Category: 7. Science

Low-density amorphous ice is one of the most common solid materials in the Universe and a key material for understanding the many famous anomalies of liquid water. Yet, despite its significance and its discovery nearly 90 years ago, its structure is debated. In a new study, researchers from University College London and the University of Cambridge found that computer simulations of low-density amorphous ice best matched measurements from previous experiments if the ice was not fully amorphous but contained tiny crystals — about 3 nm wide, slightly wider than a single strand of DNA — embedded within its disordered structures. In an experimental work, they also re-crystallized (i.e. warmed up) real samples of amorphous ice that had formed in different ways. They found that the final crystal structure varied depending on how the amorphous ice had originated. If the ice had been fully amorphous (fully disordered), the researchers concluded, it would not retain any imprint of its earlier form.

“We now have a good idea of what the most common form of ice in the Universe looks like at an atomic level,” said Dr. Michael Davies, a researcher at University College London and the University of Cambridge.

“This is important as ice is involved in many cosmological processes, for instance in how planets form, how galaxies evolve, and how matter moves around the Universe.”

For their study, Dr Davies and colleagues used two computer models of water.

They froze these virtual ‘boxes’ of water molecules by cooling to minus 120 degrees Celsius (minus 184 degrees Fahrenheit) at different rates.

The different rates of cooling led to varying proportions of crystalline and amorphous ice.

The researchers found that ice that was up to 20% crystalline (and 80% amorphous) appeared to closely match the structure of low-density amorphous ice as found in X-ray diffraction studies (that is, where researchers fire X-rays at the ice and analyze how these rays are deflected).

Using another approach, they created large ‘boxes’ with many small ice crystals closely squeezed together.

The simulation then disordered the regions between the ice crystals reaching very similar structures compared to the first approach with 25% crystalline ice.

In additional experimental work, the scientists created real samples of low-density amorphous ice in a range of ways, from depositing water vapor on to an extremely cold surface (how ice forms on dust grains in interstellar clouds) to warming up what is known as high-density amorphous ice (ice that has been crushed at extremely cold temperatures).

They then gently heated these amorphous ices so they had the energy to form crystals.

They noticed differences in the ices’ structure depending on their origin — specifically, there was variation in the proportion of molecules stacked in a six-fold (hexagonal) arrangement.

This was indirect evidence that low-density amorphous ice contained crystals.

If it was fully disordered, the ice would not retain any memory of its earlier forms.

The findings raised many additional questions about the nature of amorphous ices — for instance, whether the size of crystals varied depending on how the amorphous ice formed, and whether a truly amorphous ice was possible.

“Water is the foundation of life but we still do not fully understand it,” said University of Cambridge’s Professor Angelos Michaelides.

“Amorphous ices may hold the key to explaining some of water’s many anomalies.”

“Ice is potentially a high-performance material in space,” Dr. Davies said.

“It could shield spacecraft from radiation or provide fuel in the form of hydrogen and oxygen.”

“So we need to know about its various forms and properties.”

The findings also have implications for one speculative theory about how life on Earth began.

According to this theory, known as Panspermia, the building blocks of life were carried here on an ice comet, with low-density amorphous ice the space shuttle material in which ingredients such as simple amino acids were transported.

“Our findings suggest this ice would be a less good transport material for these origin of life molecules,” Dr. Davies said.

“That is because a partly crystalline structure has less space in which these ingredients could become embedded.”

“The theory could still hold true, though, as there are amorphous regions in the ice where life’s building blocks could be trapped and stored.”

“Ice on Earth is a cosmological curiosity due to our warm temperatures,” said University College London’s Professor Christoph Salzmann.

“You can see its ordered nature in the symmetry of a snowflake.”

“Ice in the rest of the Universe has long been considered a snapshot of liquid water — that is, a disordered arrangement fixed in place. Our findings show this is not entirely true.”

“Our results also raise questions about amorphous materials in general.”

“These materials have important uses in much advanced technology.”

“For instance, glass fibers that transport data long distances need to be amorphous, or disordered, for their function.”

“If they do contain tiny crystals and we can remove them, this will improve their performance.”

A paper on the findings was published today in the journal Physical Review B.

_____

Michael Benedict Davies et al. 2025. Low-density amorphous ice contains crystalline ice grains. Phys. Rev. B 112, 024203; doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.112.024203

When folks picture Neanderthals, the image often involves heavy brows, furry pelts, and stone tools. Yet pieces of their DNA are still part of the modern human genome. Recent research suggests that some of these genetic variants inherited from Neanderthals could be linked to autism spectrum disorder.

