Mysterious Golden Orb at The Bottom of The Ocean Finally Identified

23 April 2026, By M. Starr

https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-golden-orb-at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-finally-identified

The mystery orb found at the bottom of the Gulf of Alaska. 

(NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska)

In 2023, in water so deep that sunlight never reaches it, scientists operating a remote vehicle found a mystery at the bottom of the ocean.

Tightly adhered to a rock was an orb-shaped mass of golden material that shimmered in the bright lights of the ROV Deep Discoverer, appearing to be something no one had ever seen before.

Initial speculation seemed to favor that the mystery object was the abandoned egg case of some deep-dwelling creature. Now, after three years, we finally have answers – and it's not what scientists initially suspected.

But it's still deeply weird: The shining blob of tissue was a chunk of 'skin' left by a glorious sea anemone, possibly discarded when the animal either picked up and moved or tried to reproduce.

Painstaking work even revealed the species: Relicanthus daphneae, a deep-sea cnidarian with tentacles that can grow more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUXrvirtdB8

The initial discovery of the blob, measuring around 10 centimeters (4 inches) across with a hole in one side, had scientists simultaneously baffled and delighted. It was found stuck to a rock at the bottom of the Gulf of Alaska, around 3,250 meters (about 2 miles) below the ocean's surface.

At those depths, the ocean is very cold, very dark, and the ambient pressure is crushing – significant barriers to human exploration.

Scientists aboard the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer came across the mass while observing a live feed as they controlled the remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer.

A close-up view of the blob in the Smithsonian Institution laboratory. (NOAA Fisheries)



"I don't know what to make of that," said one of the researchers on a livestream of the expedition back in 2023.

"It's definitely got a big old hole in it, so something either tried to get in or tried to get out," another speculated.

"I just hope when we poke it, something doesn't decide to come out," one researcher said. "It's like the beginning of a horror movie."

They carefully collected the specimen using the ROV's robotic arm and took it to a laboratory for testing, expecting it would either turn out to be an egg case or a dead sponge or coral. Here, the mystery deepened.

"We work on hundreds of different samples and I suspected that our routine processes would clarify the mystery," explains zoologist Allen Collins of NOAA Fisheries' National Systematics Laboratory.

"But this turned into a special case that required focused efforts and expertise of several different individuals. This was a complex mystery that required morphological, genetic, deep-sea, and bioinformatics expertise to solve."

A specimen of R. daphneae clinging to a rock, observed during a 2016 NOAA expedition to the Mariana Islands.

 (NOAA Ocean Exploration, Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas)



The researchers found that the specimen did not have the typical anatomy expected in an animal.

Instead, it was fibrous and packed with stinging cells called cnidocytes that are typically seen in corals and anemones. The specific cnidocytes found in the blob were spirocysts, which are found only in the Hexacorallia class of cnidarians.

However, at this point, the investigation ran into a snag.

Superficial DNA testing was inconclusive because the blob was riddled with other microscopic organisms. It was only by sequencing the whole, deep genome that the researchers landed on a close match – R. daphneae, first described in 2006.

An R. daphneae attached to the stalk of a dead sea sponge, observed on a 2016 expedition.

 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

The blob, the researchers explained, is a cuticle left behind by one of these anemones. The cuticle is a thin, multilayered coating secreted by the outer tissues of some anemones, forming flexible, sheet-like structures that can detach and remain on the seafloor.

Its main ingredient appears to be chitin, the tough, fibrous material that makes up hard parts of other organisms, such as beetle cases and fungal cell walls.

"Observations of animals in situ suggest that cuticle is left behind as the animal moves, suggesting that the animal can detach from it," the researchers write.

Collected specimens of R. daphneae rarely have a cuticle; this ability to move on and leave it behind might explain why. The abandoned cuticle might also be a clue to how the animal reproduces – a process that is difficult to understand in creatures living in such an inaccessible habitat.

"Although genetic and morphological data confirm the identification of the taxon in question, explanation of the golden orb morphology remains a vexing issue," the researchers write.

"One possible interpretation is that the orb is a remnant of incomplete asexual reproduction. Some sea anemones are capable of pedal laceration, whereby the base of the polyp is abandoned, and the upper portion of the animal moves away, leaving a stump of the body that then regrows a new polyp."

Whether this is the case for R. daphneae is still unknown, but even if it is an incomplete reproduction, it's still conducive to life in the inhospitable depths.

A closeup of the 'orb' attached to the rock on which it was found.

 (NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska)

The sheer volume of microorganisms found on the cuticle suggests it may act as a microscale hotspot of microbial activity, where microbes feed on and break down the decaying tissue, one key part of the nitrogen cycle.

So there you have it. An anemone shucked its 'skin', giving a free lunch to the microbes.

"This is why we keep exploring – to unlock the secrets of the deep and better understand how the ocean and its resources can drive economic growth, strengthen our national security, and sustain our planet," acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration Captain William Mowitt says.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Why Are Giant Ants Letting Tiny Ants Crawl All Over Them?

By Smithsonian, April 22, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/why-are-giant-ants-letting-tiny-ants-crawl-all-over-them/

In the deserts of southeastern Arizona, several cleaner ants tend to a harvester ant by licking tiny particles off the larger ant’s body. 

Credit: © Mark Moffett, Minden Pictures

Tiny cone ants in Arizona have been seen cleaning much larger harvester ants, even inside their open jaws. The unusual behavior may benefit both species and has never been recorded before.

In the deserts of southeastern Arizona, researchers have observed an unusual interaction between two very different ants. Large harvester ants gather outside the nests of much smaller cone ants, holding their serrated jaws open. Instead of showing aggression, the smaller ants climb onto the larger ones and begin licking and nibbling their bodies, including sensitive areas. Scientists say this is the first recorded case of one ant species cleaning a much larger ant.

The behavior was detailed this week in the journal Ecology and Evolution and was documented by entomologist Mark Moffett, a research associate at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. He likens the discovery to marine “cleaner fish” that remove parasites and debris from larger fish, even from species that could easily eat them.

