Hey there, welcome to my blog Mufawad. In this monthly writeup, I try to unveil the latest breakthroughs & uncover tomorrow's possibilities in the field of science. Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply a science enthusiast, this article will provide you with an engaging and informative insights and current updates in scientific world. Plus, as a compliment, you will get a peep into quirky AI images generated by me related to those very particular topics.
So, Let’s delve into the new scientific research that happened in the past month or so and explore the latest technologies that are being created and breakthroughs that were achieved in this field.
In the current blog, you will read about the following science events of the month:
AI bubble set to burst soon
Study shows AI too suffer from ‘Brain Rot’
Elon Musk’s rival company begins clinical trials of their BCI’s
Living organisms first kissed 21 million years ago!
Brain surprisingly undergoes drastic changes at 9,33,66 & 83
Human shit increasingly becoming valuable resource for the Science
Scientists trying to study earths past from old Coffins
Researchers create microbots that can swim via blood & fight strokes
China unveils visa to attract skilled professionals across the globe
Saudis investing heavily in Renewable energy
Iran Under Water Apocalypse
Sculpture of Goose intimate with Women offer insights into earliest ever beliefs
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| Current Science Report: November 2025, Mufawad |
AI bubble set to burst soon
The California Gold Rush of 1848 to 1855 attracted around 300,000 people from across the world, spurred economic growth, and helped California gain statehood. Yet few prospectors became wealthy; it was the merchants, such as Levi Strauss, who sold goods to the gold seekers, that profited most. Today, Silicon Valley is experiencing a similar rush, but the prize is artificial intelligence, which holds immense potential yet remains uncertain.
Many observers worry that AI represents a bubble. Nvidia’s stock, for example, more than doubled in value from April to November based largely on expectations that AI will produce superhuman intelligence. While companies like Nvidia at least sell tangible products such as computer chips, the valuations of others, including OpenAI and Anthropic, are largely based on dreams and speculation.
Throughout history, investment bubbles have taken many forms, from the Dutch tulip craze to the South Sea bubble, the Japanese and East Asian bubbles, the dot-com bubble, and the housing crisis. Some bubbles have left deep economic scars, such as the housing collapse, while others, like the dot-com burst, caused only temporary downturns but ultimately left valuable innovations, including the modern Internet. The crucial question for AI is not whether it will burst, but what legacy it will leave behind. A crash similar to the dot-com collapse could erase trillions in wealth and slow consumer spending, but the severity depends on how AI investments are financed. Unlike the housing bubble, which relied heavily on risky mortgage debt, AI funding increasingly involves borrowing. Big Tech companies have raised record amounts of debt, creating the potential for systemic financial risk if the bubble bursts.
Another uncertainty is the long-term value of the AI technologies being developed. Tools like ChatGPT or Claude may improve productivity, but achieving true superhuman intelligence may require new approaches. Experts like Yann LeCun argue that current large language models are unlikely to achieve general intelligence and that a shift to world model architectures, where machines develop a mental representation of the world, is needed. If this assessment is correct, much of today’s AI investment may be misguided. Once again, as history has shown, selling the tools does not guarantee finding gold.
Courtesy: Guardian
Study shows AI too suffer from ‘Brain Rot’
A new study shows that AI can suffer from “brain rot,” just like humans exposed to low-quality content online. Researchers from Texas A&M University, University of Texas, and Purdue University tested the LLM Brain Rot Hypothesis, which suggests that continual exposure to junk web text can cause lasting cognitive decline in large language models (LLMs).
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In the experiment, AI was fed a steady stream of viral, high-engagement, and clickbait posts from X. Using benchmarks like ARC for reasoning and RULER for long-context understanding, researchers observed dramatic performance drops. ARC scores fell from 74.9 to 57.2, and RULER scores dropped from 84.4 to 52.3. The models began “skipping thoughts,” providing inaccurate answers without proper reasoning, and also exhibited negative traits such as increased narcissism and psychopathy, along with decreased agreeableness and conscientiousness.
Alarmingly, even after being fed high-quality data, the models retained lingering effects of the junk content. This suggests that AI, like humans, can be impaired by poor-quality online material, a worrying trend given the volume of low-value content on the internet.