About 50,000-60,000 years ago, small groups of modern humans trekked out of Africa into Eurasia. They met Neanderthals, exchanged tools, and also exchanged genes through interbreeding.

It has been estimated that Eurasian-derived populations have approximately 2% Neanderthal DNA, which was acquired during introgression events occurring shortly after anatomically modern humans migrated out of Africa.

Later, some descendants journeyed back to Africa, sprinkling a much thinner dusting of Neanderthal genes across the continent.

That genetic shuffling means nearly everyone on Earth carries at least a trace of Neanderthal ancestry, though the amount varies.

Small fragments, big questions

Genetic leftovers can be helpful. Certain Neanderthal alleles boost immune responses or aid survival at high altitudes.

Many others never meshed well with our biology and were slowly weeded out by natural selection. Brain-related genes are especially unforgiving; even minor glitches can prove disruptive.

With the recent sequencing of multiple archaic human genomes, there has been growing interest concerning the influence of archaic human-derived alleles on modern health.

Yet some Neanderthal variants slipped past that filter. They linger in regions tied to perception, memory, and social understanding, sparking curiosity about their subtle effects.

Autism clues in Neanderthal DNA

The study linking autism to Neanderthal DNA was led by researchers from Clemson University and Loyola University.

The authors compared whole-genome data from autistic people, their unaffected siblings, and unrelated controls across diverse ethnic backgrounds.

They saw that both rare and common Neanderthal-derived variants appeared more often in autistic participants.

The pattern wasn’t about carrying more Neanderthal DNA overall; it hinged on possessing particular snippets.

One striking theme involved genes that guide how distant brain regions talk to each other.

Visual-processing circuits appeared to run hotter, while the so-called default mode network, linked to daydreaming and social reflection, ran cooler.

Those connectivity signatures match traits many autistic individuals report – keen pattern recognition alongside social fatigue.

Seeing the world in sharp focus

Functional MRI scans from the same project confirmed this pattern. People who carried a higher load of the identified Neanderthal variants – whether autistic or not – showed stronger signaling in visual areas.

Meanwhile, pathways that normally hum during casual conversation or idle thought stayed quieter.

The result hints that these ancient genes might sculpt a cognitive profile tuned for intense observation and precise motor planning.

Archaeologists note a similar nuance in Neanderthal craftsmanship and stone tool making skills.

Their Levallois technique required stepwise planning, spatial reasoning, and sustained focus – skills that resonate with strengths many autistic thinkers display today.

An evolutionary twist

Why would such variants stick around? One idea points to the small, tight-knit bands Neanderthals likely formed. In that setting, visual scouting for game, shelter, or stone resources could outweigh complex social juggling.

When Homo sapiens groups interbred with them, those advantageous perceptual talents may have proved useful enough to persist.

The study does not argue that Neanderthal DNA “causes” autism. Instead, it suggests that a handful of inherited tweaks can raise the odds of certain traits emerging along a spectrum.

Those traits might have offered benefits in ancestral environments – and still do in fields that prize logic, detail, and pattern spotting.

Neanderthal contributions to autism

Researchers stress that genetics is only part of the autism puzzle. Environment, early development, and countless other genes interact in ways science is still charting.

Even so, identifying concrete Neanderthal contributions helps explain why autism exists worldwide, independent of culture or upbringing.

It also reframes neurodiversity as a legacy of humanity’s mixed heritage rather than a modern anomaly.

Many families notice clusters of analytical talent – mathematicians, engineers, visual artists – scattered among autistic and non-autistic relatives alike. The new findings offer a biological thread connecting those shared gifts.

What happens next?

“We hope this research will lead to further investigation into the ongoing influences of ancient hybridization between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals in brain development, human intelligence, and overall human health, as well as spur work into additional clinical resources for this complex population,” the research team wrote.

Future projects will likely probe other neurodevelopmental conditions, explore how Neanderthal variants interact with modern lifestyles, and refine personalized supports.

As we continue to discover, the story of human evolution didn’t stop with one lineage replacing another. It wove their strengths together, leaving fingerprints that guide our thoughts, perceptions, and innovations in modern humans to this day.

The full study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–

A Ph.D. student in biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has built a software program designed to facilitate the kind of precision genome editing involved in the development of cutting-edge therapeutics for genetic conditions such as certain metabolic or blood disorders, like sickle-cell anemia.