“This new ant species is the insect equivalent of cleaner fish in the ocean,” Moffett said. “The potentially dangerous harvester ants even permit the visitors to groom between their open jaws.”
How the Behavior Was Discovered

Moffett, who studies the social behavior of ants and other animals, first noticed the interaction while visiting a research station in Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains. One morning, while watching harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) leave their nests to collect seeds, he saw something unusual. A few ants stood completely still, which is not typical for these constantly moving insects.

Looking closer with his camera, he realized those ants were covered with tiny cone ants.

“Given the usual tendencies of ants, I first assumed that I was observing aggression,” Moffett said. “But the larger ants seemed to seek the attention of the smaller ants by first visiting their nests and then allowing the small ants to lick and nibble all over them.”

Step-by-Step Ant Cleaning Behavior

Over several days, Moffett recorded at least 90 harvester ants interacting with the smaller cone ants. These cone ants belong to an undescribed species in the genus Dorymyrmex. He photographed many of the encounters to document how the process unfolds.

A harvester ant typically approaches a cone ant nest and stands upright with her mandibles open (all worker ants are female). Within about a minute, a cone ant emerges and climbs onto the larger ant. In some cases, up to five cone ants gather and begin grooming.

The interactions can last less than 15 seconds or continue for more than five minutes. During this time, the cone ants use their tongue-like mouthparts to clean the harvester ant’s body, even reaching inside the open jaws. The larger ant remains still and does not attack. When the session ends, the harvester ant shakes off the smaller ants, sometimes flipping onto her back before quickly moving away.
A Rare Example of Ant Cooperation

Moffett had never encountered anything like this in ants or other insects. The closest comparison comes from the ocean, where larger fish visit specific locations to be cleaned by smaller fish and shrimp. Similar to the cone ants, some of these marine cleaners even work inside the mouths of their hosts.
What Do the Ants Gain?

Scientists are still working to understand why this behavior occurs. Moffett suggests the cone ants may be feeding on tiny particles they remove from the harvester ants’ bodies. These could include small, energy-rich fragments, possibly from the seeds the larger ants collect. Notably, the cone ants only interacted with living harvester ants and ignored dead ones placed near their nests.

There may also be benefits for the harvester ants. While they already groom each other to remove debris, spores, and parasites, the smaller cone ants might be able to clean areas that are otherwise hard to reach. Future research could determine whether this behavior reduces infections or affects the microbiome of either species.

A Reminder to Look Closely at Nature

Moffett believes this discovery shows how much remains to be learned from observing animals in their natural environments.

“All kinds of amazing discoveries are still there to be made outside of the lab,” Moffett said. “Finding new species and behaviors in nature often requires us to pay close attention to the small things—including the ants.”

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4,000-Year-Old Tablets Reveal Lost Magic, Medicine, and Ancient Kings

BY U. OF COPENHAGEN, APRIL 23, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/4000-year-old-tablets-reveal-lost-magic-medicine-and-ancient-kings/

This is what happens when a 5,000-year-old technology meets the digital age. Researchers from the National Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen have analyzed, identified, and digitized a large collection of cuneiform tablets. 

Credit: Troels Pank Arbøll

Decoded cuneiform tablets reveal early societies’ magic, politics, and bureaucracy, including rare rituals, king lists, and daily records.

For more than a century, the National Museum has preserved a vast collection of inscribed clay tablets from some of the earliest Middle Eastern civilizations. Many of these artifacts are over 4,000 years old and written in languages that are no longer spoken. Long overlooked, the tablets have now been decoded, revealing compelling accounts of magic, royal authority, and everyday administration.

About 5,200 years ago, people in what is now Iraq and Syria began pressing symbols into clay to record information. This innovation gradually supported the rise of complex cities, enabling more advanced systems of governance and recordkeeping.

Over the past century, the National Museum assembled an extensive archive of these early records, written in cuneiform script. Although largely unexamined in recent decades, researchers from the museum and the University of Copenhagen have now completed the first full analysis, identification, and digitization of the texts as part of the project “Hidden Treasures: The National Museum’s Cuneiform Collection.

”
Diverse Texts from Early Civilizations

A closer review of the collection revealed a wide range of content, including financial records, personal letters, medical instructions, and ritual texts.

Some of the tablets come from the Syrian city of Hama, which was explored by a Danish expedition in the 1930s. In 720 BC, Assyrian forces destroyed the city and carried off many valuables to their capital, Assur, in present-day Iraq. In their rush, they left behind several clay tablets, which eventually became part of the National Museum of Denmark’s holdings.

“The texts in the collection that originate from Hama are almost 3,000 years old and deal with medical treatments and magical incantations. They had been left behind in the remains of what we believe must have been a large temple library. All other texts were gone”, explains Assyriologist Troels Pank Arbøll, who has been part of the Hidden Treasures project.

Unique Hama Texts and Anti-Witchcraft Rituals

Arbøll notes that the Hama tablets are especially rare, as few similar texts from this region and time period have been discovered. One tablet in particular stood out:

“One of the clay tablets turned out to contain a so-called anti-witchcraft ritual, which was of enormous importance to the royal authority in Assyria because it had the remarkable ability to ward off misfortunes—such as political instability—that might befall a king,” says Troels Pank Arbøll

This ritual lasted through the night and involved burning small figures made of wax and clay while an exorcist recited set incantations. Because such practices were closely tied to the Assyrian court, researchers were surprised to find this text so far from the empire’s center and from major cultural hubs like Babylonia. Hama was located on the outer edges of these regions.

Kings, Myths, and Administrative Records

The collection also includes a copy of a well-known regnal list that records both legendary and historical rulers.

This document traces kings back to a time before Noah and the Flood. The version found at the National Museum appears to be a training text and references rulers from the late third millennium BC. Other versions include the famed King Gilgamesh, known from the Epic of Gilgamesh.

