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Donor CAR-T Cells Are Showing Promise as a Cancer Treatment in Early Trials
Allogeneic CAR T cell therapy, which uses genetically modified donor white blood cells to fight cancer, appears to be a safe and viable treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat multiple myeloma. In a Phase I clinical trial, 55% of patients responded to the treatment, and the researchers are hopeful that this number will increase with further development of the therapy. This shows great promise as a new tool in the fight against cancer, and researchers believe it has the potential to be less expensive than current treatments.
Score (95)
Mars Rover Celebrates Five Years With Unusual Discoveries
Five years into its mission on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover has built up a photo album that looks equal parts science log and cosmic scavenger hunt. The rover has been roaming the Red Planet since touching down in 2021, sending back a steady stream of images that keep scientists busy and space fans guessing. Some of the strangest finds have been rocks that look more like characters in a children’s story than geological fragments. Over the years Perseverance has snapped formations resembling turtles, sharks, even what looks uncannily like a lightsaber. That last one comes with an explanation. The supposed sci fi prop is actually a titanium collection tube the rover dropped after filling it with a rock sample. Other discoveries are harder to explain at first glance. There was the boulder shaped like a giant egg, a pointed rock with the silhouette of a Harry Potter style sorting hat and another that earned the nickname Martian sombrero. Each image sparked online guesses about what they could be before scientists stepped in with more grounded interpretations. The surprises have continued. In March 2025, the Perseverance Science Team said they were “astonished by a strange rock” made up of hundreds of millimetre sized spheres, some covered in tiny pinholes. Two years earlier, the rover unknowingly carried a stowaway. A small Martian stone had lodged in one of its wheels and travelled with it until finally dropping off. NASA staff jokingly called it an “unexpected travelling companion.” Amid the quirks, Perseverance has also logged discoveries that matter deeply to researchers. In 2024 it studied a formation known as the Cheyava Falls rock. The rover’s analysis pointed to conditions that could support ancient microbial life. NASA’s History Office posted on X to mark the milestone. “Celebrating 5 years on Mars! NASA's Perseverance Rover safely landed on the surface of the Red Planet 5 years ago, ready to begin its search for signs of past life. In 2024, it made a significant find: the ‘Cheyava Falls’ rock pictured here provides possible evidence of ancient life on Mars!” For a machine designed to explore another planet, Perseverance has shown a knack for surprising everyone back home. The rover may be hunting for signs of ancient life, but along the way it has also built a record of oddities that make Mars feel just a little more familiar.
Score (96)
Scientists Explore How Zebrafish Regrow Spinal Cords, Offering Clues For Human Healing
In the search for answers on how to repair the human spinal cord, researchers have been looking to a small striped fish with a talent that sounds like science fiction. Zebrafish, a type of minnow, can fully regenerate their spinal cords after severe damage. For years, scientists could only observe the result without understanding the steps behind it. That changed in 2024, when a team at Washington University School of Medicine mapped out the process with new clarity. Their work showed that zebrafish neurons respond to injury by shifting their normal functions, giving themselves time to survive and reorganize into something that works again. It is a natural repair system that humans simply do not have. “We found that most, if not all, aspects of neural repair that we’re trying to achieve in people occur naturally in zebrafish,” said study lead author Mayssa Mokalled. “Our study has identified genetic targets that will help us promote this type of plasticity in the cells of people and other mammals.” In humans, spinal cord injuries often cause widespread neuron death, leaving little room for recovery. The zebrafish response works differently. Their damaged neurons take on a protective state, then develop a kind of flexibility that lets them adapt and return to function. Mokalled believes the same biological markers might exist in humans, but are inactive. “We are hopeful that identifying the genes that orchestrate this protective process in zebrafish, versions of which also are present in the human genome, will help us find ways to protect neurons in people from the waves of cell death that we see following spinal cord injuries,” she said. The findings suggest that the most promising path forward will focus on keeping human neurons alive long enough for new treatments to work. If the destructive period after injury can be slowed or prevented, regeneration may become possible. Another study, published more recently by Vanderbilt University professor of pharmacology Valentine Cigliola, expanded the picture. It compared spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish and neonatal mice, a stage of development where mice still have some regenerative ability. That comparison had never been done before, and it offered new detail on the epigenetic factors that switch regeneration on and off. According to Vanderbilt, the research “provides a valuable foundation for advancing regenerative medicine strategies aimed at restoring function after central nervous system injury.” The university noted that “understanding these innate regenerative mechanisms could inform strategies for treating a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and spinal muscular atrophy.” The two studies point toward a long term idea. Mammals might not be missing the capability to regrow damaged spinal tissue. The capability might simply be dormant. Scientists are now looking for ways to wake it up.