The study recommends that AI developers re-evaluate how models ingest online data, emphasizing quality control to prevent cumulative harm and ensure that AI systems remain reliable and accurate.
Courtesy: India Today
Elon Musk’s rival company begins clinical trials of their BCI’s
Paradromics, a neurotechnology company based in Austin, Texas, has received FDA approval to begin its first long-term clinical trial of a brain–computer interface (BCI). Early next year, the firm will implant its device in two volunteers who have lost the ability to speak due to neurological conditions. The trial aims to assess safety and determine whether the implant can restore real-time communication.
The device uses a small array of platinum–iridium electrodes, about 7.5 millimeters wide, that penetrate the surface of the cerebral cortex to record signals from individual neurons. A wire connects the array to a power source and wireless transmitter implanted in the chest. Initially, each participant will receive one array targeting the part of the motor cortex that controls speech-related movements. As volunteers imagine speaking sentences, the system will learn to map neural activity to specific speech sounds. These signals will then be converted into text or into synthetic speech modeled on recordings of the participants’ original voices.
This is the first BCI clinical trial designed specifically to generate real-time artificial speech, which researchers say could greatly improve quality of life. The study will also test whether imagined hand movements can be used to operate a computer cursor. Depending on early results, the trial may expand to ten participants, with some receiving two implants for richer data.
Paradromics is one of several companies competing in the rapidly advancing BCI field. Rivals include Synchron, whose Stentrode reads neural activity from inside blood vessels, and Neuralink, which uses flexible threads to record high-bandwidth signals from many single neurons. Other companies are developing BCIs that sit on the brain’s surface.
Researchers emphasize transparency and long-term reliability as these trials progress. Paradromics reports promising preclinical results from implants tested in sheep, showing stable signal quality for three years and projecting a lifespan of more than a decade. The company aims to balance safety, durability, and high data transfer rates.
Experts say that while competition will create both successes and failures, the growing number of clinical trials is encouraging. They hope it will eventually offer patients a wide range of BCI options tailored to different needs.
Courtesy: Nature
Living organisms first kissed 21 million years ago!
Scientists have traced the origins of kissing far deeper into evolutionary history than previously thought. New research suggests that mouth-to-mouth kissing emerged more than 21 million years ago, likely practiced by the common ancestor of humans and today’s great apes. The study also indicates that Neanderthals probably kissed, and that early humans and Neanderthals may have exchanged kisses as well.
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Kissing poses an evolutionary puzzle because it offers no clear survival or reproductive advantage, yet it appears widely across human cultures and many animal species. To investigate, researchers identified comparable kissing-like behaviors in other animals and used these findings to build an evolutionary timeline. For scientific clarity, they defined a kiss as non-aggressive, intentional oral-to-oral contact with lip or mouth movement and no food exchange.
Lead author Dr. Matilda Brindle from the University of Oxford explains that humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos all kiss, suggesting their last common ancestor did too. Their analysis places the origin of kissing in large apes around 21.5 million years ago.
Animals such as wolves, prairie dogs, polar bears, and even albatrosses also show kissing-like behaviors based on this definition. The research, focused mainly on primates, strengthens the argument that kissing is an ancient, cross-species behavior. Evidence from Neanderthal DNA further supports this: humans and Neanderthals shared an oral bacterium, implying prolonged saliva exchange long after their evolutionary split.
While the study identifies when kissing evolved, it does not determine why it began. Existing theories suggest it may have developed from grooming habits or served as a way to assess a partner’s health and compatibility. Dr. Brindle says that understanding kissing in humans requires viewing it as part of a broader animal heritage rather than simply a romantic gesture.
Courtesy: BBC
Brain surprisingly undergoes drastic changes at 9,33,66 & 83
New research shows that the brain goes through four major turning points in its wiring at ages 9, 33, 66, and 83, helping explain why learning ability and cognitive decline vary throughout life.
Scientists analysed MRI scans from about 3,800 people aged from birth to 90. They found that the brain’s white matter connections, pathways that allow communication between regions — shift through five key phases.
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From birth to age 9, these connections become longer and less efficient as the brain forms many new pathways, later pruning the ones not used.
Between 9 and 33, this pattern reverses. Hormonal and developmental changes make brain connections shorter and more efficient, improving planning, decision-making and working memory.
