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While investigating the many microbes that have colonized the human body‚ a team of researchers stumbled upon something strange: a previously unrecognized class of virus-like objects‚ which they have dubbed “Obelisks”. The newly described entities are thought to inhabit human mouth and gut bacteria and have circular RNA genomes‚ sequences of which have been found all over the world.The researchers came across almost 30‚000 different Obelisks‚ with examples from all seven continents‚ while trawling through over 5 million datasets of published genetic sequences.“It’s insane‚” Mark Peifer‚ a cell and developmental biologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was not involved with the research‚ told Science Magazine. “The more we look‚ the more crazy things we see.”The work‚ which is yet to be peer-reviewed‚ found Obelisks in 7 percent of the analyzed stool samples‚ and 50 percent of oral samples. Their sequences were also found to be distinct depending on where they were found in the body. They bear no sequence or structural similarity to known biological agents‚ and so “comprise a class of diverse RNAs that have colonised‚ and gone unnoticed in‚ human‚ and global microbiomes‚” the team write in their preprint.Obelisks are named after the rod-like structures predicted to encompass their entire genomes‚ which resemble the monument of the same name.The virus-like entities’ genomes are just 1‚000 bases long‚ which likely sets them apart from RNA viruses as they tend to have much longer sequences.Obelisks also include genes encoding a novel protein superfamily called “Oblins”‚ which the researchers suspect may be involved in RNA replication. This distinguishes them from simpler RNA loops called viroids that do not code for proteins.So‚ Obelisks are like viruses but they’re not viruses‚ and they’re also not viroids. They might not even behave that much like viruses: “these elements might not even be ‘viral’ in nature‚” the researchers explain‚ as it is currently “not possible to assign transmission mode‚ host impact‚ or replication mode.” Instead‚ they might more closely resemble RNA plasmids‚ the team conclude.Because of these unknowns‚ Obelisks' effect on human health also remains up in the air.Still‚ the findings help to flesh out what we know about viral evolution‚ something that is still shrouded in a lot of mystery. “This is one of the most exciting parts of being in this field right now‚” Simon Roux of the DOE Joint Genome Institute at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory‚ also not involved in the research‚ told Science. “We can see the picture of the long-term evolution of viruses on Earth start to slowly emerge.”The study‚ which has not been peer-reviewed‚ is available at bioRxiv.

This article first appeared in Issue 16 of our free digital magazine CURIOUS. A dramatic sight awaits anyone drifting near the shores of the Isle of Staffa where a unique sea cave is carved into the rugged coastline. Known as Fingal’s Cave‚ its name comes from an Irish myth in which Fionn MacCumhaill‚ nicknamed Fingal for “white stranger”‚ migrated to Scotland from Ireland. Fingal was believed to be the creator of the Giant’s Causeway‚ which boasts a similarly hexagonal esthetic.The Isle of Staffa is small and uninhabited‚ but it attracts lots of tourists each year who are drawn to its peculiar‚ hexagonal-shaped basalt columns. Most of the columns are true hexagons with six sides‚ but five-sided and seven-sided columns can also be found‚ according to the Scottish Geology Trust. Fingal’s hexagons were stacking up around 60 million years ago at a time when the Atlantic Ocean was still taking shape. They’re the result of what unfolds when molten lava cools and contracts‚ breaking apart in an orderly fashion – which is more than can be said for us under pressure.“Imagine a huge flow of hot‚ liquid magma that is settling‚” posits Arizona State University. “The outer layer is starting to cool and darken in color from orange to black. As it cools‚ it needs to shrink a bit‚ as hot materials usually take up more space than cooler ones. Because of this shrinking‚ the surface of the lava starts to crack. But this cracking isn’t always random. In this case‚ the lava starts to crack into regular shapes.”Subscribe to our newsletter and get every issue of CURIOUS delivered to your inbox free each month. The cave has been nicknamed "nature's cathedral".Image credit: Donna Carpenter/Shutterstock.comHexagons are just one of the many patterns that we see in nature‚ and the uniform magic of Fingal’s Cave is a reminder that you can’t hide from math – not even in a decaying shrub.Resembling a giant honeycomb‚ the gridded geometric pillars stretch to heights of 22 meters (72 feet). Some say it also resembles a cathedral‚ which leads us to another quirk of Fingal’s Cave.It has a funky sound as well as appearance thanks to its remarkable acoustic properties. The unique shape of its columns means sound reverberates unusually‚ creating an otherworldly auditory experience that’s earned the cave the nickname “nature’s cathedral”. It’s also known in Gaelic as “An Uamh Binn”‚ meaning “the cave of music”.Fingal’s Cave inspired “Hebrides Overture” by composer Felix Mendelssohn‚ who visited the cave in 1829. As it happens‚ there are a few natural caves that have proven to be a hit with musicians‚ just ask the glow worms in New Zealand’s Waitomo Cave. How to get there: You can explore Fingal’s Cave by boat from Oban‚ or as part of a swimming tour that’ll take you into its mouth. If you’re lucky‚ you might even spot a basking shark‚ but you should stay out of theirs.CURIOUS magazine is a digital magazine from IFLScience featuring interviews‚ experts‚ deep dives‚ fun facts‚ news‚ book excerpts‚ and much more. Issue 19 is out now.

