Science & Technology

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• ⚡ It's "alive"?? University of Minnesota researchers have achieved a breakthrough in biological engineering: the first synthetic cell that replicates a biological cell's life cycle, built entirely from non-living chemical components. Gift link.

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> First-of-its-kind NASA mission to prevent a space telescope from falling back to Earth is delayed for second time this week after a last-minute launch issue (More) | Read a 1440 summary of the plan (More)

> Honeybee queens exposed to pesticides off-load the toxins into their eggs to protect themselves (More) | How honeybees and other pollinators contribute over $200B to the global economy (More, w/video)

> Human red blood cells mature in nurseries structured differently than those found in mice; discovery upends longstanding assumptions and may shift understandings of disease progression and recovery (More)

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> Engineers develop paint-on electrodes that could one day power heart monitors, robotic prosthetics, and more wearable health technology—while letting users create designs ranging from sharks to foxes (More, w/photos)

> Children's brain responses to seeing emotional faces may predict future social life quality; girls with greater amygdala activity were more socially engaged, while the opposite was observed for boys (More) | Amygdala 101 (More, w/video)

> Distant exoplanets may harbor water in deep sinks that lie beyond the James Webb Space Telescope's reach, based on new readings of atmospheric data (More)

How dreams work: Tomorrow's 1440 Health & Medicine explores what's happening in our brains while we snooze.

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> Scientists build nearly 700 new cancer models derived from patient tumors and make them available to researchers worldwide in hopes of accelerating treatment discovery (More)

> COVID-19 infection may awaken dormant viruses, triggering more severe COVID-19 and lingering symptoms associated with long COVID (More) | What is long COVID? (More)

> Neanderthal-derived gene variant of the growth hormone receptor may contribute to a higher muscle mass among some adult carriers (More) | ... plus why scientists think Neanderthals were sprinters, not endurance athletes (More)

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1 science thing: Bird DNA breakthrough

Zebra finches rest on an electric guitar at an art installation in London in 2010. Photo: Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images Scientists at Rockefeller University and elsewhere say they've created the first complete genome assembly of the zebra finch, a songbird found in Australia and Indonesia. 🧬 How it works: A genome is the complete set of DNA instructions found in any given organism. Mapping genomes can help scientists better understand biology, evolution, health and more. 👂 Erich D. Jarvis, who runs Rockefeller's Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, said in a statement: "We can use this complete genome to interrogate the biology of vocal learning." "If there is a key molecule that converts a non-vocal learning species to a vocal learning species, it's in there somewhere." Go deeper ... Read the study.

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> Amazon to build a 35-turbine, 7.6 GW natural gas power plant to service a Texas data center; would be the single largest CO2 emitter in the US by a factor of two (More) | Why data centers need so much power (More, w/video)

> Brain study reveals the prefrontal cortex, which controls decision-making and executive functions, can suppress "outside the box" thinking (More)

> First complete genome of a songbird mapped; analysis sheds light on the neuroscience of vocal learning (More) | Listen to the zebra finch's "laser beam" vocalizations (More, w/video)

How eclipses work: Tomorrow's 1440 Science & Technology newsletter explores eclipses, how they work, and much more.

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> Scientists develop pacemaker battery that generates electricity from a patient's heartbeat, potentially eliminating the need for pacemaker replacements | How pacemakers work (More, w/diagram)

> Largest study of psychedelics outside clinical trials finds participants report relief from anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms three months after using psilocybin, or magic mushrooms (More) | What magic mushrooms do to the brain (More, w/video)

> Jellyfish reveal how rapid cell turnover may protect against cancer by enabling tissue to proofread, destroying and easily replacing cells that could become cancerous (More)

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> Saliva samples appear able to detect colorectal cancer and may be a more accurate diagnostic tool than widely used fecal tests (More) | Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among people under age 50; why? (More)

> Researchers develop electronic skin that can detect pressure and temperature with 10 times more sensitivity than current commercial glove sensors, potentially helping amputees gain feeling in their prosthetics (More)

> Mysterious lipid droplets in cats' kidneys may help create unique scent marks that cats use to identify each other (More) | How scientists are genetically modifying cats so they don't trigger allergies in humans (More, w/video)

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> New smartphone app Mobilio helps people with blindness or low vision navigate faster and avoid obstacles; early testing suggests it can rival a human guide (More, w/video demo)

> Language skills appear to stay resilient with age, new brain imaging study shows; the language network seems to remain nearly unchanged in older adults even as other cognitive systems decline (More)

> A 20-minute workout may protect memory after a sleepless night as well as a 90-minute nap; new study suggests both preserve cognitive function through different brain pathways (More) | How much deep sleep should you get per night? (More)

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> Largest-ever map of gene mutations linked to autism reveals hundreds of previously unknown protein interactions that impact brain development (More) | Why autism diagnoses expanded to include Asperger's in 2013 (More, w/video)

