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🎙️ Welcome to the latest episode of our @science podcast! This week, we’re diving into discoveries that span from the surface of human skin to the farthest reaches of the universe. 🦠 First, a breakthrough from the University of Oregon: scientists have found that fungi living on our skin—yes, our own skin—might hold the key to fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A common yeast called Malassezia produces fatty acids that rapidly destroy Staphylococcus aureus, a dangerous pathogen responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations every year. It’s a reminder that nature, even the parts we overlook, can surprise us with powerful medicine. 🌀 Then, we zoom out—way out—to the edges of deep space. Using China’s massive FAST radio telescope, astronomers have discovered a new millisecond pulsar that previous surveys missed due to signal overlap. Hidden in the dense core of the M15 globular cluster, this tiny, ultra-fast spinning neutron star was camouflaged by the echoes of another pulsar nearby. It’s a stunning example of how modern tools are rewriting what we thought we knew about the universe. 🌍 And that’s just the beginning. Stay tuned as we explore ancient seabeds, blind color perception, mammal fossils from the dinosaur age, and more. Let’s get started.

A mushroom that looks just like a tiny tree! Meet Dendrosphaera eberhardtii, a rare fungus from the Trichocomaceae family. It grows in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia — from Indonesia all the way to Okinawa. What looks like a “trunk” is actually the stroma — a thick bundle of fungal threads — and it can reach up to 17 cm tall! At the top, it branches out like a miniature tree, and each “branch” ends with a bright yellow fruiting body. Nature’s craftsmanship at its finest!

Woodpeckers, as is well known, store acorns to survive the winter. This is the foundation of their diet, directly affecting their success in breeding come spring. They usually stockpile acorns in natural “granaries” — tree trunks, for example, by drilling numerous holes into them. However, sometimes woodpeckers use walls and roofs of houses for their storage needs — and even telecommunications antennas. In fact, the one shown in the video, for example, had 150 kilograms of acorns spill out of it.

Australia Has More Camels Than Egypt or the UAE Surprising as it sounds, Australia is home to the largest population of wild camels in the world — more than Egypt or the UAE. According to various estimates, up to one million wild dromedary camels roam freely across the central and northern parts of the continent. These camels were first brought to Australia in the 19th century from the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Afghanistan. They were used as pack animals to transport goods across the vast deserts. However, with the development of railways and roads, camels became obsolete and were left to roam. In the absence of natural predators and under minimal control, the camel population began to grow rapidly — doubling approximately every nine years. To put it in perspective, the initial population was just 10,000 individuals. Today, wild camels pose a serious ecological threat. In some areas, they destroy up to 80% of native vegetation. During droughts, desperate for water, they invade human settlements, damaging buildings, breaking pumps and taps — and even smashing toilets. @science

One of the best images of Saturn, captured by the Cassini spacecraft. The Cassini–Huygens mission — a joint project by NASA, ESA, and the Italian Space Agency — accomplished remarkable work during its years-long journey through space. For nearly 20 years, the probe helped scientists study the sixth planet from the Sun, sending back unique and invaluable data.

🎙 NEW PODCAST | This Week in Science Highlights: 🕳 Lone Black Hole Confirmed Astronomers have confirmed the first-ever black hole without a companion star — discovered only because it passed in front of a distant star, briefly magnifying its light . 🌌 Ultralight Dark Matter: A New Way to Detect It Astrophysicists have proposed a bold new method to detect ultralight dark matter — by tracking subtle shifts in star positions using precision astrometry . 🌍 17% of Global Farmland Contaminated A massive new study reveals that up to 17% of the world’s cropland is polluted with toxic heavy metals, threatening food safety for over 1.4 billion people . 💡 Focusing Light at the Nanoscale Researchers have demonstrated a new way to concentrate light on a chip using photonic crystals. This could revolutionize quantum computing, sensors, and on-chip lasers . 🧬 New Methane-Producing Microbes in Our Guts Scientists have identified a previously unknown species of archaea in the human gut that produces methane — a game-changer for microbiome research . 🪰 Microplastics Since the 1970s Microplastics were found in caddisfly larva casings dating back to 1971, revealing that plastic contamination has been affecting ecosystems for over 50 years . 🛰 NASA’s Lucy Approaches Another Asteroid NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is heading for another asteroid encounter this weekend, preparing for its main mission to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids . 🔬 Quantum Shock: Matter Links Light to Light Physicists achieved ultrastrong coupling between light particles (photons), mediated by matter — opening new doors for quantum tech . 🌊 Titan’s Missing Deltas Baffle Scientists Despite Titan’s active methane rivers, expected river deltas are missing. This discovery challenges our understanding of planetary geology . ⚙️ Unlocking Mitochondrial Transport May Help Fight Disease Scientists have mapped how cells transport pyruvate into mitochondria — a vital energy process — and how blocking it might combat cancer, fatty liver disease, and even hair loss. @science