Astronomers at The Virtual Telescope Project have captured incredible footage and images of asteroid 2024 BJ as it made a close encounter with Earth on Saturday. The asteroid whizzed past the Earth‚ making its closest approach of 353‚000 kilometers (220‚000 miles)‚ just 10 days after its discovery. At its closest approach‚ the asteroid was around 92 percent of the average distance between the Earth and the Moon. As well as the distance involved‚ the Earth was not at huge risk from the object‚ which is around five giraffes wide. If that figure doesn't make sense to you‚ IFLScience staff member Eleanor Higgs calculates that that's between 16 and 17 Ariana Grandes.The Virtual Telescope Project followed the asteroid as it made its closest approach‚ live-streaming it as well as photographing the object.          If you're here because of the funny name‚ first we must congratulate you on turning 13 years old‚ but here is the answer you're looking for. The rock was one of the 156 asteroids that have been discovered by a sky survey in January 2024‚ hence the "2024" part of its name. The rest of the asteroid's name also gives clues as to when exactly it was discovered."The provisional designation includes the year of its discovery followed by two letters that give the order of its discovery during that year‚" the European Space Agency (ESA) explains. "Objects‚ discovered between 1 and 15 January‚ are designated in order of their discovery‚ AA‚ AB‚ AC‚ and so on. Those discovered between 16 and 31 January are given the letters BA‚ BB‚ BC‚ and so on."Being the tenth discovered asteroid after January 16‚ it earned the slightly unfortunate name 2024 BJ. The name isn't permanent‚ however. Were later observations to show it is not 2024 BJ after all (for example) but another asteroid which has already been spotted before‚ the asteroid would be renamed for what it really is. If the asteroid is new‚ eventually it will be given a permanent name."The astronomer who first provides enough observations to calculate the orbit with precision‚ has the privilege of choosing the name because they are the discoverer‚" the ESA added. For now‚ however‚ we hope you like the livestream of 2024 BJ.

Five people with Alzheimer’s disease developed the condition as a result of a medical procedure decades earlier‚ a new study reports. While the procedure that has been implicated is no longer in use‚ the findings could provide important insights into how the disease progresses‚ and represent the first evidence of Alzheimer’s being transmitted to living people in this way.Eight cases of patients in the UK who were treated with human growth hormone derived from cadavers (c-hGH) were reviewed by a team from University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH). This practice was used between 1959 and 1985‚ and at least 1‚848 patients are known to have received c-hGH – usually during childhood – to treat various causes of short stature. The cadaver-derived product was withdrawn globally after there were some reports of recipients being infected with prions‚ and ultimately dying of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).Prions are misfolded proteins that can spread within and damage the brain by causing other neighboring proteins to also become misfolded. In most cases‚ prion diseases arise sporadically‚ with no obvious cause. Outbreaks of prion diseases have also arisen when tainted brain matter enters the diet‚ as was the case with kuru (caused by ritual cannibalistic funerary practices among the Fore people of Papua New Guinea)‚ and human cases of CJD from meat contaminated with “mad cow disease”. In these cases‚ though‚ the disease resulted from a medical procedure‚ which is termed “iatrogenic” transmission. Once the risk of iatrogenic CJD became clear in the mid-1980s‚ all use of c-hGH in medical procedures was stopped‚ and the National Prion Clinic at UCLH has continued to monitor numerous affected patients. Through post-mortem analysis‚ it began to emerge that there could be something else going on in the brains of those who died of CJD. There was evidence of amyloid-beta pathology‚ a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. However‚ the symptoms of CJD would have masked any signs of Alzheimer’s in these people when they were alive‚ so medics could not be sure what the effect of this pathology would have been. This latest study focuses on eight individuals who did not develop CJD after their c-hGH treatment. Five of them started displaying symptoms consistent with Alzheimer’s-related dementia between the ages of 38 and 55‚ which progressed and became more severe over time. Of the remaining three‚ one had no symptoms at all‚ one had some minor cognitive symptoms‚ and one met the criteria for a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment‚ which can sometimes develop into dementia. Since the patients with Alzheimer’s were so young when they began to show symptoms‚ it was unlikely they had the usual form of the disease that occurs in old age. Five of the patients were able to provide samples for genetic testing‚ which also allowed the team to rule out the rarer inherited type of Alzheimer’s disease.That only left one logical conclusion for the team: that amyloid-beta proteins were transmitted to the patients when they received their c-hGH treatment as children‚ leading to them