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One Step Closer to the Woolly Mammoth: "Woolly Mouse" Presents Scientific Breakthrough
By: Sophiea Runlett
Since the beginning, humans have wondered and researched about the extinct animals. Questions have surfaced: How many were there? What did they look like? Throughout time, scientists have found out more and more about the extinct animals making new discoveries as the years went on. However, the nearly impossible question lingered… What if we can recreate them?
This year a potential breakthrough has arisen during scientists' mission to recreate an extinct animal. Scientists have managed to genetically modify the mouse by mixing in characteristics from the extinct animal: the woolly mammoth.
The woolly mammoth was said to have lived from about 300,000 years ago until about 10,000 years ago. According to scientists they were likely the size of the 13 foot African elephants. However, the animals differ with the woolly mammoth having much smaller ears and other characteristics.
At Colossal Biosciences in Dallas, Texas the experiment took place. The team had been attempting to resurrect other extinct species alongside the woolly mammoth.
The process consisted of the scientists implanting genetically modified embryos into female lab mice. The mice gave birth in October, making it the first time woolly mice were born.
Chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences says, “For us, it’s an incredibly big deal.” The team shows excitement and dedication in their journey that can only make the rest of the world wonder what they will discover next.
The woolly mouse features a mouse with lighter, longer, and shaggier hair resembling the woolly mammoth.
While the team at Colossal Biosciences stick to their journey in recreating the woolly mammoth, specialists in mammoth genetics and genome editing doubt if this discovery will have any advancements in reviving extinct species such as the woolly mammoth.
There seems to be holes in the discoveries made by the scientists. However, the mice are only months old and there has not been much time yet for the researchers to accurately report on how the mutations will affect the mice’s long term health.
Everyday is another day where more information is being discovered about the mice to see if they will be a help to recreating the woolly mammoth, and furthermore getting scientists closer to resurrecting other extinct animals or rather if this discovery is a dead end instead.
Mending the Sky: Can We Expect An Ozone Recovery in Our Future?
By: Tessa Biosseau
A recent MIT study has shown that Antarctic ozone is healing. The researchers said this can be directly linked to a reduction in "ozone-depleting substances" and is unlikely to be due to other influences like weather variability and greenhouse gas emissions.
"There has been much qualitative evidence showing that the Antarctic ozone hole is getting better. This is the first study that has quantified confidence in the ozone hole's recovery. The conclusion is, with 95 percent confidence, it is recovering… And it shows we can actually solve environmental problems," said Susan Solomon, the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies and Chemistry.
Susan Solomon has been involved in ozone recovery since the 1980s. The hole in the Arctic was discovered in 1985, and just one short year later, in 1986, Solomon was part of a group of scientists who traveled to Antarctica to find out the cause of ozone decay in the area and the rest of the world, as the ozone layer was thinning globally. During this expedition, Solomon and her fellow scientists discovered it was caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
To understand this, you need to understand what the ozone layer is. The ozone layer is a layer of a naturally occurring gas that protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays the sun gives off. Ultraviolet rays (UVs) can cause skin cancer, eye damage, immune system suppression, and adverse health effects for humans and wildlife. The UVs can even cause habitat loss. CFCs are used in aerosol repellents, insulation, refrigeration, and more. CFCs can cause the ozone layer to break down (under certain seasonal conditions), increasing the amount of UV radiation the Earth and its surroundings experience.
To stop the effect CFCs have on the environment, the Montreal Protocol was created and established in 1987. The Montreal Protocol was an international agreement to stop using CFCs to heal the ozone layer in Antarctica and the rest of the world.
In 2016, Solomon was part of another team of researchers who were checking up on the Antarctic to see if the ozone layer was healing from the reduced CFCs. They discovered that the ozone hole was shrinking, but the researchers could not be sure, until now, of the cause or if the hole would continue to shrink.
The MIT study that changed this was authored by graduate student Peidong Wang, and coauthored by Susan Solomon and EAPS Research Scientist Kane Stone among others. EAPS stands for Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, in which Wang and Stone are a part of. They discovered that the shrinkage could be directly linked to a worldwide decrease in CFC use, and that the shrinkage should continue. "The 2024 Antarctic hole is smaller than ozone holes seen in the early 2000s. The gradual improvement we've seen in the past two decades shows that international efforts that curb ozone-destroying chemicals are working," Paul Newman, leader of NASA's ozone research team and chief scientist for Earth sciences at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, commented.