The new tool, CRISPRware, takes its name from CRISPR-Cas9, the workhorse of modern genome editing. At its core, Cas9 is a protein that binds with a short RNA sequence designed to be complementary to a specific region of the genome. This short sequence, called guide RNA, effectively acts as a homing device, directing Cas9 to a precise spot on the DNA. Once there, Cas9 makes a double-strand break that enables researchers to introduce precise changes.

However, a major constraint in CRISPR targeting is a short sequence motif in guide RNA that Cas9 requires for binding. And while many tools exist to help researchers locate guide RNAs for the roughly 20,000 well-annotated protein-coding genes in the human genome, they aren’t as useful for researching novel or less-characterized coding regions.

To address this, Ph.D candidate Eric Malekos developed CRISPRware, allowing users to  design guide RNAs for any region of the genome, accommodating different CRISPR systems and their unique binding-site requirements. The software can scan an entire genome and identify all possible guide RNAs that meet those constraints.

“There was really no good tool for customizing which portions of the genome you want to target,” said Malekos, whose research focuses on small uncharacterized peptides produced from the vast unannotated portions of the genome.

Big influence of small peptides

Despite their small size, these peptides can be highly functional. For example, glucagon-like peptide-1 is only about 60 amino acids long, but it plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels, appetite, and digestion. That peptide is now familiar to many by its abbreviated name, GLP-1, the basis for a class of medications for treating type 2 diabetes that have become widely popular as weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Malekos studies these small peptides for their possible roles in the innate immune system and inflammatory responses. He conducts his research in the lab of Susan Carpenter, professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at UC Santa Cruz. She said CRISPRware is a highly versatile tool that, by integrating it into the widely used UCSC Genome Browser, makes the program more accessible to researchers without bioinformatics expertise. 

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its launch this year, the UCSC Genome Browser is now accessed by tens of thousands of researchers a day to visualize, annotate, and study genomes of thousands of different species from humans to viruses. “Eric’s tool helps democratize the use of CRISPR by greatly reducing the need for computational expertise,” Carpenter said.

The recent milestone of the first human to successfully receive a CRISPR-based personalized gene-therapy treatment—for a rare and incurable genetic disease called carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency—is a powerful example of the type of breakthrough CRISPRware can play a role in enabling, Carpenter added.

Leveraging a popular platform

Most current bioinformatics tools remain inaccessible to non-specialists. But by integrating CRISPRware’s outputs directly into the UCSC Genome Browser—a platform already familiar to many researchers—the tool becomes approachable to many more. Scientists without deep computational skills can:

• quickly browse entire libraries of precomputed guide RNAs for six model organisms
• zoom in on their gene or region of interest
• select optimal guides without needing to write code or set up complex software

“This approach lowers the barrier to entry, helping spread CRISPR’s benefits across the entire life-sciences community,” Malekos said. “CRISPRware’s usability is definitely another major asset.”

In addition, the tool enables high-throughput CRISPR-based screening. Rather than testing one region at a time, researchers can systematically screen thousands of candidate peptides to discover those that matter in key contexts such as immunity. This kind of large-scale approach is critical for mapping the so-called “dark proteome”—the previously unseen world of short functional proteins hidden in our genome.

Proven across model species

To validate the CRISPRware, Malekos ran the tool on the entire genomes of six model species: human, rat, mouse, zebrafish, fruit fly and the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). For each organism, CRISPRware generated comprehensive catalogs of guide RNAs targeting coding regions—offering the research community a robust, accessible resource. 

“Whether you’re working on C. elegans or a fruit fly, this ensures that researchers studying any of these organisms can quickly identify optimal guide RNAs for their experiments,” Carpenter said.

The tool is presented in a paper titled “CRISPRware: a software package for contextual gRNA library design,” published on July 1 in BMC Genomics. CRISPRware’s development was supported by a prestigious F31 fellowship from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)—a recognition of the project’s potential to advance biomedical science.

Additional support came from an R35 MIRA grant awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), further underscoring the national investment in cutting-edge precision-medicine-enabling research.

The ability to sequence and edit human DNA has revolutionized biomedicine. Now a new consortium wants to take the next step and build human genomes from scratch.

The Human Genome Project was one of the great scientific moonshots of the last century. Mapping the entirety of our DNA took thousands of researchers from across the globe 13 years and nearly $3 billion, but the benefits have been enormous.

The project has revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of disease and driven rapid advances in the technology needed to read and interpret our DNA. The cost of sequencing an entire human genome has plummeted from around a million dollars in 2008 to just a few hundred dollars today.

