GoKawiilThe dolphins might be helping their young eat, or just having fun. Plus, the beauty and skill of scientific illustration and a crash course in quantum computing.
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Whatever its purpose, the set up for this body-slamming behaviour requires impressive cognitive sophistication, the study authors write. (Kathryn Ayres)
Orcas (Orcinus orca) have been spotted ramming sharp-tail sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus) so hard that they explode. The gory display involved a female orca holding a dead sunfish in place for a male to speed into. In the aftermath, a juvenile orca ate some of the fleshy pieces of the fish, while the adult pair snacked on the carcass. “We think this may help younger orcas feed more easily,” says marine ecologist and study co-author Kathryn Ayres. “Or it could also just be for fun. Orcas are known for playing with their food.”
The Guardian | 3 min read or Nature | 2 min video
Reference: Frontiers in Ethology paper
Scientists have begun to unpick the inner workings of the heart’s ‘mini brain’ — a network of neurons embedded in the fat pad surrounding the heart. In mice, researchers identified two subtypes of these neurons. One type, Npy+, puts the brakes on a racing heart, but is necessary to keep it beating. The other, Ddah1+, seems to help the mice’s hearts cope with stress. The findings demonstrate that these neurons do more than just passively relay signals from the brain, says chemical physiologist Beth Habecker.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: Cell paper
The 2026 Fields Medal — one of maths’ most coveted prizes — has been awarded to mathematicians Yu Deng, John Pardon, Jacob Tsimerman and Hong Wang. The group represents a range of subfields of maths, from number theory to mathematical physics, and had all been rumoured as favourites to win the award. Deng and Wang are only the second and third Chinese nationals to have earned a Fields Medal, and Wang is only the third woman to win in the award’s 90-year history.
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