Last year, in 2024, the hole was officially marked as the seventh smallest since the Montreal Protocol. Scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that in only 42 short years (2066), the ozone layer could be fully recovered around the whole globe, and in 2045, the Antarctic would be healed. In 2040, the globe should achieve pre-1980s and pre-CFCs ozone levels.
A Mystery Illness Wipes Out Thousands in the Congo
By: Madyson Renna
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), there is an extremely unknown, and deadly disease that has killed dozens of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least 1,318 people have gained symptoms of the disease since February 25th. Symptoms are known to be a fever, chills, body aches, vomiting, etc. The cause for this disease is remaining a mystery as of right now, but the WHO reported as of February 27th that 60 people have passed away, while 1,096 have become ill. The WHO states, “Deaths have occurred in all age groups, but adolescents and young adults, particularly males, appeared to be disproportionately affected in the initial cluster.” The WHO unfortunately does not have any reasonable answers as to what is causing this fatal outbreak, but their working hypothesis covers chemical poisoning, or a rapid onset of bacterial meningitis cluster. This could mean many people were experiencing disease such as Malaria, Meningitis, or a type of poisoning, which led to this outbreak. There were approximately 50% positive Malaria tests that were performed on this case. Although this mystery outbreak was horrendous, it has been studied that this is not the only illness that has been spreading in the Congo. There are many deaths that have been taking place in different areas of the Congo, which are still being further investigated in December of last year, which attributed illnesses from Malaria and other respiratory illnesses. Researchers were looking into food and water contamination which can be the cause of all these illnesses, including the one present today. In the Congo, the cluster of illnesses are about 40 miles apart in the Bolomba Cluster and much larger Basankusu cluster. However, a link between these two has not been established yet. Researchers are questioning if this disease may be Malaria, or from contaminated water. Malaria spreads from being bitten by a mosquito, and less commonly, through a blood transfusion or organ transplant (not the case here). They say that the Congo should be worried about other pandemics, diseases, or outbreaks that can hit the Congo. Many people’s lives have either been taken, or are on the line. The Congo is in a time of struggle.
Texas Overwhelmed by Sudden Measles Outbreak
By: James Sagnella
Measles was once a very prominent childhood sickness. It is also called Rubeola, and is contagious through the air. Typically, measles is not a very serious illness and can usually be treated with a vaccination to prevent infection. For young children with weaker immune systems however, this simple sickness can be much more dangerous. Measles can even be deadly for children lower than five years old.
Although measles’ may not be thought of as too serious anymore, there has been a huge outbreak in West Texas. Seven hundred and two cases have been confirmed in Texas so far, but that number has been increasing drastically as the days go by. From May 2 to May 6, there were 19 more reported cases of measles in Texas.
Out of everyone that has caught the sickness, ninety one percent of them were hospitalized. Out of the many people that have it, there were two deaths. Both were children and not vaccinated, but measles was definitely the cause of their death. The number of cases seems to be plateauing and even decreasing due to the increased awareness of the effectiveness of the vaccine.
The counties that have the highest number of outbreaks are Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Lynn, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has been working around the clock trying to figure out not only what caused the sudden outbreak, but how they can get everyone safely vaccinated without spreading the sickness even further.
Out of the 702 confirmed cases, 207 of them have been children 0-4 years of age. 255 of them have been 5-17, 219 have been 18+, and 21 are still pending.
Some of the more common signs and symptoms for measles are a fever that is abnormally high, some can even reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, a runny nose or dry cough can be a sign of measles. Finally, red and watery eyes can also be one symptom for this sickness.
The DSHS recommends a two-dose vaccine as the best way to prevent measles. Usually this vaccine is a combination of measles, mumps, and rubella. They have stuck with their statement that the best way to prevent this sickness is to get vaccinated. 672 of the 702 cases have been unknown or unvaccinated. Over ninety percent of the people that have contracted this disease do not have documented vaccinations. The much smaller percentage of people are those who have gotten the correct vaccinations, who are much less likely to contract the illness and even less likely to be severely affected by it. Although many people think measles is not a big deal anymore, the number of cases has continued to go up, and the sickness is still putting people in the hospital.
Uprising of a ChatGPT Competitor Appears on the Horizon
By: Sally Liao
Deepseek R1: a Chinese artificial intelligence company’s latest AI that has surpassed Open AI’s model o1 and other huge leaders in the AI space when it became the most downloaded app in the US this recent January. However with all it’s claims of being far more efficient and having only used about $5.6m dollars worth of old Nvidia computer chips DeepSeek brings world attention to its potential threat to nations’ security, the question of whats really needed to further the advancement of AI, and a new Sputnik moment this time in the emerging field of artificial intelligence.