“That makes this regnal list one of the few relics we have that suggests Gilgamesh may have actually existed. We had no idea we had a copy of that list here in Denmark. It is quite spectacular,” says Troels Pank Arbøll.

Bureaucracy and Everyday Life in Cuneiform

Another set of tablets comes from Danish excavations at Tell Shemshara in 1957, located in modern northern Iraq. These texts include correspondence between a local leader and an Assyrian king around 1800 BC, along with administrative records. Documents like these played a key role in the original development of cuneiform writing.

“A great many of the cuneiform tablets we have today bear witness to a highly developed bureaucracy. There was a need to keep track of the advanced societies that were being built, and we have found a large number of cuneiform tablets containing practical information, such as accounts and lists of goods and personnel. It is therefore not surprising that one of the tablets in the National Museum’s collection contains something as commonplace as a very old receipt for beer,” concludes Troels Pank Arbøll.

Hidden Treasures: The National Museum’s Cuneiform Collection is led by Nicole Brisch (University of Hamburg) and Anne Haslund Hansen (National Museum), and the project is supported by the Carlsberg Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation and the Edubba Foundation.

The birth of modern Man

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Scientists Uncover Dangerous Connection Between Serotonin and Heart Valve Disease

BY SCITECHDAILY.COM, APRIL 21, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-uncover-dangerous-connection-between-serotonin-and-heart-valve-disease/

Subtle changes in a key molecular pathway may play a larger role in valve disease than previously thought, offering clues for future diagnosis and treatment.

 Credit: Shutterstock

New findings reveal a potential connection between serotonin activity and the progression of a widespread heart valve disorder.

Serotonin is best known for its role in mood, but new research suggests it may also influence how certain heart valve diseases progress. A large multicenter study has found that this common brain chemical could contribute to faster worsening of degenerative mitral regurgitation, a widespread and potentially serious heart condition.

The work, led by researchers at Columbia University in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the University of Pennsylvania, and the Valley Hospital Heart Institute, was published in Science Translational Medicine.
When a Heart Valve Stops Sealing Properly

Degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) affects the mitral valve, which controls blood flow between the heart’s left atrium and left ventricle. Under normal conditions, the valve shuts tightly with each heartbeat to keep blood moving forward.

In DMR, the valve gradually becomes misshapen and cannot close completely. This allows blood to leak backward toward the lungs, reducing the efficiency of circulation. Over time, the heart compensates by working harder, which can stretch and weaken the muscle.

Early symptoms can be subtle, including fatigue or mild shortness of breath. As the condition advances, it raises the risk of atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and other complications. Millions of people are affected worldwide, particularly older adults, making it one of the most common valve disorders.

This image shows the mitral valve of the heart of a mouse that lacks the serotonin transporter (SERT) gene. The valve was stained with prico-sirius red to show collagen. SERT knockout mice had a thickened mitral valve compared to normal mice. 

Credit: Columbia University Irving Medical Center



There is no medication that can reverse the underlying valve damage. “Certain medications can ease the symptoms and prevent complications, but they do not treat the mitral valve,” says Ferrari, scientific director of the Cardiothoracic Research Program at Columbia. “If the degeneration of the mitral valve becomes severe, surgery to repair or replace the valve is needed.”
A Surprising Link to a Brain Chemical

Serotonin helps regulate mood, sleep, digestion, and blood clotting. It works by binding to receptors on cells, triggering specific responses. Afterward, a protein called the serotonin transporter (SERT or 5-HTT) pulls serotonin back into the cell so it can be reused.

This recycling system is the target of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a widely prescribed class of antidepressants that includes fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft). By blocking SERT, these drugs increase the amount of serotonin available in the brain.

What is less widely appreciated is that serotonin signaling also occurs outside the brain, including in heart tissue. Earlier research has linked abnormal serotonin activity to valve thickening in rare drug-related cases, which led scientists to investigate whether a similar mechanism might play a role in common valve diseases like DMR.

What the Data Revealed

The research team analyzed records from more than 9,000 patients who had surgery for DMR and examined 100 mitral valve tissue samples. They found a clear pattern: patients taking SSRIs tended to need surgery at a younger age than those who were not on these medications.

“Studying the data of these patients, we found that taking SSRIs was associated with severe mitral regurgitation that needed to be treated with surgery at a younger age than for patients not taking SSRIs,” says Ferrari.

To explore why, the scientists turned to animal models. Mice engineered without the SERT gene developed thicker mitral valves. Normal mice given high doses of SSRIs showed similar changes, suggesting that reduced serotonin reuptake may directly affect valve structure.

The Genetic Piece of the Puzzle

The study also identified a genetic factor that appears to influence risk. Variations in a region known as 5-HTTLPR affect how active the SERT protein is.

People with two copies of the so-called “long” variant have lower SERT activity in mitral valve cells. Among patients with DMR, those with this “long-long” pattern were more likely to require surgery than individuals with other versions of the gene.

At the cellular level, this variant made valve cells more responsive to serotonin, leading them to produce extra collagen. This buildup can stiffen and distort the valve over time. These same cells also reacted more strongly to fluoxetine, indicating that medication and genetics may interact in ways that influence disease progression.

What This Could Mean for Care

The findings point toward a more personalized approach to managing mitral valve disease. A simple genetic test using a blood sample or mouth swab could help identify patients with lower SERT activity who may be at higher risk of rapid progression.

“Assessing patients with DMR for low SERT activity may help identify patients who may need mitral valve surgery earlier,” says Ferrari. “Promptly fixing a mitral valve that is very leaky would protect the heart and could prevent congestive heart failure.”

At the same time, the researchers emphasize that SSRIs remain safe and effective for most people. The study did not find harmful effects in individuals with healthy mitral valves, even when SERT activity was low.

“A healthy mitral valve can probably stand low SERT activity without deforming,” says Ferrari. “It is unlikely that low SERT can cause degeneration of the mitral valve by itself. SSRIs are generally safe for most patients. Once the mitral valve has started to degenerate, it may be more susceptible to serotonin and low SERT.”