From 33 to 66, changes slow down, but efficiency gradually declines, possibly due to lifestyle demands, stress or natural ageing.
Between 66 and 83, local connections within the same brain region remain more stable than connections between different regions, a period when risks of dementia and other health issues increase.
After 83, connections weaken further and rely heavily on central “hub” regions, suggesting fewer resources available to maintain widespread communication.
Understanding these normal brain shifts may clarify why mental health conditions often appear before 25 and why dementia risk rises after 65. However, researchers say more diverse studies are needed before drawing broader conclusions.
Courtesy: New Scientist
Human shit increasingly becoming valuable resource for the Science
Researchers around the world are increasingly turning to human waste — both urine and stool — as a powerful scientific resource. At the Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC) lab in Kiel, Germany, the most valuable items aren’t high-tech machines but frozen stool samples stored at Minus 80°C. These samples, collected from diverse populations across 19 countries over nine years, help scientists study the human gut microbiome, which varies widely across communities and provides important insights into health.
Mathilde Poyet and her partner, GMbC co-founder Mathieu Groussin, work closely with field teams and local scientists to gather stool samples from places as varied as Ghana, Tanzania and Thailand. In the lab, they culture bacteria, sequence DNA and store live microbial samples. Although handling faeces may seem unpleasant, the researchers say it offers an unmatched view into gut biodiversity and health.
Human waste has become valuable across many scientific fields. Wastewater analysis, widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic, helps track pathogens before outbreaks occur. Environmental microbiologists, such as Janelle Thompson in Singapore, monitor wastewater to detect harmful microorganisms and emerging viral variants.
Urine is also gaining attention as a sustainable fertilizer. Studies show it can supply nitrogen efficiently and reduce water use and greenhouse-gas emissions. Meanwhile, stool samples are key to developing faecal microbiota transplants, which restore healthy gut bacteria and have successfully treated recurring Clostridium difficile infections. Researchers are now exploring whether similar treatments could help with obesity, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and other conditions.
Scientists who work with waste say they quickly get used to the smell and texture. Many describe their work as surprisingly meaningful — from studying ancient parasite infections through fossilized faeces to analysing gut differences across ethnic groups. However, cultural attitudes toward waste can create communication challenges. Researchers often adjust their vocabulary based on audience, using scientific terms with professionals and simple words or humour when speaking to children or the public.
Despite the “grossness” associated with waste, experts insist that urine and stool are rich sources of biological information. Because these areas have long been avoided, they remain full of untapped scientific potential. As Poyet puts it, waste is simply biological material — and ignoring it because it seems unpleasant would mean losing essential insights into human health.
Courtesy: Nature
Scientists trying to study Earths past from old Coffins
Around 2200 years ago, a wealthy Han soldier was buried in western China with an elaborate pine coffin. For researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the real treasure was the coffin wood, whose tree rings revealed that between 270 B.C.E. and 77 C.E. the region was 18% to 34% more humid than today. This wetter climate may have helped the western Han Empire push into what is now desert.
Such insights highlight the growing importance of studying wood from ancient coffins. In many regions, deforestation and the absence of long-lived trees mean coffins offer the only precise environmental record. Tree rings change with temperature, moisture, and atmospheric carbon-14 levels, making them valuable for reconstructing past climates and dating archaeological sites.
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Coffins can supply vast amounts of high-quality data. In Egypt, for example, tree rings from a 4000-year-old cedar coffin helped refine timelines of pharaonic rule. In China, researchers are assembling a 2000-year tree-ring chronology using coffin wood from tombs across the east. A recent study used Chinese fir planks from three medieval sites and a radiocarbon “wiggle-matching” technique to date the rings between 941 and 1388 C.E., confirming them with the known cosmic-ray spike of 993 C.E.
Early findings suggest that southern China experienced major swings in moisture during this medieval period, indicating severe droughts and floods similar to those seen today. These records could help distinguish natural climate variation from human-driven warming and reveal how long-term climate patterns shaped Chinese history.
Although coffin wood was sometimes imported , such as Lebanese cedar in Egypt or German timber in medieval Belgium, dendrochronologists expect these materials to yield many more clues. With rapid archaeological excavations in eastern China, researchers anticipate a growing supply of coffin wood and new insights into the region’s environmental past.
