Science news this week: A unique new blood type and 'spiderwebs' on Mars
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This week's science news kicked off with a staggering first look at images taken by the newly operational Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Boasting the world's largest digital camera, Rubin's first photo of the night sky included 10 million galaxies in and around the Virgo cluster, many of which have never been seen before.
The observatory, which will become fully operational by the end of 2025, promises to gather more data than all other existing optical observatories combined in its first year alone, representatives said in a statement. It's hoped that this data will enable scientists to discover the locations of previously unseen asteroids and gain new insights into the properties of dark matter and dark energy, among other things.
After years of analysis and observation, scientists have identified a new blood group, called Gwada negative, that has so far only been identified in only one person on the planet.
The 68-year-old from the French overseas region of Guadeloupe became a subject of medical interest in 2011 after routine blood tests were unable to identify her blood type or any compatible matches. Roughly a decade later, and after two years of detailed genome sequencing, it was confirmed that the woman carried a previously unknown blood type thanks to a unique genetic mutation.
It is unclear how many other people carry this mutation, if any, but as it stands the patient is the only person in the world with a blood type compatible with her own.
Discover more health news
—Some early-onset cancers are on the rise. Why?
—Fungus that may have caused 'King Tut's curse' shows promise in treating cancer
—New 'breathalyzer' could detect signs of disease in human breath, scientists say
From birds of prey to tiny insects, animals have evolved an impressive spectrum of visual adaptations to help them see in their environment — whether escaping predators or hunting for prey. But pinpointing exactly which animal has the best eyesight is easier said than done.
—If you enjoyed this, sign up for our Life's Little Mysteries newsletter
Queen Hatshepsut ruled as pharaoh between 1473 and 1458 B.C. and, until recently, it was thought that after her death her nephew and successor smashed all of her statues to erase her from public memory. However, new research suggests this might not have been the case.
Researchers now say that, while Hatshepsut's statues were indeed intentionally broken, it was not to blot out her existence. Rather, her statues are thought to have been broken to "deactivate" their supposed supernatural powers.
Discover more archaeology news
—'Thriving and densely-built': Archaeologists unearth 'tower' houses and ceremonial building in ancient Egyptian city of Imet
—'God-king' born from incest in ancient Ireland wasn't a god or a king, new study finds
—40,000-year-old mammoth tusk boomerang is oldest in Europe — and possibly the world
—Threaten an AI chatbot and it will lie, cheat and 'let you die' in an effort to stop you, study warns
—'Pulsing, like a heartbeat': Rhythmic mantle plume rising beneath Ethiopia is creating a new ocean
—'Ring of fire' thunderstorms loom around 'heat dome' as season's first tropical storm, Andrea, named in the Atlantic
—Intrepid baby-faced robot dons a jetpack for its next adventure — becoming the first humanoid robot to fly
Back in November, orcas off the coast of Washington brought back a bizarre trend that hadn't been reported since the 1980s: balancing dead salmon on their heads. Now, the same orca pod has been filmed giving each other "massages" with seaweed, a behavior that has never been reported before.
The footage shows the orcas breaking off sections of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), pressing the stems against the body of another orca and rolling the kelp between their bodies, in what seems to be a newly described grooming ritual.
The researchers believe it is the first example of tool manufacture by marine mammals, the first known tool used in wild animals that benefits two individuals at once, and the first time non-human animals have been observed manipulating a tool with the core of their bodies, rather than an appendage.
If you're looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best long reads, book excerpts and interviews published this week.
—AI hallucinates more frequently as it gets more advanced — is there any way to stop it from happening, and should we even try? (Analysis)
—The San Andreas Fault: Facts about the crack in California's crust that could unleash the 'Big One' (Fact file)
—How to photograph your microscope specimens (Feature)
And something for the skywatchers
—You can see a giant 'hole' shoot across Saturn this summer — and it won't happen again until 2040
Mysterious patterns on Mars, spanning up to 12 miles (20 kilometers), have been photographed up close for the first time. The spiderweb-like structures, known as "boxwork," are made up of criss-crossing ridges of mineral-rich rock that scientists believe may have been left behind by ancient groundwater on the Red Planet.
The web-like structures were photographed by NASA's Curiosity rover, and scientists hope that studying them up close could reveal more about Mars' watery past and provide clues about whether the planet once harbored life.