Expanding the Serotonin Hypothesis

Follow-up studies suggest that the findings may reflect part of a broader serotonin-related mechanism in valve disease rather than a process limited to degenerative mitral regurgitation alone.

A 2024 study in Cardiovascular Pathology demonstrated that mice lacking the serotonin transporter developed not only thickened mitral valves but also myocardial fibrosis, reduced cardiac function, and age-related remodeling changes across multiple valve structures.

The work also found that mitral valve cells were especially sensitive to serotonin-driven, pro-fibrotic signaling, helping explain why the mitral valve may be particularly vulnerable once degeneration begins.

A second follow-up study, published in 2026 in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, looked at aortic stenosis, a condition in which the heart’s aortic valve becomes stiff and narrowed. This makes it harder for blood to flow out of the heart to the rest of the body.

The researchers studied patients, mice, and human valve cells grown in the lab. They found that when SERT activity was low and HTR2B signaling was higher, the aortic valve showed more early scarring and calcium buildup. In mice, blocking HTR2B reduced many of these harmful changes, suggesting it could be a possible target for future treatments.

The findings suggest that abnormal serotonin signaling may play a role in more than one type of heart valve disease and could one day help doctors identify higher-risk patients or develop treatments that slow valve damage.

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This Fungus Can Survive Deep-Space Conditions – And Could Hitch a Ride to Mars

22 April 2026, By M. STARR

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-fungus-can-survive-deep-space-conditions-and-could-hitch-a-ride-to-mars

A colony of an Aspergillus fungus growing in a petri dish.

  (sarahlai/iNaturalist/CC BY-NC 4.0)

The next mission to Mars could carry along some uninvited guests.

According to a new study of organisms found living in NASA cleanrooms even after decontamination, a fungus called Aspergillus calidoustus could very well be hardy enough to survive the radiation, near-vacuum, and temperature conditions of deep space.

"This does not mean contamination of Mars is likely, but it helps us better quantify potential microbial survival risks," says microbiologist Kasthuri Venkateswaran of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

 "Microorganisms can possess extraordinary resilience to environmental stresses."

When we send probes to explore the Solar System, they can carry unintended lifeforms with them.

Although decontamination procedures minimize the number of microbial spores stowing away, even best practices can't eradicate the problem. According to current guidelines, there should be no more than 300 spores per square meter on spacecraft bound for Mars.

We expect that anything that has evolved for billions of years in a terrestrial environment would be unlikely to survive a trip through space on the outside of a rocket. But any species robust enough to survive decontamination within a spacecraft may also be among the most capable of enduring the journey through space.

Most of the research in that direction has focused on bacteria, which produce spores that act as a sort of life raft or survival capsule when conditions become harsh. By contrast, less attention has been paid to fungi in planetary protection research, some of which have demonstrated resilience under extreme conditions.

According to Article IX of the UN's Outer Space Treaty of 1967, any space exploration must take steps to avoid the harmful contamination of other worlds. This means that we need to know what potential contaminants could feasibly hitch a ride across the Solar System and set up shop on another planet or moon.

Venkateswaran and his colleagues swabbed NASA cleanrooms used in the Mars 2020 program to obtain a better grasp of the potential fungal threat. Specifically, they wanted to identify fungal spores, called conidia, to see whether any could survive the simulated conditions of space travel.

Even the decontaminated cleanrooms yielded 27 fungal strains.

Next, the researchers cultured these fungi and harvested their conidia, and subjected them to a battery of tests.

These included intense ultraviolet irradiation, much stronger than anything they would naturally experience on Earth; extremely low pressure, consistent with Mars conditions; extreme cold down to -60 degrees Celsius (-76 Fahrenheit), similar to low temperatures on Mars; Mars-like dust; and radiation exposure similar to the cosmic radiation dose of a trip to Mars.

Of the 27 initial strains, 23 survived the UV irradiation. However, one species, A. calidoustus, was the standout survivor. Its conidia managed to survive UV radiation, months of space-like ionizing radiation exposure, and the Mars-like atmospheric conditions.

The only thing that could reliably kill the fungus was prolonged exposure to a combination of Mars-like high radiation and extreme cold.

"The capacity for fungal conidia to survive multiple space-relevant conditions suggests their potential as forward contaminants, capable of being transported to and persisting on Mars," the researchers write in their paper.

The results don't mean we need to panic immediately about fungal spores seeding Mars. But they do suggest that fungi represent a critical, overlooked gap in current interplanetary contamination strategies, especially as humanity stands poised on the brink of a new era of space exploration with the Artemis program.

Aspergillus species are also associated with health complications, particularly respiratory conditions such as aspergillosis. This means finding ways to minimize their presence on spacecraft could help ensure astronaut health and safety on long missions.

"Together, these investigations help refine NASA's planetary protection strategies and microbial risk assessment approaches for current and future space exploration missions," Venkateswaran says.

The Life of Earth

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Researchers Uncover Source of Strange Deformation in Earth’s Largest Continental Rift

BY SCITECHDAILY.COM, APRIL 21, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-uncover-source-of-strange-deformation-in-earths-largest-continental-rift/

The African Superplume is a vast upwelling of unusually hot, buoyant mantle rock rising from deep within Earth beneath southern Africa. This slow but powerful flow influences surface geology by uplifting regions like the African Superswell and affecting how the East African Rift System deforms and evolves. 

Credit: Stock

Deep beneath Africa, a massive flow of hot mantle rock appears to be quietly reshaping the continent in ways scientists did not fully expect.

New research is shedding light on why parts of East Africa are deforming in unexpected ways, revealing a powerful force rising from deep within the planet.

Scientists using advanced computer simulations have confirmed that the African Superplume, a massive flow of hot mantle rock rising from deep beneath southwest Africa, is shaping how the East African Rift 

System is breaking apart.