Plants Absorb Microplastics Directly from Air, Raising Concerns Over Food Safety Recent research has revealed a troubling environmental threat: plants can directly absorb microplastics from the atmosphere, causing plastic particles to accumulate extensively within vegetation. Scientists warn that this phenomenon particularly endangers vegetables grown in open fields. Microplastics (MPs) have already infiltrated every terrestrial ecosystem—present in soil, water, and air alike. Laboratory studies confirm that plant roots uptake microplastics, transferring sub-micron and nano-sized particles from roots up into the shoots. Field measurements, however, have uncovered a more alarming reality: above-ground plant parts exhibit significantly higher plastic accumulation than previously accounted for through root absorption alone. The detection of polymer fragments within edible plant tissues underscores the severity of atmospheric microplastic pollution. Scientists call for urgent research to evaluate the full scale and impact of this emerging environmental crisis. Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08831-4

🦷 Lab-grown Human Teeth: Scientific Breakthrough! Scientists from King’s College London have successfully grown fully functional human teeth in a laboratory for the first time ever! 🔬 How Was This Achieved? Researchers created a specialized material that replicates the natural environment needed for tooth development. This allowed cells to communicate effectively, initiating and guiding the formation of real tooth tissue. 🌱 Why Is This Important? Unlike traditional fillings and dental implants, these lab-grown teeth are cultivated from the patient’s own cells. This means they can naturally integrate into the jaw, grow, and even self-repair—just like your original teeth! 🦷 Two Promising Approaches: 1. Lab-first method: Teeth are fully grown in a laboratory before being implanted into the patient’s mouth. 2. Natural-growth method: Tooth cells at an early stage of development are directly placed into the jaw, allowing them to continue growing naturally within the body. 🔭 Looking Ahead: This groundbreaking research took over a decade. Earlier attempts failed because cells couldn’t interact efficiently enough. This new breakthrough, however, paves the way for revolutionary dental treatments, potentially making traditional implants and fillings obsolete. @Science never stops—stay tuned!

On this day, April 12, we celebrate one of humanity’s greatest milestones—when a human first left our planet and ventured into space. On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit the Earth aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1. His legendary words—“Poyekhali!” (“Let’s go!”)—marked the dawn of the space age and a monumental achievement for science, courage, and international competition. Gagarin’s 108-minute journey turned him into a global icon and opened the door for all future space exploration. Happy Cosmonautics Day! #Gagarin #Space #USSR #science #history

🎙️ @Science Podcast Hey curious minds! In this episode, we’re diving into some of the wildest and most mind-blowing discoveries fresh from the front lines of science. Let’s go! 🌌 What if the universe doesn’t need dark matter or dark energy? Physicist Richard Lieu just proposed a bold new model suggesting cosmic expansion comes from sudden bursts in space-time — shaking the foundations of modern cosmology . 🪐 Meanwhile, the James Webb Space Telescope spotted a dusty disk around the central star of the famous Ring Nebula — likely the remnants of a stellar “marriage” gone dusty . 🌍 Beneath our feet, scientists uncovered a brand-new phylum of microbes deep in Earth’s soil — and these guys are purifying our water while thriving in extreme underground zones . ⚡ Think only sharks and bees can sense electric fields? Nope. Turns out fruit fly larvae have a “sixth sense” too, with special neurons in their heads guiding them like living compasses . 🌊 Out at sea, glowing “milky seas” — massive bioluminescent patches — are becoming more predictable thanks to a new 400-year database. Yes, nature’s glow-in-the-dark ocean is real . 🎣 Up in the mountains of Europe, ancient DNA reveals that as far back as the 7th century, farmers were hauling fish to alpine lakes — early aquaculture in action . 🧠 And finally, a mouse watching The Matrix helped scientists map 84,000 neurons and 500 million synapses in a tiny bit of brain — a neural map so complex, it looks like a galaxy . 🦕 Oh — and right at ground zero of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs? Life bounced back in just a few years, thanks to a secret hydrothermal system under the sea floor . 📻 Hit play and explore how science is rewriting reality — one discovery at a time.