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Score (94)
Sagrada Familia Reaches Maximum Height With a New Cross Installation
Barcelona looked a little different on Friday, and not just because of the cranes that have long hovered above the Sagrada Familia. The basilica finally reached its maximum height, a milestone that arrived with one last lift. A crane placed the upper arm of a cross atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, bringing the structure to 172.5 metres above the city. The church confirmed the installation, which pushes Antoni Gaudí’s signature project one step closer to completion. Even so, the basilica remains years away from being finished. It has been climbing skyward since 1882, and when Gaudí died in 1926, only one tower had been completed. He never expected to see the building finished in his lifetime. The pace shifted in recent decades as tourism surged. Millions of visitors now help fund the work through entrance fees, drawn by the unusual mix of Catholic symbolism and sweeping organic shapes that define Gaudí’s style. The Tower of Jesus Christ, still surrounded by construction cranes and scaffolding, has become the focal point ahead of June’s centenary marking Gaudí’s death. The interior remains under construction, but topping the tower had been a priority. The church said the scaffolding around it should come down by June for the tower’s inauguration. As planned by Gaudí, the cross includes four arms, so it is recognizable from any direction. Rev. Josep Turull, the Sagrada Familia’s rector, said the original design also called for a light shining from each arm, describing the idea as a symbolic lighthouse for the city. He noted that this feature still depends on approval from Barcelona’s city government. The Sagrada Familia already held the title of the world’s tallest church. It became the largest last October, when it overtook Germany’s Ulmer Münster, a Gothic church that reaches 161.53 metres. Friday’s installation widened that margin. At the base of the new cross, workers added a verse from the Gloria recited at Catholic mass. Turull said it reads, “You alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High.” The basilica plans to host several events this year to honour Gaudí’s legacy, which includes other well-known works throughout Barcelona and across Spain. For now, the skyline carries the latest sign that his long-unfinished masterpiece is edging closer to its final form.
Score (96)
NASA Says They're a Few Weeks Away From Launching Their First Crewed Mission to the Moon in 50 Years
NASA finally got the clean test it had been waiting for. After a frustrating first attempt earlier this month, the agency’s second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2 wrapped up Thursday night without any problems, putting the mission on track for a possible launch on March 6. In an update posted at 22:18, NASA said the fueling test ended exactly as planned at T minus 29 seconds. Engineers spent two days loading the Space Launch System’s core and upper stages with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, then ran through the full launch countdown. The only thing they left out was firing the boosters. A lingering hydrogen leak forced them to halt the previous test early, so there was relief when everything stayed tight this time. By Friday morning, the tone at NASA had shifted from anxious to confident. Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell Thompson told reporters the repairs held up. She said the fix was “rock solid” and that there was “really no leakage to speak of.” She added, “Very successful day, I’m very proud of this team and all that they accomplished to get us to yesterday and then to go execute with such precision.” Artemis 2 carries a lot of expectations. Once it launches, four astronauts will loop around the Moon on the first crewed test of SLS and the Orion spacecraft. It will mark the first time humans return to the lunar neighbourhood since Apollo, and the first time they fly this deep into space. The mission also sets up NASA’s next step, a human landing in 2028. Engineers had reason to worry earlier this month. The same hydrogen leak that troubled Artemis 1 resurfaced during the first Artemis 2 rehearsal. The leak appeared in one of the tail service mast umbilicals on the mobile launcher, tall structures that move fuel and electrical connections into the rocket. That first attempt ended five minutes before T 0. Teams replaced two seals inside the service masts and tested the fix on 12 February. The test revealed another issue that slowed the flow of liquid hydrogen, but NASA pushed ahead with the full rehearsal anyway. It turned out to be the right call. NASA reported smooth fueling, no leaks and no flow problems. The only blips were a short communications glitch on the ground and a voltage anomaly inside the booster avionics system. With this rehearsal complete, Artemis 2 is still targeting the March launch window. NASA noted that the crew will enter a roughly two week quarantine starting Friday to limit exposure to illness. While the agency has not pinned down an exact launch date, the window includes 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 March. NASA has faced tough questions about why the SLS still deals with hydrogen leaks three years after engineers sorted through the ones that delayed Artemis 1. The hydrogen handling system, inherited from the Space Shuttle era, has become a sticking point for critics voicing doubts about the vehicle’s readiness. Thursday’s rehearsal delivered something NASA badly needed, a decisive win. The bigger test comes in March. If launch day mirrors the precision of this rehearsal, astronauts will soon be headed back toward the Moon.
