You have full access to this article through your institution. Hello Nature Readers, would you like to receive this report in your inbox for free every day? Register here. This dagger was buried next to Ita, a daughter of Pharaoh Amenemhat II, who “was a young woman between 28 and 34 years old with strong
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This dagger was buried next to Ita, a daughter of Pharaoh Amenemhat II, who “was a young woman between 28 and 34 years old with strong muscle attachments on her upper body, suggesting that she habitually used weapons such as maces or daggers,” says Hashesh. (Sameh Abdel Mohsen)
The remains of some ancient Egyptian princesses of the Late Middle Kingdom, who were buried with beautiful weapons, show signs that they participated in strenuous and dangerous activities such as archery and hunting. “Their bones developed to withstand intense muscle use, which corresponds directly to the weapons discovered in their tombs,” says archaeologist and study co-author Zeinab Hashesh. “These findings challenge the traditional view that elite Egyptian women led passive, sedentary lives.”
American scientist | 7 minutes of reading
Reference: Frontiers in environmental archeology paper
Astronomers have discovered a rocky exoplanet that likely has an atmosphere and could support life. The planet, LHS 1140b, appears to have a helium-rich upper atmosphere and is located in the habitable zone around a star, the area in which an orbiting planet could maintain liquid water on its surface. Researchers can’t say for sure if there is water on the exoplanet, but the findings constitute a “surprising missing piece of the puzzle” about whether rocky exoplanets can have atmospheres, says astrophysicist Sara Seager.
Nature | 5 minutes of reading
Reference: Science paper
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design synthetic CRISPR proteins that can edit the genome more efficiently than their natural counterparts. Many of these proteins differed markedly from the originals, with some differing by approximately 30% of their amino acid sequences. However, the synthetic versions were still able to edit genes in bacterial, plant and human cells, a finding that is “pretty exciting,” says biochemist and study co-author Jennifer Doudna, who shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work on CRISPR systems.
Nature | 5 minutes of reading
Reference: Science paper
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the United States expressed concern about the possibility of China exploiting the US investigation at a hearing on Wednesday. But they differed over how to protect and fund American research. The hearing follows the announcement by the U.S. National Science Foundation, which funds about a quarter of U.S. basic academic research, that it will ban collaborations with some international institutions, including many major Chinese universities.
Nature | 8 minutes of reading
Source: Dimensions
Features and opinion
From classic 32-panel soccer balls to buckyballs: the carbon molecule Buckminsterfullerene C60 – Truncated icosahedra are very fun. The ball batted in the World Cup is a curved version nicknamed ‘Trionda’, a spherical tetrahedron. Discover more wonderful mathematics, including some weird and wonderful variations that come to life.
The New York Times | 11 minute read
A pile of forgotten postcards is an unwanted temptation in the latest tale of NatureFutures Series.
Nature | 6 minutes of reading
Andrew Robinson’s selection of the five best science books to read this week includes the science of pain and an argument against a genetic basis for evil actions.
Nature | 4 minutes of reading
Naked mole rat (Glaber heterocephaly) queens produce a chemical that disrupts hormone production in other females, stifling their ability to reproduce. The researchers found that the smell of this chemical alone is enough to maintain the strict social structure of naked mole rat colonies, even when the queen is not physically present. Identifying the specific signal that queens use to suppress reproduction in the rest of their colony is “like the holy grail for naked mole rat research,” says behavioral neuroscientist Melissa Holmes. nature podcast.
Nature Podcast | 23 minutes listen
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This week we look for Leif Penguinson amidst the stunning beauty of Paratiisikuru (Paratiisikuru, Paradise Gorge) in Finland. Can you find the penguin?
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