The ability to not only read but also build human genomes from scratch could bring more fundamental breakthroughs. And now the world’s largest medical charity, the Wellcome Trust, is providing £10 million ($13.6 million) in funding to kickstart the Synthetic Human Genome Project (SynHG).

“The ability to synthesize large genomes, including genomes for human cells, may transform our understanding of genome biology and profoundly alter the horizons of biotechnology and medicine,” Jason Chin from the University of Oxford, who will lead the project, said in a statement.

The project builds on a steady stream of advances in DNA synthesis in recent years. Chin himself led a team that synthesized the entire genome of the bacteria E. coli in 2019. And in 2023, an international consortium completed the first synthetic genome of yeast—a significantly more complex organism that is closer in evolutionary terms to humans.

At this stage, the SynHG project is focused on developing foundational tools and methods, and the organizers admit it will likely take decades to synthesize an entire human genome. For now, the goal is to build a single human chromosome—one of the 46 tightly wound bundles of DNA that make up the human genome—in the next 5 to 10 years.

While gene editing makes it possible to tinker with existing genetic instructions, synthesis would make it possible to build larger stretches of DNA from scratch. Those kinds of capabilities could lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of disease and open the prospect of new therapies based on designer cell or even designer tissues and organs.

“Building DNA from scratch allows us to test out how DNA really works and test out new theories, because currently we can only really do that by tweaking DNA in DNA that already exists in living systems,” Matthew Hurles, director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK, told The BBC.

Much of our existing knowledge of the genome is restricted to the roughly 2 percent that codes for specific proteins, with the other 98 percent of “non-coding” DNA still largely a mystery. Being able to build the entire sequence from scratch could help us understand the genome’s “dark matter,” Julian Sale, from the UK’s Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, told The Guardian.

The project is controversial though. There are fears the same technology could be put to more ethically questionable uses. These could include new bioweapons, genetically enhanced humans, or even strange new organisms that incorporate some human DNA, geneticist Bill Earnshaw, from Edinburgh University, told The BBC.

“The genie is out of the bottle,” he said. “We could have a set of restrictions now, but if an organization who has access to appropriate machinery decided to start synthesizing anything, I don’t think we could stop them”

In an attempt to head off these concerns, SynHG will also have a social-science program designed to map out potential risks and how to deal with them. One particular issue it will focus on is the fact that genomic research is currently skewed towards people of European ancestry, which could limit broader applicability.

Fortunately, given the huge technical challenge ahead, there is likely plenty of time to map out the potential pitfalls. And if the project is successful, it could spark a second great revolution in genetics likely to do more good than harm.

The mandible had been separated from the skeleton, and both it and the neurocranium are incomplete, so they were reconstructed and consolidated with plaster. CT scanning made it possible to check that older reconstructive work to ensure it had not masked any elements that may have influenced the taxonomic classification, per the authors. The team also scanned the skulls of three Homo neanderthalensis skulls in the collection of the Musee de l’Homme in Paris and compared those skull characteristics with the Skuhl Cave skull and mandible.

They concluded that the neurocranium’s parietal and temporal bones, and the shape of the bony labyrinth, were consistent with Homo sapiens. However, other features, like the receded and high location of the posterior rim of the foramen magnum, indicated a possible Neanderthal lineage. And the mandible showed distinct Neanderthal characteristics, leading to the determination that the child was a hybrid of the two species.

Co-author Anne Dambricourt Malassé of the Institute of Human Paleontology in Paris admitted that she once thought such a hybridization would not have been viable; the results of their analysis demonstrate that it is possible, although the child in question died very young. These findings may also prompt a revisiting of the longstanding assumption that Skuhl Cave was a Homo sapiens gravesite.

“This study is maybe the first that has put the Skhul child’s remains on a scientific basis,” John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who wasn’t involved with the study, told New Scientist. “The old reconstruction and associated work, literally set in plaster, did not really enable anyone to compare this child with a broader array of recent children to understand its biology.” That said, he cautioned that without extracting and analyzing a DNA sample, one can’t make a definitive determination: “Human populations are variable and there can be a lot of variability in their appearance and physical form even without mixing with ancient groups like Neanderthals.”

L’Anthropologie, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.anthro.2025.103385  (About DOIs).

A space capsule carrying the ashes and DNA of ONE HUNDRED SIXTY SIX people was lost after crashing into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The mission, led by Celestis, a Texas-based company that offers “space burials,” was meant to give families a unique way to honor their loved ones by sending their remains into orbit.