Score (96)
The World's 'Ugliest Pig’ Gets A Tusk Tune Up And A Fresh Start
Ubi, a babirusa often labeled among the “world’s ugliest pigs,” had a far more routine problem this week than his fierce reputation suggests. The male babirusa at London Zoo needed two fillings after keepers noticed he seemed uncomfortable and called in the veterinary team for a closer look. Babirusas come from Indonesia and are known for the dramatic canine teeth that grow upward through their skin and curl backward. Their hairless bodies and unusual tusks have earned them nicknames like “demon pigs,” but in Ubi’s case, those tusks were the source of trouble. Keepers suspected something was wrong with two of them, so vets sent him for a CT scan. The scan told the story. London Zoo vet Stefan Saverimuttu said, “Babirusas’ tusks are actually canine teeth which can reach up to 40cm in length and grow through their skin. Following Ubi’s CT scan, we were able to see that two of Ubi’s tusks had a minor infection. These tusks had to be treated so they didn’t end up causing any discomfort.” A veterinary dental specialist stepped in to help. Using the CT images as a guide, they trimmed each infected tusk down to the problem area and sealed them with resin, essentially giving Ubi a pair of fillings. Stefan said, “Ubi was a star patient; he’s made a brilliant recovery, and we’re confident that his tusks shouldn’t cause him any further issues.” The zoo added that the normally sweet-natured babirusa was “soon back to his soppy self.” For a creature known for its fearsome looks, it turned out to be nothing more than a dental visit and a smooth recovery.
Score (95)
A Coral Cryobank In Thailand is Working To Preserve Dying Reefs — Here's How
In a quiet lab at Phuket Rajabhat University, the work looks simple. A sealed vial, a cold tank, a set of notes. But what scientists are trying to preserve inside that tank is something far larger than a single specimen. They are freezing coral larvae and the symbiotic algae that keep corals alive, hoping to create what they call a living seed bank for Thailand’s reefs. The timing could not be more urgent. Thailand’s reefs, home to more than 300 coral species, have endured repeated mass bleaching since 2022. Surveys show structural loss and shifts in which species dominate, driven by extreme heat and compounded by tourism, wastewater, sedimentation and overfishing. Coral cryobanks offer a form of genetic insurance. They preserve the building blocks of future reefs, but scientists emphasize that they do not replace the need for healthy oceans. Any frozen material will need a viable coastal habitat to return to. Inside the lab, molecular biologist Preeyanuch Thongpoo works on freezing live larvae and algae at -196 Celsius. Suspended in liquid nitrogen are microscopic algae from the cauliflower coral, Pocillopora, part of the Symbiodiniaceae family. These algae, no bigger than dust, supply most of the energy corals use to survive. Larvae from the same coral species, known for recolonizing heat-damaged reefs, are preserved in separate vials. Working under the Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform, or CORDAP, Preeyanuch is building a repository meant to support future restoration efforts. It comes at a moment when Thailand’s reefs are being hit faster than they can recover. Tourism, a pillar of the coastal economy, has added pressure. High levels of diving and snorkeling have been linked to coral breakage, abrasion and increased disease. Boats damage shallow reefs through anchoring and propeller wash. Along the coast, development has sent more sediment and nutrients into the water. Runoff from resorts and infrastructure increases algal growth and reduces coral resilience during heat waves. Traditional restoration has relied on replanting coral fragments, but bleaching events have accelerated so quickly that these interventions struggle to keep pace. Thailand’s cryobank facility, established in June 2025, responds to the possibility that some reefs may not withstand current stresses. Veteran researcher Chiahsin Lin, who trains scientists across the region, describes cryobanks as “ex situ conservation,” a way to store material and “point them back” once environmental conditions improve. Based on climate projections, he says “all coral species are endangered,” making broad genetic archiving necessary. “To ensure we have a complete genetic library that can be