Sam's News — science — 2026-09-12¶
Paleontology¶
8 66-Million-Year-Old Feather in Dinosaur Feces Hints Why Birds Survived Asteroid Impact¶
A feather fossilized in 66-million-year-old dinosaur excrement suggests advanced insulating plumage may have enabled modern birds' ancestors to survive the asteroid extinction event.
Sources: ScienceDaily RSS Update to: Fossilized Bird Feather in Dinosaur Coprolite Sheds Light on Avian Survival of Mass Extinction
Health¶
7.5 Semaglutide shown to slow aging and extend lifespan in mice¶
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, extended lifespan by nearly 100 days in older mice while improving memory, muscle function, and reducing aging markers, according to an NIH-funded UC Berkeley study. The drug outperformed calorie restriction in memory and blood-sugar control, suggesting it acts through biological mechanisms of aging independent of appetite suppression.
- Median lifespan extended by nearly 100 days in treated mice
- Improved memory, muscle function, blood sugar control, and reduced inflammation
- Outperformed calorie restriction in exploratory behavior and spatial memory
- Metabolic rate remained unchanged (unlike calorie restriction)
- Suggests separate aging pathway beyond appetite suppression
Sources: ScienceDaily AI Web Searched, ScienceDaily — Health RSS, ScienceDaily — Nutrition RSS
Genetics¶
7.5 Base editing in human embryos achieves comprehensive gene edits but causes unpredictable changes¶
Columbia University researchers found that base editing can modify genes in all cells of human embryos but produces unpredictable genetic changes that pose significant risks.
Sources: Phys.org RSS
Quantum Computing¶
7.5 Physicists Convert Classical Light into Quantum Information Processing System¶
Researchers have developed a method to transform classical light into a quantum system capable of information processing, potentially overcoming quantum fragility challenges.
Sources: Phys.org RSS
Materials Science¶
7.5 Diamond's Melting Point Corrected by Over 1,000 Degrees via Laser Measurement¶
New laser-based measurements reveal diamond's melting point is more than 1,000 degrees higher than previously thought, with implications for fusion and planetary science.
Sources: Live Science RSS
Disaster¶
7 Nepal Flood Disaster Reveals Cascading Hazard Risks in Himalayan Region¶
A catastrophic Himalayan flood that killed thousands began with ice and rock collapse, demonstrating need for disaster planning that accounts for chained hazards.
Sources: Phys.org RSS
Science¶
7 AI trained on expert pathologist behavior improves cancer detection accuracy¶
Researchers trained an AI algorithm to mimic how expert pathologists identify cancer in tissue samples, improving detection performance.
Sources: Live Science RSS
Climate Science¶
7 Cyanobacteria Identified as Underestimated Ocean Carbon Sequestration Agent¶
Research reveals that tiny cyanobacteria play a more significant role than previously understood in the ocean's biological carbon pump and long-term carbon storage.
Sources: Phys.org RSS
Climate Change¶
7 Central Amazon faces fastest rise in extreme heat and water stress¶
The central Amazon region, previously not considered most climate-vulnerable, is now experiencing the fastest increase in extreme heat and water stress.
Sources: Phys.org RSS
7 Southern Ocean may transition from carbon sink to carbon source¶
Under climate mitigation scenarios targeting 1.5°C warming, the Southern Ocean may shift from absorbing carbon to releasing it.
Sources: Phys.org RSS