The spacecraft, called Nyx, was built by the German startup The Exploration Company. After successfully launching into space on June 23 aboard a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Nyx entered low-Earth orbit and completed two full trips around the planet. The plan was for the capsule to reenter Earth’s atmosphere and parachute into the ocean for recovery. However, during descent, the parachute failed to deploy, causing the capsule to plunge into the sea.

In a statement posted on LinkedIn, The Exploration Company confirmed the failure.

“The capsule was launched successfully, powered the payloads nominally in orbit, stabilized itself after separation and re-established communication after reentry blackout,” the company said. “But it encountered an issue, and we lost communication a few minutes before splashdown. We are still investigating the root causes.”

This mission marked another chapter in Celestis’ decades-long history of space memorials. The company’s first space burial took place in 1997 aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia, carrying the remains of 24 people — including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry — fulfilling his lifelong dream of space travel.

Others who have received space burials include Star Trek actors Nichelle Nichols (Lieutenant Uhura) and James Doohan (“Scotty”), planetary geologist Eugene Shoemaker and L. Gordon Cooper, one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven astronauts.

Cannabis seeds were also on board as part of a separate science experiment. The group behind the project, Martian Grow, aimed to study how space conditions affect the plant’s germination and growth.

According to its website, Martian Grow believes cannabis could support future space missions by providing food, medicine and sustainable materials.

The Martian Grow team is headed by Božidar Radišič at the Research Nature Institute, in Slovenia.

“Sooner or later, we will have lunar bases, and cannabis, with its versatility, is the ideal plant to supply those projects,” Radišič said in an interview with Wired ahead of the launch. “It can be a source of food, protein, building materials, textiles, hemp, plastic and medicine. I don’t think many other plants give us all these things.”

After the failed landing, both companies expressed regret.

Charles Chafer, CEO of Celestis, said in a statement that recovery of the capsule is unlikely. “We hope families find some peace knowing their loved ones were launched into space, orbited Earth and now rest in the vastness of the Pacific, much like a traditional sea scattering,” he wrote. “We share in their disappointment and thank them for their trust.”

Helene Huby, CEO of The Exploration Company, also issued an apology. “We all hoped for full success. Partial success is often part of the journey for those who take risks and push boundaries,” she said. “I take full responsibility and offer my apologies to our customers.”

Space burials are part of a growing interest in alternative end-of-life options. Other methods gaining popularity include human composting, where remains are broken down naturally in vessels, and biodegradable “tree pod” burials, where a tree is planted above the body, allowing it to grow using the nutrients from decomposition. In environmentally conscious states like Washington, space burial ranks sixth among nontraditional funeral methods.

Despite the recent setback, space burials are only becoming more ambitious. As technology advances, ashes could be sent to the Moon, launched into deep space or placed in personal memorial satellites orbiting Earth.

Using satellite observations to evaluate forest recovery following a wildfire could be an innovative, cost-efficient way to assess the effectiveness of land management practices, according to research published earlier this year. 

Scientists at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) developed a method that cross-references imagery from two NASA satellites with a specialized dataset of land areas developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This enabled the research team to gain powerful insights into what percentage of forests were recovering from wildfires and assess the speed of recovery of different categories of land protection.

Traditionally, recovery of burn areas has been assessed by field work, which is time and labor intensive. Remote sensing offers a quick, low-cost way to assess burned areas. 

“We’ve developed a simple framework that could give fire and land managers the ability to easily see what efforts make a difference in forest recovery after a wildfire,” said Shima Shams, NSF NCAR scientist and lead author of the paper, “This method is a quick, cost-effective way to help managers know where to focus funds to get the maximum benefit.”  

The research was funded through NSF NCAR’s Advanced Study Program postdoctoral fellowship. 

Leveraging datasets

The research team focused on an area in Northern California and Southern Oregon, a region with diverse conservation practices that has experienced increased wildfire activity in the past decade. The first step in testing their method was to identify fire burn events. To detect where fires occurred, the team used data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) – an instrument onboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites that produces a variety of datasets using multiple spectral bands covering the entire globe every two days. Then they used imagery from Landsat – a USGS satellite mission that has continuously acquired images of the Earth’s land surface since 1984 – to track how much vegetation came back five years after a fire event. 

