This week, a mouse with two dads has survived into adulthood for the first time, if you’ve ever asked someone a question with the sole intention that they ask you the same question back, there’s now a name for it, and the world’s oldest known example of a poison-covered arrow has been found embedded in a 7,000-year-old bone. Finally, we explore why so many people believe in the simulation hypothesis, despite the theory having some big issues.
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Newly Declassified Biden-Era CIA Report Says COVID Lab Leak “Likely” – What Does That Mean?
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A newly declassified report released by the CIA is once again stoking the debate around the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19. The report is not based on any new intelligence and was completed under the agency’s previous leadership at the request of the Biden administration. What it finds is that the virus most likely originated from a lab leak – but with the report itself stating the agency has “low confidence” in this conclusion, what does this actually mean? Read the full story here
Brine From Asteroid Bennu Reveals Conditions Suitable For Life In Early Solar System
In 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx brought back to Earth 121 grams of material from asteroid Bennu. This is the largest sample ever collected and brought back from a world beyond the Moon. Early analysis last year suggested that this asteroid originated in a water-rich world. Newly released findings expand that further, suggesting that the conditions for the formation of life might have been more common than previously thought in the early Solar System. Read the full story here
World First As Mouse With 2 Dads Survives To Adulthood
For the first time, scientists have created a bi-paternal mouse – that is, a mouse with two male parents – which survived until adulthood. The breakthrough represents a huge step forward in the field and has the potential to impact many areas of science, from regenerative medicine to conservation, while furthering our understanding of mammalian reproduction. Read the full story here
“Boomerasking”: There’s Finally A Name For This Self-Centered Conversational Habit
Ever asked someone a question with the sole intention that they ask you the same question back? Turns out there’s a name for that: “boomerasking”. A new study has explored exactly what this often-irritating conversational habit is, as well as why people do it and the consequences that it has. Read the full story here
Poison Concoction On Arrow Embedded In 7,000-Year-Old Bone Is World’s Oldest Known
Over 7,000 years ago, a prehistoric chemist concocted a poisonous potion, carefully applied it to the tip of an arrow, and placed it into a quiver made of a femur bone. Fast forward to 2025 and the physical remains of this moment in time are still intact, representing the oldest clear evidence of “multi-component arrow poison” in the world. Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
The Matrix Of Reality: Why Do People Believe In The Simulation Hypothesis?
Have you ever looked at your life or the world around you, or even at the universe more generally, and wondered whether everything is exactly as it seems? If you have felt like this, perhaps you’ve come across potential explanations for what might be going on. One increasingly popular idea is the so-called Simulation Hypothesis, which suggests that our lived experience is actually a simulated reality, similar to something in a video game, like The Sims. Read the full story here
More content:
Have you seen our e-magazine, CURIOUS? Issue 31 February 2025 is available now. This month we asked, “The Science Of Fever Dreams” – check it out for exclusive interviews, book excerpts, long reads, and more.
PLUS, the We Have Questions podcast – an audio version of our coveted CURIOUS e-magazine column – continues. In episode 5, we ask “How Do You Begin Searching For Alien Life?”
Season 4 of IFLScience’s The Big Questions podcast has concluded. To revisit all of season four’s episodes, click here.
Source Link: CIA Says COVID Lab Leak "Likely" – Let's Explain, Asteroid Bennu Shows Life's Ingredients In Early Solar System, And Much More This Week