Courtesy: Science.org
Researchers create Microbots that can swim via Blood & fight Strokes
Tiny magnetically guided microrobots may offer a safer way to treat strokes by delivering clot-dissolving drugs directly to blocked blood vessels. Developed by researchers at ETH Zurich, these spherical beads aren’t autonomous machines but gel capsules loaded with medication, iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic control, and tantalum for X-ray tracking.
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Current stroke treatments require high-dose injectable drugs that spread through the entire circulatory system, raising the risk of dangerous side effects like internal bleeding. The new microrobots aim to solve this by traveling precisely to the clot site, reducing the amount of medication needed.
The challenge was creating a capsule small enough to move through the brain’s tiny vessels while still being strongly magnetized. After years of testing materials, the team produced a microrobot that can be steered through the body’s 360 arterial pathways using external magnetic fields. These fields are safe at the strengths used and can guide the robot at speeds of up to 4 millimeters per second, or even 20 centimeters per second when pulled by a magnetic gradient—even against blood flow.
In lab models, the team used a specialized catheter to release and maneuver the microrobot through vessels of varying blood flow speeds. They then moved to animal trials: in pigs, the microrobot successfully delivered stroke-treating drugs to the correct location in 95% of tests. It also navigated the complex pathways of a sheep’s cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting potential uses beyond stroke treatment.
Researchers say this technology could pave the way for a new generation of minimally invasive medical procedures where targeted drug delivery becomes far more precise and far less risky.
Courtesy: Popular Science
China unveils Visa to attract skilled Professionals across the Globe
China has introduced a new K-visa program to attract skilled foreign professionals, intensifying competition with the United States’ H-1B visa system. Launched last month, the K-visa aims to bring experts in science and technology to support China’s ambitions in advanced sectors like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and robotics. Unlike before, applicants no longer need a job offer to qualify, helping Beijing address skill shortages and reverse brain drain.
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The move comes as the US H-1B program faces tighter restrictions, creating opportunities for China to position itself as a welcoming destination for global talent. Some Chinese-origin professionals, such as former Intel chip architect Fei Su and engineer Ming Zhou, have already returned to contribute to teaching and research.
Interest in the K-visa is rising in India and Southeast Asia, though some local workers worry about increased job competition. Challenges remain, including language barriers, strict internet censorship, and limited residency options. As of 2023, China hosted only about 711,000 foreign workers. Analysts suggest that while the US may lose some talent to other countries, China is not yet a major alternative for global professionals.
Courtesy: Indian Express
Saudis investing heavily in Renewable Energy
Saudi Arabia, long known as one of the world’s biggest oil powers, is rapidly emerging as a major player in clean energy. In the desert south of Jeddah, the Al Shuaibah 2 solar farm now produces over 2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to supply 350,000 homes. Even larger solar projects are underway as the country races to meet its goal of generating half its electricity from renewables by 2030. Just a few years ago Saudi Arabia had almost no renewable power, but by the end of 2025 it is expected to have 12 gigawatts of solar. The growth has been so explosive that Saudi Arabia has entered the top 10 global markets for new solar installations.
This shift is striking for a nation built on oil wealth, yet analysts say the move is logical. Solar power is now extremely cheap, thanks to inexpensive Chinese-made panels and rapidly falling battery prices. With soaring electricity demand driven by cooling needs and desalination, solar has become the most economical option. Saudi Arabia’s vast sunny land, easy grid connections, and massive project scale further push prices down. The country plans to power major developments such as NEOM and Red Sea tourism projects with clean energy.
A major motivation is economic: replacing domestic oil use with solar allows the country to sell more oil internationally for profit. Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims for an electricity mix of 50% renewables and 50% gas. Experts say the policy is partly climate-driven but also rooted in financial strategy. Some analysts warn that despite rapid progress, Saudi Arabia’s solar expansion is still insufficient for global climate goals, and meeting its 2030 targets may be difficult. Others believe the country is on track to reach more than one-third renewables by 2030 and could hit 50% soon after.
Saudi Arabia’s shift stands in contrast to current U.S. policies under the Trump administration, which seeks to curb wind and solar development in favor of fossil fuels. The kingdom is pursuing an “all of the above” strategy that includes renewables, battery storage, electric vehicles, and domestic solar manufacturing. Other Middle Eastern nations, including the UAE, Oman, and Iran, are also expanding renewable energy.