The scientists then cross-referenced their findings with USGS’s Protected Areas Database. The dataset classifies land areas into one of four broad conservation categories that are based on the extent of long-term biodiversity protection, human intervention, and suppression of natural disturbances.

Cross-referencing the remote sensing data with the conservation category allowed the researchers to determine the recovery of forest for each land management practice category. This process showed that areas lacking conservation practices were slower to recover, with unprotected areas recovering around 27% recovery rate at five years compared to 37% across areas with at least some degree of protection. 

NSF NCAR researchers also examined fire severity across the different conservation categories and discovered that unprotected areas also experienced more severe fire events. Results showed that not only did areas categorized as “no protection mandate” recover more slowly, they also experienced a 25-47% higher burn severity. This highlights the importance of land management practices for both minimizing initial damage and boosting forest regrowth following a fire. 

Additionally, the research revealed differences in recovery based on forest type. The observations showed that evergreen forests benefited the most from protective measures. Knowing which forest types are most affected by conservation practices is an additional piece of information that can help managers develop policy that best utilizes their resources, Shams said.

Collaborating with managers

The authors noted evaluating fire recovery using remote sensing at the resolution they used does not produce information at the same level of detail as field assessments, such as whether vegetation regrowth includes invasive species. Because three out of the four conservation categories used in this study required maintaining biodiversity levels, the researchers knew that the regrowth for those areas was the same as before the fire, but future case studies may need to address this issue in areas where protection for biodiversity is not ensured. However, even in situations where the type of regrowth is not known, this analysis framework still provides valuable, actionable information with far less financial and personnel demands. 

NSF NCAR scientists are hoping their next step will be working directly with land and fire managers to adapt the framework to the needs of individual management areas. This approach can help managers see how well different actions work and prioritize investment in strategies that are proven to make a difference. 

“Managers need detailed assessment  information to know if their decisions and plans were effective and help them know how to adjust their efforts in the future,” said Shams. “Remote sensing is an efficient way to look at the big picture and showcase the efficiency of applied practices.” 

See all News

NASA’s Lucy mission continues to analyze images collected during the spacecraft’s April 20, 2025 encounter with the carbonaceous asteroid Donaldjohanson.

Donaldjohanson is located in the inner regions of Solar System’s main asteroid belt.

This asteroid was first discovered on March 2, 1981, by the American astronomer Schelte Bus at the Siding Spring Observatory.

On April 20, 2025, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft made a close flyby of Donaldjohanson, coming within 960 km (600 miles) of its surface.

The encounter confirmed that the asteroid is an elongated contact binary — an object formed when two smaller bodies collide.

However, members of the Lucy team were surprised by the odd shape of the narrow neck connecting the two lobes, which looks like two nested ice cream cones.

A stereo image pair combining the last complete approach image (right) with a slightly clipped image taken 72 seconds later (left). For a three-dimensional view of the asteroid’s structure, cross your eyes while focusing on the image. Image credit: NASA / Goddard / SwRI / Johns Hopkins APL / Brian May / Claudia Manzoni.

“The newly-released images were taken by the spacecraft’s L’LORRI imager a few minutes before its closest approach,” the researchers wrote in a statement.

“This successful dress rehearsal gives the team high confidence that both the spacecraft and our team are well prepared for the main events: the upcoming encounters with the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.”

“The spacecraft itself is now in a relatively quiet cruise period as it continues traveling through the main asteroid belt.”

“Lucy is heading away from the Sun at more than 50,000 km per hour (30,000 mph).”

“We will keep monitoring the spacecraft as it moves toward the cooler and dimmer outer Solar System.”

“Once Lucy reaches the Trojan asteroids, it will conduct four encounters, observing at least six asteroids — including two satellites discovered by our team — in less than 15 months.”

“The first encounter will be with the asteroid Eurybates in August 2027.”

While knowledge of the female dominance spectrum among certain primate species dates back to the 1960s, research precisely quantifying the degree of one gender’s dominance over the other was lacking. A team of scientists collected data from 253 populations representing 121 primate species in order to study confrontations between males and females. It also analysed the contexts in which one or the other tend to dominate.

Scientists then tested five evolutionary hypotheses to better understand these power relations. Females tend to dominate in species [3] where they have strong control over their reproduction. Their dominance is also more frequent in societies marked by strong competition among females, or when gender confrontation involves fewer risks for smaller members. Conversely, male dominance is especially present in species [4] where they have clear physical superiority over females.

These results show that there is no single model for explaining power relations in primate societies, thereby offering new avenues for grasping the evolution of gender roles in early human societies.