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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.