Continental rifting is the process that slowly tears a landmass apart, eventually forming new ocean basins over millions of years. It begins with the stretching of the lithosphere, Earth’s rigid outer shell. As this layer thins, the upper crust fractures, producing earthquakes and visible cracks, while deeper regions can flow more slowly and smoothly.
How the Lithosphere Responds to Stress

Geophysicist D. Sarah Stamps explains that this contrast in behavior depends on time scale and stress, much like a familiar material.

“If you hit Silly Putty with a hammer, it can actually crack and break,” said Stamps, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences, part of the Virginia Tech College of Science. “But if you slowly pull it apart, the Silly Putty stretches. So on different time scales, Earth’s lithosphere behaves in different ways.”

For decades, scientists have expected most deformation in rift zones to occur perpendicular to the direction of the rift, essentially pulling the crust apart sideways. The East African Rift System, the largest active continental rift on Earth, does show this pattern. But long-term GPS measurements have revealed something puzzling: parts of the region are also shifting parallel to the rift itself.

Assistant Professor D. Sarah Stamps. 

Credit: Virginia Tech



To investigate, researchers turned to detailed 3D thermomechanical models developed by Tahiry Rajaonarison, now a postdoctoral researcher at New Mexico Tech. His simulations show that this unusual, rift-parallel motion is driven by northward mantle flow tied to the African Superplume.

This finding helps resolve a long-standing debate about what forces dominate the rifting process. Some scientists have argued that relatively shallow forces, known as lithospheric buoyancy, are responsible. These forces are linked to the elevated African Superswell and variations in rock density. Others have pointed to deeper mantle traction forces caused by the horizontal movement of hot rock beneath the surface.

Resolving a Scientific Debate

Earlier modeling work in 2021 suggested that both forces are important. Buoyancy explains the expected sideways stretching, but it could not account for the newly observed parallel motion. The latest study fills that gap by identifying mantle flow from the superplume as the missing driver.

The research also explains a related phenomenon called seismic anisotropy, where seismic waves travel faster in certain directions because of how rocks are aligned underground. In East Africa, that alignment matches the direction of the superplume’s northward flow, offering further evidence of its influence.

“We are saying that the mantle flow is not driving the east-west, rift-perpendicular direction of some of the deformations, but that it may be causing the anomalous northward deformation parallel to the rift,” Rajaonarison said. “We confirmed previous ideas that lithospheric buoyancy forces are driving the rift, but we’re bringing new insight that anomalous deformation can happen in East Africa.”

Deep Earth Processes and Surface Change

The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters, highlighting how processes occurring hundreds to thousands of kilometers below Earth’s surface can directly influence how continents break apart above.

A separate study also published in 2025 in Geophysical Research Letters focused on how smaller blocks of crust, known as microplates, behave within the rift. Using dense Global Navigation Satellite System data, scientists found that the Victoria microplate, located between major rift branches, is slowly rotating counterclockwise at about 0.0583 ± 0.0293° per million years (roughly 6.48 ± 3.26 millimeters per year, or about 0.26 ± 0.13 inches per year).

The Role of Microplates in Rift Dynamics

The study shows that most of the deformation is concentrated along the edges of this microplate, where faults slip at rates of about 1.8 to 2.2 millimeters per year (about 0.07 to 0.09 inches per year), while the interior remains mostly stable with only minor stretching in some areas.

This rotation helps explain why deformation in the region is not perfectly aligned with the rift itself. Instead, movement is slightly angled, reflecting a combination of forces acting at different depths. It also suggests that the breakup of Africa is not a simple, uniform process, but a complex interaction of deep mantle flow, surface forces, and the shifting motion of smaller crustal blocks.

“We’re excited about this result from Dr. Rajaonarison’s numerical modeling because it provides new information about the complex processes that shape the Earth’s surface through continental rifting,” Stamps said.

The Life of Earth

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Up to 4% of People Can Hear Colors or Taste Words. Here's Why.

20 April 2026, ByS. Smit & A. Rich, The Conversation

https://www.sciencealert.com/up-to-4-of-people-can-hear-colors-or-taste-words-heres-why

(agsandrew/Canva)

Have you ever tasted a word, or seen colors while listening to music?

If you have, you may be among the 1% to 4% of people who have a fascinating trait known as synaesthesia.

Synaesthesia is a neurological phenomenon where the activation of one sense, such as hearing, triggers the activation of another, usually unrelated sense, such as sight. This means people with synaesthesia often experience additional sensations compared to the rest of us.

We've devoted a lot of time to understanding this rare phenomenon. While there's much more to unpack, what we do know shows we don't all perceive the world in the same way.

What is synaesthesia?

People with synaesthesia are known as synaesthetes. Research suggests synaesthesia may be more common among women, although this could reflect sampling biases and may be influenced by genetics.

There are many different types of synaesthesia. Some people have auditory-visual synaesthesia, meaning they see colors when they hear sounds. Others see colors when they read, hear, or think about letters or numbers. This is known as grapheme-color synaesthesia.

Some people see colors when they hear sounds. 

(Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash)



Another example is mirror-touch synaesthesia, where a person feels sensations on their own body when they see another person being touched.

All of us naturally combine information from different senses. For instance, when you watch someone speak, your brain blends what you see and hear to understand them better. In synaesthesia, these links are a bit different – a sound might, for example, trigger a visual experience – but may still depend on the same mechanisms.

People with synaesthesia don't have any control over how their senses collide. Instead, these are spontaneous, vivid experiences that usually stay the same over time.

For example, today, a person with grapheme-color synaesthesia may perceive the letter "A" as being red. And they'll most likely see it as being the same shade even years later.

It's worth noting that synaesthesia is not an illness or disorder. And it doesn't cause harm or impairment, although some people may find their synaesthesia overwhelming at times. For example, if they feel pain every time they see someone else in pain, going to the movies can be quite disturbing.

However, on the whole it does not seem to interfere with daily life. In fact, many people don't realize they have synaesthesia because it's simply how they perceive the world.

What causes it?

