This week in science: The Sun is flaring up unexpectedly; a 60-year diabetes mystery may finally be solved; the oldest human mummies aren't what we expected; and much more!
Our Sun Is Becoming More Active And NASA Doesn't Know Why
According to NASA, the Sun has been getting strangely more active since 2008, going beyond its usual 11-year cycle of solar activity.
"All signs were pointing to the Sun going into a prolonged phase of low activity," says plasma physicist Jamie Jasinski of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). "So it was a surprise to see that trend reversed. The Sun is slowly waking up."
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After 60 Years, Diabetes Drug Found to Unexpectedly Impact The Brain
After 60 years, scientists may have finally figured out how the common diabetes drug metformin works: It acts directly on the brain.
"It's been widely accepted that metformin lowers blood glucose primarily by reducing glucose output in the liver," says Makoto Fukuda, a pathophysiologist at Baylor College of Medicine. "Other studies have found that it acts through the gut. We investigated whether and how the brain contributes to the anti-diabetic effects of metformin."
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Oldest Human Mummies Discovered, And They're Not What We Expected
The oldest known human mummies have been identified in southeast Asia: ancient remains smoke-mummified up to 12,000 years ago.
That's several thousands of years older than the cultures best known for mummification, the Chinchorro people of Chile, who were mummifying their dead 7,000 years ago, and the ancient Egyptians, who were practicing the craft 5,600 years ago.
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Parkinson's Disease Could Be Ignited by Burned-Out Brain Cells
A new study into Parkinson's disease may have uncovered the root cause: Neurons are being overworked and dying of 'burnout'.
The researchers suggest there might be a vicious cycle at work, where overactive neurons die off and then the remaining neurons become more active to compensate. It's a little like lightbulbs becoming too bright and blowing out.
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Stunningly Complete Dome-Headed Dinosaur Emerges From The Sands of Mongolia
A stunningly well-preserved fossil of a dome-headed dinosaur has been found in Mongolia. It's the oldest and most complete of its kind.
"The first time I saw Zavacephale, it literally took my breath away," paleontologist Lindsay Zanno of North Carolina State University told ScienceAlert. "Everyone who has seen it is in awe."
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Physicists Propose a 'Neutrino Laser' Straight Out of Science Fiction
MIT physicists have proposed a way to make a 'neutrino laser', which could allow us to study some of the most profound cosmic questions.
Catching a neutrino in the act is a numbers game, and our current best experiments involve watching gigantic volumes of water or ice, in environments with little interference, and waiting for the rare instance when one smacks into a nucleus within sight. Knowing where neutrinos will be, within a much smaller volume, helps rig that game in our favor.
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