However, this renewable surge does not signal an end to Saudi Arabia’s fossil fuel dominance. The country still plans for half of its electricity to come from natural gas, and rising energy demand means fossil fuel use remains high. Internationally, Saudi Arabia continues to defend oil interests and has played a major role in blocking stricter climate policies, such as a recent proposal to tax shipping emissions. As COP30 takes place in Brazil, observers are watching to see whether the country’s stance on global climate negotiations will evolve despite its domestic embrace of solar power.
Courtesy: CNN
Iran Under Water Apocalypse
Iran is confronting an escalating water crisis as the reservoirs supplying Tehran and other regions reach dangerously low levels. President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that if rainfall does not arrive soon, Tehran may face water rationing or even evacuation, an extreme but symbolic reminder of the country’s worsening situation under sanctions and economic strain.
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Iran is now in its sixth year of drought, with summer temperatures above 50°C and precipitation at only a fraction of the historical average. Nineteen dams are less than 5 percent full, and most of the major dams feeding Tehran hold only about 10 percent capacity. Videos of people walking across the exposed Karaj reservoir highlight how severe the shortages have become.
Experts warn that without significant rainfall, Iran will face serious social and economic consequences. Water scarcity has already triggered protests and could worsen under rising inflation and unemployment. Authorities are preparing to ration water nationwide, including night-time shut-offs, which many residents have already experienced. Officials blame infrastructure damage from conflict and high consumption, though households use less than 8 percent of Iran’s water; nearly all of it goes to agriculture.
Analysts say decades of mismanagement, overbuilding, and unrealistic development policies have pushed Iran into “water bankruptcy.” Tehran, naturally dry, was repeatedly supplied with water from distant basins, creating the illusion of abundance. Efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency have worsened the situation, with more than 90 percent of Iran’s water devoted to agriculture—despite outdated irrigation, crop mismanagement, and significant waste.
Excessive dam construction, unchecked groundwater extraction, and aging infrastructure have caused land subsidence and ecosystem collapse in many regions. Sanctions have further blocked investment needed to modernize the water system or create alternative rural jobs, forcing continued water-intensive farming.
Nearly a third of Iran’s water is lost through physical leakage or unauthorized use, reflecting decades of poor planning. Experts say that short-term fixes like desalination will not solve the crisis. Iran now needs long-term, resilience-focused policies—groundwater restoration, integrated water–energy–agriculture planning, transparent data, and genuine community involvement. Different regions face uneven impacts, making fair water management essential for Iran’s environmental stability and social cohesion.
Courtesy: Aljazeera
Sculpture of Goose intimate with Women offer insights into earliest ever beliefs
A 12,000-year-old clay figurine unearthed in northern Israel is offering rare insight into the beliefs of the prehistoric Natufian culture. Discovered at the Nahal Ein Gev II site near the Sea of Galilee, the small sculpture shows a woman crouching with a goose positioned on her back, its wings spread in a mating posture. Researchers say it may be one of the world’s oldest depictions of a mythological or symbolic scene involving a human and an animal.
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| Image courtesy: Reuters |
According to Laurent Davin of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the figurine is the earliest known example of human–animal interaction in art and the oldest naturalistic portrayal of a woman in Southwest Asia. The scene likely reflects animistic beliefs, where animals, plants, and natural objects are thought to possess spiritual essence. Archaeologists suggest that the imagery symbolizes fertility, spiritual visions, or myths rather than literal sexual interaction.
The figurine was shaped from clay, fired for durability, and painted with red pigment—traces of which remain. It also shows advanced artistic techniques for its time, including the deliberate use of light and shadow. A fingerprint preserved on the surface hints at the identity of the ancient sculptor. Researchers believe it may have been displayed in a specific spot to enhance the dramatic lighting on its left side.
The object was found buried within a stone structure along with ritual items such as human teeth and the remains of a child. The Natufians, who lived during the transition from nomadic hunting to a settled lifestyle, were known for their crafts, hunting practices, and symbolic traditions. While geese were hunted at the site, the figurine’s imagery appears unrelated to hunting and instead reflects evolving social structures, storytelling, and spiritual expression brought about by early sedentary life.
Courtesy: Reuters