> Engineers create reconfigurable electronic devices that keep working as they change shape, with potential applications in robotics, disaster response, and more (More, w/image)

> Electrically charged raindrops found to corrode metal surfaces treated with Teflon, like that of the Eiffel Tower, helping explain why the iconic structure needs frequent repainting (More) | How water droplets generate electricity (More)

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> The EU subjects ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox to stricter rules as they surpass 45 million monthly users, including annual risk assessments (More)

> Blocking a protein in certain breast cancer cells can weaken tumors’ mitochondria, improving the efficacy of a second drug; two-pronged approach may avoid the need for chemotherapy, a new preclinical study suggests (More)

> Researchers name new predatory spider species found in Idaho’s Rocky Mountains "Hexura vandal" after University of Idaho’s mascot (More, w/photo) | How do new species get their names? (More)

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> Waymo expands its autonomous vehicle services to San Diego, Denver, and Tampa, Florida; Amazon plans to test its Zoox robotaxi in Houston and San Diego with human supervisors (More) | How do self-driving cars navigate? (More, w/video)

> New map of the brain region responsible for movement control, decision-making, and habit-forming could lead to more efficient drugs for Huntington’s disease, addiction, schizophrenia, and other disorders (More)

> Reheating clay pottery can offer researchers a new way to identify counterfeits; the approach reveals a time stamp left behind by Earth’s magnetic field when a piece was originally fired (More)

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> OpenAI begins phased rollout of GPT-6 Astra, its latest model that can independently find and exploit security flaws in computer systems (More) | Tesla hosts private event promoting its fully autonomous Cybercab (More)

> Psychedelic mushrooms contain a compound that may prevent nerve damage and pain caused by chemotherapy, new research using mice indicates; humans receiving cancer treatment will test the process in clinical trials later this year (More)

> BepiColombo spacecraft approaches Mercury after traveling almost eight years through the solar system; mission will allow scientists to study the planet’s geology, surface composition, and magnetic field (More) | Who was Bepi Colombo? (More)

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👽 1 science thing: The search for speck

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios In a new study, researchers propose searching for microscopic evidence of long-dead alien civilizations in lunar soil samples. The idea is that tiny particles from collapsed civilizations could drift through space, perhaps settling on the Moon like flotsam and jetsam washing up on a beach. 📡 Ian Crawford, a professor of planetary science at Birkbeck College, University of London, and a study co-author, tells The New York Times: "If you concede that looking for alien intelligences is a legitimate part of science ... then looking for the technological products ... ought to be just as scientifically valid as looking for their radio emissions." (Gift link.) Reality check: The Moon is littered with microscopic junk from human spaceflight, and finding something alien in origin would be a long shot, to say the least. Read the study.

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> AI-generated drug developed to treat a rare lung condition may also slow aging in humans (More) | What are the biological hallmarks of aging? (More, w/video)

> Researchers devise way to test whether black holes have hidden matter around them, potentially revealing deviations from Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity (More) | Theory of general relativity 101 (More)

> Scientists discover stem cells that appear to produce tendons and ligaments and contribute to lumbar spinal stenosis; the finding suggests existing high blood pressure medications could treat the common lower back condition (More)

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> NASA and IBM team up to launch an AI model that aids researchers in analyzing the moon's surface; new tool will help map craters, find young volcanic features, and model possible locations of water ice (More)

> A smartphone attachment could make cataract screening more accessible in rural areas by turning the phone’s camera into a low-cost tool for imaging the eye’s lens and spotting signs of clouding (More) | See how cataracts form (More, w/video)

> Scientist discovers 10,000-year-old mastodon tooth near a creek in San Mateo County, California; the molar presents researchers with a new window into understanding ice age biodiversity (More)

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> Waymo launches public robotaxi service in Las Vegas, following successful launches in 14 other cities; riders are being invited on a rolling basis (More) | Track where robotaxis are operating (More)

> Single brain implant enables people with paralysis to speak and convey upper-body gestures simultaneously via a virtual avatar (More, w/image)

> Water scarcity will likely limit the size and longevity of future lunar settlements, according to new analysis; estimates suggest a city of 1 million people could only survive about a century, even with 98% water recycling efficiency (More)

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🐈 1 science thing: New cat dropped

Photo: Fernando Faciole/National Geographic via Reuters Meet Leopardus tilcayo — the first newly identified cat species in over a century, according to a new study. The wild cat, a bit smaller than a housecat, lives in Bolivia's cloud forest. Locals call it simply "Tilcayo." 🌲 National Geographic on the discovery's importance: "The new paper doesn't just name a new species; it redraws the cat family tree to have a lot more branches than previously thought." "What's more, the researchers hope the methods used to identify L. tilcayo may soon be used to find even more cat species spread across the world, and even transform how we protect them." Go deeper ... Read the study.