We don't yet know exactly what causes synaesthesia. But scientists have come up with two main theories.

1. Synaesthetes have more connections in their brain

According to this view, known as the cross-activation theory, people with synaesthesia have more connections between different parts of their brains.

This could happen because their brain hasn't gotten rid of unused connections between brain cells. This process, known as synaptic pruning, helps the brain work more efficiently and is part of normal development.

Under this theory, a person with grapheme-color synaesthesia for example, would have the region that recognizes letters directly linked to the part that processes color. So when they see a letter, they perceive it with a color.

2. Synaesthetes have slightly different activity in their brain

The other main theory is that people with synaesthesia have the same neural connections as non-synaesthetes, but certain pathways might be stronger or more active. Synaesthesia does seem to build on mechanisms we all have.

For example, when you see a picture of a grey banana, you know bananas are usually yellow. We even see patterns of brain activity that reflect this. Grapheme-color synaesthetes might also do this with letters, so that when they see black letters, their brain activates specific colors.

Simply put, the debate about what causes synaesthesia comes down to whether synaesthetes have a different brain structure or just use their brains in an alternative way.

Does it make you more creative?

You might've heard artists such as Kandinsky or musicians such as Lorde describe their synaesthesia-like experiences. And there is some evidence to suggest synaesthesia is more common among people in creative fields.

One large survey of Australian synaesthetes found roughly 24% had creative occupations, such as being an artist, musician, architect, or graphic designer. This is compared to the less than 2% of people in the general population who have these jobs. This gap is striking, even though we don't understand what's behind it.

One reason may be that synaesthetes link ideas and sensations in unusual ways, helping them think more creatively. Research suggests people with certain kinds of synaesthesia may form stronger memories or have more vivid imaginations, but only to a limited extent.

Synaesthesia is a powerful window into how our brains make sense of the world. It reminds us perception is not a fixed, one-size-fits-all process. Rather, it's something the brain actively builds in ways that are often more varied, and far richer, than we might expect.

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Amazonian 'Internet of The Forest' Helps Birds And Monkeys Communicate

21 April 2026, ByE. Camerlenghi & A. Martínez, The Conversation

https://www.sciencealert.com/amazonian-internet-of-the-forest-helps-birds-and-monkeys-communicate

White-fronted nunbirds (Monasa morphoeus).

  (Banu R/Canva)

You might go for a walk in the forest to disconnect from work and calm your nerves after a busy week. The chirping and calls of birds in the canopy above might be exactly what allows you to relax.

But what sounds soothing to humans may signal danger to other animals – and trigger fear across the forest.

In our research, published today in Current Biology, we show that when some animals spot a predator, they issue a warning cry that is picked up by others and spread through the rainforest canopy.

For a time, different species are linked into a shared information network, and parts of the forest briefly fall silent.

Birds and monkeys

During an expedition to a remote area of the Peruvian Amazon, working with a falconer, we used trained raptors to trigger warning calls from birds and primates. We recorded the calls, then played them back into the forest and monitored how the community responded.

We already knew that birds sometimes repeat the warnings of others – occasionally even those of different species, or of primates. What we wanted to know was how widespread this behavior is across the animal community.

We discovered that alarm calls produced by small bird species – those weighing less than 100 grams – were most often passed on. Other small birds living in the canopy were the most likely to relay the call, but other animals joined in too.

Larger species, including capuchin and spider monkeys, sometimes responded as well.

Two canopy species in particular – the black-fronted and the white-fronted nunbirds – stood out as especially likely to repeat and propagate the warnings of their neighbors throughout the forest.

Small canopy species are more likely to propagate alarm calls. 

(Camerlenghi et al., Curr. Biol., 2026)

Sounds and silence

Alarm calls from species living in the forest understorey were far less likely to spread and be propagated by other birds or primates.

However, even when these alarm calls were not repeated, they changed the forest's soundscape. Small canopy birds almost completely stopped singing after hearing a predator alert.

At the same time, animals in lower forest layers often continued to make sounds despite the perceived threat.

Together, these findings suggest that the Amazonian canopy is not only the rainforest's most mysterious layer – largely unexplored and home to much of its biodiversity – but also functions as an information highway, like a fiber-optic network through which animals rapidly share signals of danger.

A new layer of the 'internet of the forest'

In the past decade, the idea of an "internet of the forest" has become popular through the concept of the "wood wide web", where plants exchange resources and information via root systems and fungal networks.

Our work points to another communication system, one operating high above the ground.

Suspended above our heads is a vast ecosystem where animals constantly listen to one another, forming an eavesdropping network that spreads critical information within seconds.

The vocal activity of birds is usually associated with finding mates and defending territories. However, we now know that sometimes this activity, or lack of it, may represent pulses of a soundscape of fear.

Next time you walk through a rainforest, look up and listen to the birds. A sudden silence may mean a raptor is gliding somewhere above the canopy.

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Scientists Discover Coral Reefs Are Teeming With Previously Unknown Life

By U. of Galway, April 20, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-coral-reefs-are-teeming-with-previously-unknown-life/

A global research effort has revealed that coral ecosystems harbor an immense and largely unknown reservoir of microbial diversity. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Scientists are uncovering a hidden layer of coral reef ecosystems, one dominated not by visible marine life, but by vast and largely unexplored microbial communities.

An international team of scientists has revealed new details about coral ecosystems, showing that each coral species supports its own unique community of microbes.

The study, which included researchers from the University of Galway, found that coral reefs host a wide range of microscopic life that produces chemical compounds with potential uses in medicine and biotechnology. The full findings are published in Nature.

Coral reefs are often described as the rainforests of the sea because they support about one-third of all large marine organisms. They also serve as biodiversity hotspots, providing key ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and supporting tourism. However, much of their true diversity exists at the microscopic level within their microbiome, which cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Mapping the Coral Microbiome

Supported by the Tara Pacific consortium, the research team analyzed microbiome samples from 99 coral reefs across 32 Pacific islands. They reconstructed the genomes of 645 microbial species, more than 99% of which had never been genetically described before. These microbes form highly specialized relationships with their coral hosts and are important producers of bioactive compounds.

