GoKawiilMice on GLP-1s also performed better on cognitive tasks than those on a calorie restricted diet . Plus, satellite images showed early warning signs of glacier collapse near the Nepal–Tibet border and the impact of people saying fewer words aloud.
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The flash flood destroyed many buildings and left villages covered in mud and debris.Credit: Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty
Satellite images taken just days before the high-altitude collapse of rock and ice that caused a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal showed concerning signs of an unstable glacier system, geophysicist Manoochehr Shirzaei tells Nature. However, such events are still difficult to predict using existing monitoring systems, he says. An effective early-warning system would need to integrate several approaches that screen glacial regions, ramp up surveillance of any that are identified as potentially unstable and model what might happen in the event of a collapse.
Nature | 5 min read
The GLP-1 medication semaglutide — sold as Wegovy for the treatment of obesity — might have anti-ageing properties, a study in mice suggests. Researchers found that older female mice taking a GLP-1 drug lived longer than did mice not taking one, and the treatment slowed several biological changes associated with ageing, such as inflammation. The treated mice also performed better at cognitive tests than did untreated mice on a strict diet, which suggests the drug has benefits that aren’t explained by calorie reduction alone, says biologist and study co-author Danica Chen.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: Nature paper
130,000 The number of baby common octopuses (Octopus vulgaris) that researchers have released into the Adriatic Sea this year. Their aim is to curb the booming population of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), which are muscling out other species in the Mediterranean. The octopuses will prey on the crabs — if they survive to adulthood. (Scientific American | 4 min read)
The Canadian government has announced that the nation’s universities have recruited 64 international researchers as part of a campaign to attract foreign talent. Forty-eight of these researchers are moving from the United States, taking up positions in fields ranging from health sciences to engineering. The group will receive a total of 500 million Canadian dollars (about US$360 million) in funding for eight years. Many US scientists face funding uncertainty as the administration of President Donald Trump attempts to cut research grants.
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