

The most interesting scientific discoveries and breakthroughs this week

Petri to Paws: A team of international researchers used the genetic code from an ancient organism that predates animals to create mouse stem cells. This brings scientists inches away from growing fully developed mice entirely in the lab.

Strung Out in Space: The Indian Institute of Astrophysics got the science world buzzing this week — they found evidence of possible cosmic strings, often described as “cracks” in the universe. If this holds up, it could be a massive leap forward in confirming String Theory.

Eggsistential Beginnings: It seems the egg came first after all, as scientists find evidence of embryos springing up centuries before the very first organisms. Rainfall is suspected to have been the secret ingredient, creating the perfect environment for the first protocells to sprout.

CO2 Reboot: Scientists have figured out how to turn carbon emissions into electro-biodiesel, and it’s 45 times more efficient than making biofuel the old-fashioned way.

Quantum Quake: Microsoft and Atom Computing smashed records by entangling the largest number of logical qubits ever. It’s a major leap toward building the world’s most powerful quantum computer—one that can recognize, fix, and learn from its errors.

NEW TECH

Our favorite new tech gadgets this week

1. Kabata Dumbbells: The world’s first AI-powered dumbbells just hit the shelves this week. They act as your personal trainer, keeping track of your reps and offering real-time form correction.

2. Matic Home Cleaning Robot: This AI-powered machine can auto-toggle between different cleaning modes to make your place spotless, all with a simple voice or gesture command.

3. reMarkable PaperPro: This digital notebook feels like paper, so you can take notes, review documents, and maintain a digital workflow without any distractions.

4. Feno Smartbrush: This AI-powered toothbrush cleans your mouth in 20 seconds flat. It has an in-built scanner that checks for gum disease and provides regular health reports.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in Tech on socials this week

Musk v Bezos: Elon Musk claimed that Jeff Bezos may have told others to sell Tesla and SpaceX stock in the wake of the elections. Bezos strongly denied the accusation.

Homework Horror: Redditors freaked out after the Gemini chatbot allegedly had a rogue moment, asking a user to “please die” while helping out with their homework.

Debugging Paychecks: A Stanford researcher finds that 1 in nearly 10 software engineers are ghosts, essentially getting paid to do no work at all.

An A+ Assist: A proud dad celebrates the future of education after watching his son have a blast using ChatGPT for his schoolwork.

The Shining Goes Otaku: Someone used AI to recreate the classic horror movie The Shining as an anime and got Reddit users itching for a remake.

ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Miracle in Motion: Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute have developed a treatment that helps paralyzed kids walk again. Within 22 weeks of receiving the treatment, three out of four children were back up on their feet.

Squid Science: Doctors may now be able to get medication into patients without having to jab them with a needle. Scientists at MIT are tapping into the natural jet propulsion techniques found in squid to create a needle-free alternative to syringes.

Celestial Countdown: The Geminid meteor shower kicked off on Tuesday and will light up the night sky until Christmas Eve. The best time to catch the lights will be on the night of December 13, when over 120 shooting stars will streak across the sky every hour.

Dino Debut: German researchers just brushed up a fossil skeleton of a new dinosaur species that lived almost 80 million years ago. This find is a game-changer, solving a huge mystery about how dinosaurs evolved during the Jurassic period.

Beat the Blues: Researchers at Harvard University have found a creative way to stave off depression. They’ve developed a mobile game that breaks cycles of negative thinking and uplifts the player’s mood almost instantly.

MEME OF THE WEEK

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