Corals in Papua New Guinea taken during the Tara Pacific expedition in 2017. 

Credit: Professor Olivier Thomas, University of Galway.

The researchers also found that coral-associated bacteria contain a wider range of biosynthetic gene clusters, which act as blueprints for natural chemical products, than has been recorded in ocean environments so far.

Dr. Maggie Reddy, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, said: “When we compared our findings with microbes found on other reef species, it became clear how little we still know. Of more than 4,000 microbial species identified, only 10% have any genetic information available, and fewer than 1% of the species found only in the Tara Pacific samples have been studied at all. This shows a major gap in our understanding and underlines the need for much more biodiversity surveys, especially in understudied regions.”

A “Molecular Library” at Risk

The findings point to an often overlooked aspect of conservation. When coral reefs decline, the loss extends beyond visible marine life such as corals, sponges, seaweeds, and fish. It also includes a vast “molecular library” tied to their microbial communities.

The study also highlights that newly identified enzymes and compounds could hold significant promise for biotechnology and medical research, suggesting a large and largely untapped resource.

Professor Olivier Thomas and Dr. Maggie Reddy, Ryan Institute, University of Galway with a sample of coral reef from the Pacific. 

Credit: Martina Regan



Professor Olivier Thomas, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, said: “The biosynthetic potential of reef-building coral microbiomes rivaled or surpassed that of traditional natural product sources like sponges. Among the biosynthetically rich bacteria in the reef microbiome, we identified previously unknown microorganisms (e.g. Acidobacteriota) living with corals that produce new enzymes with exciting potential biotechnology uses.

“The research is a clear call to action to protect our coral reefs – not just because of their value as a unique ecosystem – but to preserve the unique chemical diversity poised to enable future scientific breakthroughs.”

International Collaboration and Future Expeditions

The project brought together researchers from the Marine Biodiversity Lab at the Ryan Institute at the University of Galway, led by Dr. Maggie Reddy and Professor Olivier Thomas. They are part of the Tara Pacific consortium, a global group of marine scientists studying how climate change is affecting the oceans, and collaborated with scientists at ETH Zurich.

Dr. Reddy and Professor Thomas will take part in the upcoming Tara Coral expedition this June in Papua New Guinea. Funded by the Tara Foundation and its partners, the mission will collect more marine samples and examine why some reef-building corals are better able to withstand climate change.

The coral microbiome includes bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and algae that live on and inside coral tissues. Together, these organisms form a functional unit known as the holobiont.

The samples analyzed in this study were collected during the Tara Pacific expedition from 2016 to 2018. This work provides one of the most detailed maps to date of the microbial communities associated with reef-building corals in a region that contains about 40% of the world’s coral reefs.

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Bee Bacteria Could Fix a Major Flaw in Plant-Based Milk

By Technical U. of Denmark, April 18, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/bee-bacteria-could-fix-a-major-flaw-in-plant-based-milk/

Scientists have introduced a high-throughput technique that can rapidly screen entire microbial communities for useful traits, revealing unexpected candidates from insect-associated microbiomes. 

Credit: Shutterstock

A new microdroplet-based technique allows scientists to quickly pinpoint bacteria that can boost vitamin B2 levels in soy drinks.

Researchers at the DTU National Food Institute have developed a faster way to identify bacteria that can both support fermentation and boost vitamin B2 levels in soy drinks. In this study, they analyzed the microbiome (the complete bacterial community) from bumblebees by isolating individual microbes in microscopic droplets and testing their ability to produce the vitamin.

“Our research shows that it is possible to screen entire microbial communities directly and rapidly, and that promising bacteria can be identified from environmental samples without prior isolation and analysis of individual bacteria. This can make the development of new starter cultures faster and more targeted,” says Associate Professor Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen from the DTU National Food Institute.

The findings were published in the journal LWT – Food Science and Technology.

Researchers have discovered promising bacteria in bumblebees

Plant-based dairy alternatives often contain fewer vitamins and minerals than cow’s milk, with vitamin B2 (riboflavin) commonly lacking.

To address this, the team focused on finding bacteria that could grow in soy drinks while naturally producing vitamin B2 during fermentation. They turned to bumblebee gut bacteria as a source of candidates.

“Bumblebees live close to plants, and their guts contain many microorganisms that are already adapted to plant-based environments. That is why it was interesting for us to test whether we could find bacteria in bumblebees capable of producing vitamin B2 in soya drinks,” says Postdoc Hang Xiao from the DTU National Food Institute.

Tested the bacteria in microscopic droplets

To carry out the screening, the researchers adapted a technique known as droplet screening. Each bacterium from the bee gut was enclosed in a tiny droplet that acted as its own miniature culture chamber, allowing millions of cells to be tested within hours using a microfluidic system.

“Unlike conventional agar plate-based methods for microbial cultivation and screening, we encapsulated the bee gut bacteria in microscopic droplets so that each droplet contained only one bacterium and acted as an enclosed culture chamber. In this way, the individual bacterium could be analyzed at ultra-high speed by using our microfluidics screening platform, enabling us to screen millions of bacterial cells within just a few hours,” says Hang Xiao.

Because soy drinks are typically cloudy and interfere with measurements, the team created a transparent soy medium to improve accuracy.

“By making the soya liquid transparent, we were able to both screen the bacteria in an environment resembling their future application and, at the same time, obtain more stable droplets and more precise measurements,” says Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen.

The bacteria were exposed to roseoflavin, a compound similar to riboflavin that encourages the growth of strong vitamin B2 producers. The brightest glowing droplets, indicating the highest vitamin production, were then selected.

“This droplet-based microbial screening approach saved months of work and significantly reduced the resource use compared with conventional screening methods,” says Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen.

A particular Lactococcus lactis strain stood out

Among the microbes identified, a strain of Lactococcus lactis stood out. When tested in real products, it performed especially well in soy drinks.

