☕️ Black hole in early universe appears to be consuming matter at over 40 times its theoretical limit.

Good morning. 

—Dylan J. Dance

SCIENCE

🌌 Black hole in early universe appears to be consuming matter at over 40 times its theoretical limit. In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers using JWST and Chandra X-ray data found a supermassive black hole in an early universe dwarf galaxy consuming matter at rates exceeding its theoretical Eddington limit by 40 times. This finding provides new insights into the rapid growth of supermassive black holes from smaller seeds. "This black hole is having a feast," said co-author Julia Scharwächter, adding a new dimension to our understanding of cosmic phenomena.

🧬 Scientists glue two proteins together, driving cancer cells to self-destruct. Stanford researchers have developed a molecule that tethers two proteins to drive lymphoma cells into apoptosis. "We essentially want to have the same kind of specificity that can eliminate 60 billion cells with no bystanders," says co-senior author Gerald Crabtree. The molecule tethers BCL6, a cancer-driving protein, to CDK9, flipping its role from promoting immortality to triggering self-destruction genes in the cancer cells. This technique aims to treat cancers with minimal side effects.

🧊 'Doomsday' Antarctic glacier melting faster than expected, fueling calls for geoengineering. The Thwaites Glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," is melting faster than previously thought, with warming tidal currents contributing to its retreat. This has led some scientists to advocate for glacial geoengineering solutions, such as deploying underwater curtains to block warm currents. The debate over geoengineering continues as experts balance such methods against the urgent need to reduce emissions.

⚛️ Dance of electrons measured in the glow from exploding neutron-stars. A recent study by the University of Copenhagen measured the temperature of elementary particles in the radioactive afterglow of a neutron star collision. This marks the first time microscopic properties have been observed in these cosmic events, shedding light on the creation of heavy elements like strontium and adding to our understanding of early cosmic history.

🌞 Watch sun erupt in 1st images from NOAA's groundbreaking new satellite. NOAA's new Compact Coronagraph captured its first images of a solar storm outburst from the sun's corona. Mounted on the GOES-19 satellite, CCOR-1 marks a significant advancement in space weather monitoring, providing real-time images every 15 minutes. These observations help predict coronal mass ejections that can trigger geomagnetic storms on Earth.

TECH

🎮 Netflix is removing nearly all of its interactive titles. Netflix announced it will delist nearly all of its interactive shows by December 1st, with only four titles—such as Bandersnatch—remaining. The interactive format launched in 2017 and, despite initial excitement, proved too limiting as the company shifted technological efforts elsewhere. "The technology served its purpose, but is now limiting," a spokesperson said.

💲 Launch of USDG stablecoin network. Robinhood and Kraken have partnered with Paxos to launch the Global Dollar Network, promoting stablecoin adoption using the newly launched USDG token. Designed to facilitate cross-border financial solutions and offer rewards, USDG is aimed at addressing stablecoin shortcomings such as high costs and limited protections. DBS Bank will provide custody for USDG reserves.

🔍 OpenAI accidentally leaked its upcoming o1 model to anyone with a certain web address. A leak of OpenAI's latest o1 model revealed its impressive capabilities, including solving complex math and handling large datasets. Although quickly addressed, glimpses of the full release showed significant improvements in chain-of-thought reasoning and image analysis. Whether these advances persist remains to be seen w

MEDICAL

🧠 AI for real-time, patient-focused insight. BiomedGPT, a novel AI system, has been developed as a versatile tool for medical tasks. Designed by Lehigh University, it merges visual and textual capabilities, providing insights into biomedical challenges and excelling across 16 different benchmarks. This open-source model is already aiding medical diagnosis and drug research by combining biomedical imagery with data analysis.

🧪 Revolutionary high-speed 3D bioprinter hailed a game changer for drug discovery. Biomedical engineers from the University of Melbourne have invented a revolutionary high-speed 3D bioprinter that mimics diverse human tissues, significantly speeding up the drug discovery process. Using acoustic waves to precisely position cells, this new method enhances accuracy and reduces reliance on animal testing, bringing ethical and advanced drug research closer to reality.

🦠 Synthetic genes engineered to mimic how cells build tissues and structures. A team at UCLA has created synthetic genes that operate like natural genes, capable of self-assembling intracellular structures, much like IKEA furniture, by coordinating their assembly at specific times. This breakthrough could lead to significant advancements in medicine and biotechnology, enabling complex biomaterials to form with higher precision.

SPACE

🚀 Russian rocket takes Iranian satellites into orbit as ties grow closer. A Russian rocket successfully launched several Iranian satellites into orbit, strengthening the growing space collaboration between the two nations. This partnership highlights closer bilateral ties as both countries aim to expand their capabilities in space and technology.

🛰️ World's first wooden satellite, built in Japan, heads to International Space Station. The world's first wooden satellite, developed by Japanese researchers, was launched on a SpaceX mission to the International Space Station. Named LignoSat, the satellite aims to demonstrate the viability of wood as a material for space exploration. Researchers hope that wood could one day be used to build structures for living and working in space, reducing environmental impacts.

👨‍🚀 India delays its 1st-ever Gaganyaan astronaut launch to 2026. India's space agency has announced a delay in its first manned space mission, Gaganyaan, which is now expected to launch in 2026. The delay allows for additional safety checks and testing, ensuring the mission's success as India prepares to send astronauts to space for the first time.

CLIMATE

🌳 'Two sides of the same coin': governments stress links between climate and nature collapse. At the Cop16 summit in Colombia, world leaders emphasized the interconnected nature of climate and biodiversity crises, asserting that the two issues must be addressed together. Ministers from around the world agreed that climate and nature are inseparable challenges and called for a combined approach to tackle global heating and ecosystem collapse.

WORLD

🐀 Rats with tiny backpacks being used to sniff out wildlife smugglers. African giant pouched rats have been trained to recognize the scent of illegal animal parts such as elephant tusks and rhino horns. The rats wear tiny backpacks equipped with microswitches to alert handlers when they detect wildlife products, providing a new tool in the fight against illegal trafficking.

🐟 Study suggests Jesus's 'miraculous catch of fish' may have had a less-than-miraculous explanation. A new study suggests that Jesus's 'miraculous catch of fish' may have been due to natural fish die-offs in Lake Kinneret. Researchers found that strong winds could have depleted the oxygen in the lake, causing fish to float to the surface in large numbers, giving the impression of a miraculous event.

🌋 New trigger proposed for record-smashing 2022 Tonga eruption. Researchers have identified a seismic precursor to the massive 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption, which may improve tsunami early-warning systems. A Rayleigh wave detected 15 minutes before the eruption suggests that a fracture in the oceanic crust allowed seawater and magma to mix, kickstarting the event.

⚔️ Ukraine facing 'one of the most powerful' Russian offensives of the war. Ukraine's forces are battling one of the most powerful Russian offensives since the start of the war. Russia claims gains in the eastern region, while Ukrainian forces struggle to hold the line amid renewed drone attacks and a difficult winter ahead.

Thanks for reading!