Brain–spine interface allows paralysed man to walk using his thoughts

A wireless connection between the brain and the spinal cord allows a paralysed man to walk using his thoughts. Gert-Jan Oskam, whose legs were paralysed after a cycling accident, received a spinal implant in 2018 that generated robotic movement through pre-programmed electrical stimulation. He has now received head implants that detect brain activity and transmit the signal to a backpack computer, which decodes the information and activates the spinal pulse generator. This brain–spine interface gives Oskam full control over the stimulation, so he can walk and climb stairs.

The Closest Living Relative of the First Animal Has Finally Been Found

Ctenophores, also called comb jellies, are the sister group of all living animals, scientists have discovered. The team compared the comb jelly Bolinopsis microptera to sponges — another contender for the most ancient creature on Earth — along with three unicellular relatives of animals. The pattern of genes on the jellies’ chromosomes revealed that they evolved first. That means that early animals were surprisingly complex: they had a well-developed nervous system, and could probably swim around freely.

JWST spots biggest water plume yet spewing from a moon of Saturn

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spotted Saturn’s moon Enceladus spraying out a huge plume of very cold water vapour, far bigger than any previously seen there. The enormous cloud could carry the chemical ingredients of life: the salty ocean that lies beneath Enceladus’s icy surface is a possible haven for organisms, which could be sustained by hydrothermal vents.

Human evolution has no single birthplace

Humans did not emerge from a single region of Africa, but from several populations that moved around the continent one million years ago and intermingled for millennia. The widely held idea of a single origin of Homo sapiens is based in part on fossil records. Computer modelling and genome data from modern African and European populations revealed that “our roots lie in a very diverse overall population made up of fragmented local populations”, says evolutionary archaeologist Eleanor Scerri. This means human evolution looks more like a tangled vine than a ‘tree of life.’

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Where did the local populations come from?

Astronomers capture largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed

Astronomers have observed the most energetic explosion ever: a fireball 100 times the size of the Solar System and 2 trillion times brighter than the Sun, which has existed for 3 years. The event, dubbed AT2021lwx, might have been caused by an enormous star or cloud of gas being gobbled up by a black hole. The reason why night hasn’t been turned to day here on Earth is that the party is happening 2.5 billion parsecs away. It’s not the brightest event ever seen — that would be the γ-ray burst known as GRB 221009A — but that lasted only a few minutes.

First human ‘pangenome’ aims to catalogue genetic diversity

The first draft of a human ‘pangenome’ has been published. Unlike the first complete human genome sequence, which was derived mostly from the DNA of just one person, the pangenome is drawn from 47 people from around the globe, including individuals from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. More genomes are being added — 350 will be analysed by mid-2024. They will allow geneticists to identify variations in the genomes of diverse populations and investigate links between genes and disease.

Physicists create long-sought topological quantum states

An interlocked ring pattern of virtual exotic particles called non-Abelian anyons — or nonabelions for short — has been created in a quantum computer for the first time. The particles’ paths form Borromean rings, three interlocking rings that can’t be pulled apart but don’t contain any linked pairs. The rings exist only as information inside a quantum computer. They could make the machines more robust to perturbations that create errors in their calculations.

Language model builds better antibodies

A protein language model, a generative artificial intelligence similar to ChatGPT, can improve antibody therapies against viruses such as COVID-19, Ebola and influenza. The models suggested changes to existing antibody therapies that boosted their ability to recognise and block the proteins that viruses use to infect cells. Many of the alterations were outside the regions that are usually the focus of engineering efforts.

New organelle discovered inside animal cell

Biology textbooks look set for an update: researchers have just discovered a new kind of organelle, a tiny organ-like structure inside cells. Researchers made the discovery while investigating the role of phosphate in cell renewal in the guts of fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). The new organelle acts as a reservoir for phosphate, a nutrient that is essential for life.

Prehistoric pendant’s DNA reveals the person who held it

A woman who held a deer-tooth pendant some 20,000 years ago left her genetic calling card on the ancient treasure. Scientists unearthed the pendant in Denisova Cave in Siberia, Russia, which was once home to several ancient human species, including the Denisovans. To glean details about who made or wore the pendant, researchers coaxed DNA from inside pores of the tooth — without damaging the priceless item — then compared the genetic sequences with other sets of ancient DNA. The woman was a member of our own species, Homo sapiens, and had north Eurasian ancestry.

Mind-reading machines are here

Scientists have developed the first non-invasive method of determining the gist of imagined speech, presenting a possible communication outlet for people who cannot talk. The thought-to-speech technology relies on functional magnetic resonance imaging and large language models. Researchers used it to decode imagined speech in volunteers while they listened to podcasts. But the results were hit-and-miss, and it was easy to trick the technology. Neuroethicists are split on whether the latest advance represents a threat to mental privacy.