“The results suggest that the bacterium works not only under laboratory conditions, but also in actual foods containing a significant amount of protein,” says Hang Xiao.

The strain continued producing vitamin B2 even when the drinks were already fortified with high levels of the vitamin, showing stable performance. It also demonstrated the ability to use a wide range of sugars, making it a flexible option for fermentation.

However, the bacterium was less effective in rice, oat, and some almond drinks, likely due to their lower protein content. The researchers believe a sufficient level of fermentable protein is needed for optimal growth and vitamin production.

“The exciting thing about the method is that it can not only identify vitamin B2-producing bacteria in soy drinks. It can also be adapted to identify other interesting substances, provided they can be detected using fluorescence. However, the method only works if the medium is transparent and has a low fluorescence background,” says Hang Xiao.

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Landmark Study Links Never Marrying to Significantly Higher Cancer Risk

By R. Dzombak, U. of Miami Miller School of Medicine, April 18, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/landmark-study-links-never-marrying-to-significantly-higher-cancer-risk/

New research reveals a striking link between never being married and elevated cancer risk across multiple types, with especially strong patterns in preventable cancers.

Cancer risk is higher among never-married adults, particularly for preventable cancers, likely due to behavioral and social factors.

Adults who have never married may face a much higher risk of developing cancer than those who are or have been married, according to a large U.S. study analyzing more than 4 million cases. The elevated risk was seen across nearly all major cancer types and was especially strong for preventable cancers linked to infections, smoking, and reproductive factors.

Conducted by researchers at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the findings were published in Cancer Research Communications.

“These findings suggest that social factors such as marital status may serve as important markers of cancer risk at the population level,” said Paulo Pinheiro, Ph.D., study co-author and a Sylvester physician-scientist whose lab conducts population-based cancer epidemiology.

The results do not suggest that marriage itself protects against cancer or that people should marry for health reasons.

Health Awareness and Prevention Implications

“It means that if you’re not married, you should be paying extra attention to cancer risk factors, getting any screenings you may need, and staying up to date on health care,” said Frank Penedo, Ph.D., associate director for population sciences and director of the Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute (SSCI).

“For prevention efforts, our findings point to the importance of targeting cancer risk awareness and prevention strategies with attention to marital status,” he added.

“These findings suggest that social factors such as marital status may serve as important markers of cancer risk at the population level,” said Paulo Pinheiro, Ph.D., study co-author and a Sylvester physician-scientist whose lab conducts population-based cancer epidemiology. 

Credit: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center



Marriage has already been linked to earlier cancer detection and better survival outcomes. Married people often benefit from stronger social support, greater financial stability, and higher adherence to treatment plans.

However, most prior research has focused on outcomes after diagnosis. Only a limited number of smaller, older studies examined whether marital status affects the likelihood of developing cancer in the first place.

Study Design and Research Scope

“We wanted to know who is more likely to get cancer: married people or unmarried people?” Pinheiro said.

To answer this, researchers examined data from 12 states, covering more than 4 million cancer cases within a population exceeding 100 million people between 2015 and 2022. The analysis focused on malignant cancers diagnosed in adults aged 30 and older and compared cancer rates by marital status, while accounting for age, sex, and race.

Credit: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine



Participants were grouped into two categories: those who were or had been married, including married, divorced, and widowed individuals, and those who had never married. The study began in 2015 to include same-sex couples after the legalization of gay marriage in the United States. About 20% of adults in the dataset had never married.

Pinheiro expected to find some links, given known associations between marriage and lifestyle factors such as smoking, routine health care, and parenthood. Still, the strength of several findings exceeded expectations.

Key Cancer Risk Differences by Marital Status

People who had never married showed significantly higher cancer rates than those who were or had been married. In some cases, the differences were striking. Never-married men had about five times the rate of anal cancer compared with married men, while never-married women had nearly three times the rate of cervical cancer compared with women who were or had been married.

Both cancers are strongly linked to HPV infection, suggesting differences in exposure and, for cervical cancer, screening and prevention. For cancers such as ovarian and endometrial, differences may partly reflect the protective effects of childbirth, which is more common among married individuals.

Dr. Frank Penedo says that while the Sylvester study doesn’t mean marriage prevents cancer, it does spotlight populations who may be at greater risk. 

Credit: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine



“It’s a clear and powerful signal that some individuals are at a greater risk,” Penedo said.

Patterns also varied by sex. Never-married men were about 70% more likely to develop cancer than married men, while never-married women had about an 85% higher risk compared with women who were or had been married.

Gender Patterns and Cancer Trends

This finding slightly reverses a broader trend in which men often gain more health benefits from marriage. In this study, women appeared to benefit somewhat more.

The strongest links between marital status and cancer were seen for cancers tied to infection, smoking, or alcohol use, and for women, reproductive cancers such as ovarian and endometrial cancer.

Weaker associations were observed for cancers with well-established screening programs, including breast, thyroid, and prostate cancers.

Differences also appeared across racial groups. Never-married Black men had the highest overall cancer rates. At the same time, married Black men had lower cancer rates than married White men, suggesting a particularly strong protective association of marriage in that group.

Study Limitations and Future Research Directions

The study has several limitations. People who smoke less, drink less, and maintain healthier lifestyles may also be more likely to marry, which could influence the results.

Still, the link between marital status and cancer risk was stronger among adults over age 50, suggesting that the benefits associated with marriage may become more important over time as risk factors accumulate.

The analysis did not include unmarried individuals in long-term partnerships, a group that may be relatively small but could be important to study in the future, according to Pinheiro.

Future research could break down the married category further into married, divorced, and widowed individuals and follow participants over longer periods to better understand how changes in marital status affect cancer risk.

Conclusions on Marriage and Cancer Risk

Overall, the researchers emphasized that marriage does not directly prevent cancer.

“But the association between marriage status and cancer risk is an interesting, new observation that deserves more research,” Pinheiro said.

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