To start, DeepSeek has been part of the artificial intelligence industry since December 2023 when CEO, Liang WenFeng started DeepSeek on the side while he was running his main company, High-Flyer a hedge fund that used AI to analyze financial data to make its financial decisions and soon became the first quant fund to reach $13m dollars in China. Because of 2022 US restrictions limiting import of highly advanced Nvidia computer chips into China, Liang built his own Nvidia A100 chips which weren’t as advanced but were significantly cheaper, compared to the $100m Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said was spent on Open AI’s ChatGPT-4. These have led to DeepSeek’s reported increased efficiency over it’s North American competitors who thought that the only way for AI to advance was to invest millions of dollars into AI companies and computer chip manufacturers, like Nvidia. DeepSeek has shaken the US stock market.
But, recently, it seems there is more to DeepSeek than previously thought. Feroot Security, a cybersecurity company based in Ontario, Canada, has found hidden code in DeepSeek that leads to the website CMPassport.com, which is the online registry for the telecommunications company that in 2019 was banned from running in the US for fears of it being a national security threat, China Mobile. China Mobile is also owned and runned by the Chinese government.
“We see direct links to servers and to companies in China that are under the control of the Chinese government. And this is something that we have never seen in the past.” says Ivan Tsarynny, the CEO of Feroot Security.
Although the Chinese government has access directly to users’ personal data we don’t know if they are actually accessing that data. US representatives Darin LaHood(R-Ill) and Josh Gottenheimer(D-NJ) worked on a bipartisan congressional bill to ban DeepSeek from government devices. Australia, Taiwan, Italy, and South Korea have already done this.
"I think we should ban DeepSeek from all government devices immediately. No one should be allowed to download it onto their device. And I think we have to inform the public," Rep. John Gottheimer(D-NJ) said. But the biggest thing DeepSeek has sparked is what some experts call the AI Sputnik moment.
Liang says that China’s AI, “cannot remain a follower forever” of US’s AI. “Their surprise stems from seeing a Chinese company join as an innovator, not just a follower - which is what most Chinese firms are accustomed to.” after asking why those in Silicon Valley were surprised by DeepSeek.
DeepSeek founder and China Mobile did not respond for comment.
Back from Beyond: Stranded Astronauts Safely Return to Earth
By: Zayna Saidi
A mission only meant to last one week unexpectedly becomes a 9 month long trip, leaving two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, stranded in space 278 days longer than they had planned and cycling earth over 4,500 times. Now, upon their safe return to Earth, we are able to know everything that caused this shocking event and how these astronauts handled the sudden change in plans.
This mission, overseen by both NASA and Boeing, began for the astronauts on June 5, 2024, when Wilmore and Williams set out in the first astronaut-crewed flight in Boeing’s Starliner capsule. While heading for the International Space Station (ISS), the two astronauts noticed some issues in the capsule, with the most worrisome of them being the helium leaks and the issues involving the thrusters. Because of these malfunctions, Wilmore and Williams were instructed to transfer from the Starliner to SpaceX, where they remained until March 17, 2025, when they finally prepared to journey back down to Earth.
While stranded in space, Wilmore and Williams’ predicament became very popular throughout social media and news outlets, and to the astronauts’ surprise upon returning, many were intrigued in listening to what they experienced while being stuck in space. However, unlike what most would have felt if they were in such a situation, Wilmore and Williams responded by saying that they rather enjoyed their extended trip in space. They even mentioned how the mission made them reminisce on their military days, both being retired Navy captains, as they recalled moments when they were on a prolonged deployment.
Both Williams and Wilmore showed their level-headedness, resilience, and amount of time dedicated to preparing for this mission through their calm demeanor through it all, even in moments where they had to repair the capsule’s leaks themselves in order to ensure their safety.
Wilmore, in an interview conducted shortly after their return to Earth, even speaks on the importance of trust in their field and how most things do not go exactly as planned, “The plan went way off for what we had planned, but because we’re in human spaceflight, we prepare for any number of contingencies,” States Wilmore.
Despite the shock of the headline and many doubting the intentions of NASA and Boeing, Wilmore and Williams ensured everyone that they did not doubt the people at either station even once during their days spent waiting to return from space, and knew that the time was spent to ensure their safety on their way home. Both understood the risks of the mission when signing up and knew that unexpected things are bound to happen, with Wilmore saying, “This is a curvy road. You never know where it’s going to go.”
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