Weekly Headlines (Excerpts)

1. ‘About as close to aliens as we’ll ever get.’ Can AI crack animal language?

Dolittle Prize recognizes breakthroughs in translating “speech” of dolphins, cuttlefish, and other creatures

 15 MAY 2025  BY CHRISTA LESTÉ-LASSERRE 

2. Massive DNA sequencing effort reveals how colonization shaped Brazil’s genetic diversity

New study identifies thousands of new variants related to diseases

 15 MAY 2025  BY RODRIGO PÉREZ ORTEGA 

3. ‘Jumping gene’ enzyme can make big, precise changes to human DNA

Improved editing tool inserts gene-size sequences into human genome at specific locations, broadening potential treatments

 15 MAY 2025  BY MITCH LESLIE

4. Gene-editing therapy made in just 6 months helps baby with life-threatening disease

Custom CRISPR paves the way for treating genetic disorders in tailormade ways

 15 MAY 2025  BY JOCELYN KAISER 

5. This mass of amber traps evidence of an ancient tsunami

Deep-sea rocks suggest giant waves pounded modern-day Japan 115 million years ago

 15 MAY 2025  BY HANNAH RICHTER 

6. Low-quality papers are surging by exploiting public data sets and AI

Paper mills are also likely contributing to “false discoveries”

 14 MAY 2025  BY CATHLEEN O’GRADY 

7. Africa’s manatees are highly elusive. A new DNA test promises to reveal their presence

Genetic traces in water could help survey populations under growing threat

 14 MAY 2025  BY MEGAN EWALD 

8. Nanoparticle gel could help save degraded coral reefs

Artificial “reef scent” attracts coral larvae, could be new tool for restoring critical underwater ecosystems

 14 MAY 2025  BY GENNARO TOMMA 

9. Aztec Empire sought obsidian from far and wide to make ritual jewelry and basic tools

Largest ever study of Tenochtitlan obsidian reveals complex trade networks and ritual preferences

 12 MAY 2025  BY RODRIGO PÉREZ ORTEGA 

10. AI conjures up potential new antibody drugs in a matter of months

Company finds candidates that bind to tricky proteins that deliver chemical messages in and out of cells

 12 MAY 2025  BY ROBERT F. SERVICE