In India, ducks are still actively used in traditional farming practices. After the rice harvest, farmers release flocks of ducks onto the fields. These birds play several crucial roles at once: they eat pests, help control weeds, and naturally fertilize the soil. It’s a brilliant example of low-tech, sustainable agriculture where nature does the heavy lifting.

🔋⚛️ ETERNAL POWER: China Launches Nuclear Battery with 50-Year Lifespan Imagine a device you won’t need to recharge for half a century. Chinese researchers have turned this concept into reality! What is BV100? • The world’s first commercial 3V betavoltaic battery by Betavolt • Coin-sized nuclear battery using nickel-63 • Operational lifespan: 50 years without recharging 😱 • Converts radiation energy into electricity using semiconductor absorbers Potential applications: • Pacemakers and medical implants • Spacecraft and satellites • Remote sensors in hard-to-reach locations • Deep-sea monitoring systems Is it safe? 🤔 Absolutely! The beta particles from nickel-63 are so weak they can be blocked by a simple aluminum layer or even a sheet of paper. All radiation remains contained within the hermetically sealed casing. The bigger picture: • While the US and other countries are still developing prototypes, China has established a complete production chain • Another Chinese project in development: carbon nuclear battery with up to 100 years of service life • Low power output compared to conventional batteries, but revolutionary for specific applications • High production costs, but game-changing for critical devices This technology represents a significant milestone in creating truly long-lasting power sources for mission-critical devices. #Nuclear #Battery #Betavoltaic #China #BV100 #Science #Energy

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has obtained unprecedented footage of the solar wind. This flow of charged particles appeared as massive spiral structures, resembling a giant cyclone. Extending outwards to a distance of up to three solar radii, these formations persisted for over three hours. These remarkable images were captured by the Metis coronagraph aboard Solar Orbiter. Metis specializes in detecting various types of radiation emitted by the solar corona, while effectively blocking direct sunlight from the star’s surface. Visualizing the wind's structure represents a significant step forward in understanding its nature. Previously, measurements were confined to localized points reached by the particle flow. Now, scientists have observed a comprehensive, dynamic picture, witnessing how particles accelerate, escape the Sun’s gravity, and form turbulent patterns. Solar wind continuously interacts with Earth, affecting not only phenomena like the Northern and Southern Lights (auroras), but also influencing satellite operations, communication systems, and navigation technologies. Although its intensity varies with solar activity, the exact formation mechanisms remain unclear. These new insights from Solar Orbiter promise to enhance our comprehension of these processes. The mission is scheduled to continue until 2026, with a potential extension through 2030. @science

The James Webb Space Telescope has achieved a groundbreaking astronomical milestone, capturing clear images of auroras on Neptune—a sight astronomers are already hailing as historic. Auroras occur when charged particles ejected by the Sun interact with a planet’s magnetic field, entering its upper atmosphere and creating a stunning luminous display. Hints of auroral activity on Neptune were first spotted by Voyager 2 back in 1989, but concrete evidence remained elusive. Over the decades, clear visuals of auroras emerged for Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, leaving Neptune as the mysterious missing link—until now. Thanks to James Webb’s exceptional sensitivity in the near-infrared range, astronomers have not only clearly observed Neptune’s auroras but also captured remarkable details of their distinctive signatures. Moreover, scientists obtained a spectrum of Neptune’s atmosphere, allowing them to study its composition and measure the temperature of its ionosphere. Excitingly, they detected, for the first time, a prominent emission line indicating the presence of trihydrogen cation—a molecule commonly formed during auroral processes.

Sharks can produce sounds. Scientists in New Zealand observed captive rig sharks (Mustelus lenticulatus) emitting clicking noises, marking the first documented instance of sound production in sharks. These clicks are believed to result from the sharks snapping their flat, blunt teeth together—a behavior previously unrecorded in these creatures. The purpose of these sounds remains uncertain; they may serve as a defensive mechanism or a response to being startled. This finding challenges the long-held perception of sharks as silent predators and opens new avenues for understanding their behavior and communication.

🧠 AI-powered ring translates sign language in real-time! Researchers at Cornell University have created SpellRing, a tiny wearable device that uses micro-sonar and AI to track finger movements in American Sign Language (ASL). The ring, no bigger than a U.S. quarter, translates fingerspelled words with an impressive accuracy of up to 92%. This breakthrough could revolutionize digital communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, making interactions with smartphones and computers smoother and more inclusive. Read more