used for future restoration efforts, we must consider all these groups of corals,” Preeyanuch says. Keystone reef builders act as the architects of reef habitat. Massive corals tend to be more tolerant of bleaching and storms, while branching corals recolonize damaged reefs quickly but are highly sensitive to heat. The aim is to preserve diversity that can support reefs capable of withstanding a warmer ocean. Despite its promise, Lin cautions that cryopreservation is not a solution on its own. Every coral species presents a different technical challenge. Progress is slow, while reef loss is rapid. He says that regional cooperation, long-term funding and integration with broader conservation strategies are essential. Petch Manopawitr, adviser to WildAid and a Thai conservation scientist, describes the approach as “a long-term genetic insurance policy.” Increasing genetic diversity in restoration programs is “very, very important,” he says, especially when many projects still depend on fragmentation and cloning. But he warns that cryobanking must be part of “real world conservation.” It will not work “unless we have fixed all [the] environmental issue[s] that degraded the reef in the first place.” He cites water quality, unsustainable tourism, anchor damage, sedimentation and fishing pressure as core issues that need attention alongside climate change. “So I think cryobank[ing] is a good, definitely a good project, but it has to be plugged in, in the whole picture,” he says. That picture includes local communities. Petch says coastal residents and small-scale fishers are increasingly interested in protecting marine ecosystems. Community-led conservation areas are gaining support, aligning with national policies while giving local people a direct role in protection. “It’s something that allows people, local people, to become part of a solution,” he says. Climate projections show that many of the world’s reefs could decline sharply by 2050, but Petch argues that resignation is not an option. Cryobanking is useful “as an insurance,” he says, but no archive can replicate the ecological services reefs provide. The Phuket facility faced challenges in its first year, especially keeping broodstock corals alive long enough to collect viable larvae. Preeyanuch says her team has refined its husbandry systems and is updating protocols while seeking funding for a second year. While she acknowledges that frozen larvae alone cannot rebuild reefs at today’s scale of loss, she says the work is essential. It is, she says, “the genetic heart of the restoration effort,” preserving traits that future reefs will need. By collecting larvae during short spawning windows and storing them for decades, she says the cryobank “buys us crucial time,” even as she warns that without healthy oceans, it risks becoming “a storage unit for extinction.”
Score (96)
Hiker Rescues Lost Dog in Unexpected Mountain Rescue Twist
A small dog in the Scottish Highlands ended up needing the kind of rescue usually reserved for humans on distant ridgelines. Aggie, a 5-year-old spaniel, spent a night alone in a hollow below the summit of Fionn Bheinn after falling through a cornice during a group hike. Five dogs and four hikers were making their way toward the top near Achnasheen when the snow beneath them gave way. Cornices, which are large buildups of wind-packed snow that hang over the edges of steep slopes, can look solid from above. Four of the dogs were pulled back to safety right away. Aggie was not one of them. She slipped out of sight and could not be found. By the next morning, the Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team joined Aggie’s owner and a local deer stalker to search the area. Once the team reached the spot where she fell, it became clear what had happened. A rescuer was lowered by rope into a hollow beneath the cornice. Aggie was waiting there, unharmed after a night roughly 900 metres up in freezing conditions, and she was thrilled to see someone. Team leader Iain Nesbitt told the BBC that “the incident highlighted the risks posed by cornices.” He added that “the ledges of snow form in strong winds and overhang the edges of steep slopes and can be difficult to spot.” Aggie was returned to her owner soon after the rescue. What started as a routine winter hike ended as a reminder that even familiar mountains can hide surprises, and sometimes it is the dogs who need the mountaineers.