developing Alzheimer’s-like brain pathology in midlife. Previous research with animal models provides a precedent for this theory‚ which the team has been developing since as far back as 2015. A study in mice in 2018 confirmed the possibility that amyloid-beta can act like a prion‚ and that injecting it can lead to the buildup of harmful protein deposits in the brain. But‚ and this is very important to stress‚ all this does not mean that Alzheimer’s is contagious. “The transmission probably requires direct contact with the brain or the presence of circulating pathogenic forms of the proteins in the bloodstream‚” professor of neuropathology Seth Love previously explained to IFLScience. This was echoed by Professor John Collinge‚ the lead author of the new study and director of the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases‚ in a statement: “There is no suggestion whatsoever that Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted between individuals during activities of daily life or routine medical care. The patients we have described were given a specific and long-discontinued medical treatment which involved injecting patients with material now known to have been contaminated with disease-related proteins.”What it does mean is that we have more evidence than ever that Alzheimer’s could progress in a similar way to CJD‚ at least in some cases. While true iatrogenic cases of Alzheimer's are likely to be very rare‚ the team does say that it is important we take a fresh look at medical procedures that could come with a heightened risk of transmission. Primarily‚ though‚ in light of the challenges in treating and preventing Alzheimer's‚ the findings could help scientists better understand its progression and develop new therapies‚ which will surely be welcomed.The study is published in Nature Medicine.

A donkey-ass hybrid from Bronze Age Mesopotamia is the earliest known example of a hybrid animal bred by people. The bones of the horse-like creatures date back 4‚500 years and put to bed decades of dispute surrounding the ancient equids' identity.After meticulous DNA sequencing‚ the team from the Institut Jacques Monod (CNRS/Université de Paris)‚ believe that the bones belong to a kunga – a cross between a female domestic donkey and a male wild ass.The bones of 25 animals – now known to be kungas – were discovered in Tell Umm el-Marra‚ a royal tomb in northern Syria‚ in 2006. The complete skeletons looked like horses‚ but they had different proportions‚ which puzzled archaeologists‚ as did the fact that horses weren’t introduced in the area until 500 years later.The enigmatic equids are also seen in ancient texts and icons from Mesopotamia‚ where they are depicted being used in “diplomacy‚ ceremony‚ and warfare”. Larger kungas were used to pull vehicles‚ while their smaller friends were used in agriculture‚ pulling ploughs‚ for example.Nineveh panel “hunting wild asses” (645-635 BCE) shows wild asses being captured.Image credit: © Eva-Maria Geigl / IJM / CNRS-Université de ParisBut it wasn’t until the team behind the new study compared their genomes with those of other species that they were able to determine what exactly these mysterious animals were. The skeletons didn’t belong to horses‚ asses‚ or onagers – Asian wild asses – leading the researchers to hypothesize they could be a hybrid.To confirm this‚ they sequenced DNA from an 11‚000-year-old equid bone found in Turkey and 19th-century teeth and hair from the last-surviving Syrian wild asses. They found the skeletons in Syria had the maternal lineage of the domestic donkey (Equus africanus) and the paternal lineage of the Syrian wild ass (E. hemionus). Researchers believe this mix might have provided the perfect combination of donkey temperament and wild ass speed. The resulting kunga would have been stronger and faster than a donkey‚ but more easily tamed than an ass. They are also thought to have cost up to six times as much as a donkey.A savvy little scheme from an early Syro-Mesopotamian civilization that clearly had an advanced understanding of breeding.“It is surprising to see that these ancient societies envisioned something so complex as hybrid breeding‚ since this was an intentional act: they had the domestic donkey‚ they knew they cannot domesticate the Syrian wild ass‚ and they did not domesticate horses‚” co-author Eva-Maria Geigl told Gizmodo. “So‚ they intentionally developed a strategy to breed two different species to combine different characters that they found desirable in each of the parent species.”This was no mean feat‚ as hybrid animals – the sturddlefish and whaluga‚ for example – are mostly (but not always) sterile‚ meaning each kunga must have been intentionally bred into existence.The extra hassle may explain the eventual extinction of the kunga. The arrival of the domestic horse 4‚000 years ago provided Mesopotamian societies with a similarly strong and fast animal to utilize‚ and one that was much easier to reproduce.In the millennia since the kunga's creation‚ humans have bred all sorts of weird and wonderful hybrids into existence‚ from the chonky Beefalo to tasty Iron Age pigs – but it all started with this now-extinct equid‚ the world's first human-bred hybrid animal. The study is published in the journal Science Advances.An earlier version of this article was published in January 2022.