Score (97)
Pennsylvania Man Discovers Neighbor's Lost Family Diamond During a Florida Vacation
What began as a heartbreaking loss for a Pennsylvania woman ended as a cross-country mystery with a near-impossible twist. Cindy Ware of Chester County had been sick over the disappearance of her diamond, a stone passed through her late husband’s family for decades. At some point, months earlier, it had simply vanished from her ring. “I still don’t believe it. It’s in my purse now but I still don’t believe it,” she said after finally holding it again. She had no idea where it could have gone. Hundreds of miles away, her neighbor and friend, Coleman, was on vacation in Florida. While slipping on his water shoes for the beach and the pool, something in the sole caught his eye. “Went down there, wore them, wore them on the beach, to the pool and when I saw it in my shoe, I assumed I picked it up in Florida, probably at the pool,” he said. The tiny stone was lodged perfectly in the tread of his shoe. He figured it was fake. Maybe glass. Maybe costume jewelry. Still, he stopped by a jeweler in Fort Lauderdale just to check. That decision changed the whole story. “He said, ‘Yes, it’s a diamond from the 50s or 60s. An older cut, nice coloring.’ And said ‘this is a good piece of jewelry,’” Coleman recalled. Stunned, he posted a photo on Facebook, joking about his unusual find. Within minutes, someone from back home recognized it. A friend in the Kendal Crosslands Community told him it looked exactly like the diamond Cindy had lost. On Valentine’s Day, the mystery finally snapped into place. Cindy believes the stone likely fell out during one of her pool exercise classes. Coleman, who plays water volleyball in the same pool, must have stepped on it at the perfect angle, embedding it into the sole of his shoe. It stayed there unnoticed through his entire Florida trip. “A diamond in a swimming pool to be found at all is impossible,” Cindy said. “Too many things to have happened just right for me to even know where it was or how it was saved on that shoe.” The two were already neighbors, already friends. Now they share a once-in-a-lifetime story — and a reminder that sometimes lost treasures do find their way home. “To be able to add even a little bit more happiness there,” Coleman said, “Well, that’s really swell.”
Score (97)
A Heroic Bystander Just Saved a Baby From Lake Michigan Despite Not Knowing How To Swim
A Chicago man is being praised for an act of courage he never planned for. Lio Cundiff jumped into Lake Michigan to save an 8 month old baby in a stroller after a strong gust of wind blew her into Belmont Harbor on Wednesday afternoon. He did it despite one major obstacle. He does not know how to swim. Chicago police said the stroller was pushed into the water around 3 p.m. Cundiff heard the mother screaming and reacted instantly. He leapt in after the stroller, grabbed the baby and tried to keep both of them afloat. “We dipped a couple times,” he told CBS News Chicago from his hospital bed. “There was… there was one moment where I was like, I don't know how much longer I'm gonna hold on, so, like, I just kind of grabbed her hand and just, like, rubbed her hand a little.” He held the baby up as long as he could while others rushed to help. Together, they pulled both of them to safety. Asked what pushed him forward, Cundiff offered a tired smile. “Turns out I'm a fighter, I guess. Always thought I was a runner, I guess not today.” The baby girl was examined and is doing well, police said. Cundiff remained in the hospital Thursday, monitored for a fast heart rate, but doctors expect him to go home soon.
Score (97)
A Long-Lost Recording Reveals What May Be The Oldest Known Song Of A Humpback Whale
Researchers have uncovered what may be the oldest surviving whale recording, a 77-year-old audio disk etched during a 1949 expedition off Bermuda. The sound, a haunting melody buried in the archives of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is now believed to have come from a humpback whale. On 7 March 1949, scientists aboard the R/V Atlantis lowered an early underwater microphone system into the Atlantic. A machine better suited for office dictation carved the sounds it captured directly into a thin plastic disk. The recording featured eerie howls and the rumble of moving water. Then it was filed away, eventually fading from memory. Decades later, WHOI researchers rediscovered the disk and recognized its scientific value. Marine bioacoustician Laela Sayigh said, “Data from this time period simply don’t exist in most cases. This recording can provide insight into how humpback whale sounds have changed over time, as well as serving as a baseline for measuring how human activity shapes the ocean soundscape.” The recording dates to a precarious moment for humpback whales in the North Atlantic. After decades of commercial whaling, their numbers had collapsed. By 1955, scientists estimated the population may have dipped below 1,000 animals. While modern counts are overdue, even older estimates point to a population that has since grown by a factor of 20 to 25. Humpbacks “talk” to one another through long, patterned vocalizations, and their songs have become a central tool for understanding whale behavior. Rediscovered audio from a time when the species was approaching its lowest point offers rare historical context. The find also marks a milestone in the history of ocean science. Underwater acoustic technology was in its infancy in the late 1940s, and few recordings from that era survive. For WHOI researchers, the 1949 disk is not just an artifact. It is a baseline from a quieter ocean, decades before modern shipping, sonar and industrial noise reshaped the sea’s acoustics. Scientists now hope the audio will help them trace how humpback songs evolve across generations and how whales adapt to changing environments. For a species once pushed to the edge, the rediscovered voice from 1949 offers both a scientific opportunity and a reminder of how far conservation has brought them.