Want more science news? Follow our Live Science WhatsApp Channel for the latest discoveries as they happen. It's the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don't use WhatsApp, we're also on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Flipboard, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and LinkedIn.
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'She is the only person in the world compatible with herself' — scientists discover new blood type but it's unique to just one person from Guadeloupe
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have discovered a new blood group that has so far only been identified in one woman, from the French overseas region of Guadeloupe. The 68-year-old is the only known person in the world to have this blood group, which has been named "Gwada negative," after a local name for her home islands. The researchers behind the discovery announced their work in a presentation at the International Society of Blood Transfusion's Congress in Milan, which concluded June 4. The research team first met the woman in 2011, when she was living in Paris and undergoing routine tests before a surgery. But the tests couldn't reveal her blood type or any matches for it. Analysis at the time wasn't advanced enough to detect the cause, and the case lay cold for eight years. In 2019, researchers utilized high-throughput gene sequencing analysis, which enables faster and more in-depth analysis of DNA, to re-examine the woman's blood. Two years of detailed research followed, in which the team sequenced her entire genome. Human blood group systems are more complex than you might think. These classifications refer to proteins and sugars found on the surface of red blood cells, called antigens, which are recognized by our immune system. Austrian-American biologist Dr. Karl Landsteiner identified the first and most familiar blood group system — ABO — in 1901, and this won him a Nobel in 1930. Related: How many blood types are there? The classic ABO blood typing system describes whether people have one, both or neither of the antigens known as "A" and "B" on their blood cells. The second most well-known blood group system is rhesus classification, which considers whether your cells are "positive" or "negative" for an antigen called Rh factor. Together, the combinations of the ABO and Rh systems give us the eight main blood groups — but there are dozens of lesser known blood group systems, 45 of which were recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) as of 2024. Now, Gwada negative has been recognized as number 48. The woman's unusual lab test results eventually led to the discovery of a mutation in a gene called PIGZ, which alters how proteins anchor to the surface of blood cells. The woman's unique mutations mean "she is the only person in the world compatible with herself," Thierry Peyrard, a biologist at French blood research body Établissement français du sang (EFS), told AFP. Blood group systems are essential for blood transfusions, as our bodies reject blood group antigens that they perceive as foreign. If we go back to the ABO system, for example, people with both A and B antigens can receive blood from anyone else, as their body recognizes both antigens as familiar. People with the O blood type have neither A or B antigens, meaning they can only receive blood from other type O donors. RELATED STORIES —What's the rarest blood type? —Lab-made universal blood could revolutionize transfusions. Scientists just got one step closer to making it. —Why do we have different blood types? While the ABO and Rh systems are still considered the most critical for transfusions, rarer systems can still influence who an individual can receive blood from. The research team's next aim is to discover whether there are other people with this unique new blood group. As blood types are genetic and thus often shared by populations with similar ancestries, the team intends to start the search among blood donors in Guadeloupe. "Discovering new blood types means offering patients with rare blood a better level of care," the EFS statement says.
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Science news this week: A unique new blood type and 'spiderwebs' on Mars
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This week's science news kicked off with a staggering first look at images taken by the newly operational Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Boasting the world's largest digital camera, Rubin's first photo of the night sky included 10 million galaxies in and around the Virgo cluster, many of which have never been seen before. The observatory, which will become fully operational by the end of 2025, promises to gather more data than all other existing optical observatories combined in its first year alone, representatives said in a statement. It's hoped that this data will enable scientists to discover the locations of previously unseen asteroids and gain new insights into the properties of dark matter and dark energy, among other things. After years of analysis and observation, scientists have identified a new blood group, called Gwada negative, that has so far only been identified in only one person on the planet. The 68-year-old from the French overseas region of Guadeloupe became a subject of medical interest in 2011 after routine blood tests were unable to identify her blood type or any compatible matches. Roughly a decade later, and after two years of detailed genome sequencing, it was confirmed that the woman carried a previously unknown blood type thanks to a unique genetic mutation. It is unclear how many other people carry this mutation, if any, but as it stands the patient is the only person in the world with a blood type compatible with her own. Discover more health news —Some early-onset cancers are on the rise. Why? —Fungus that may have caused 'King Tut's curse' shows promise in treating cancer —New 'breathalyzer' could detect signs of disease in human breath, scientists say From birds of prey to tiny insects, animals have evolved an impressive spectrum of visual adaptations to help them see in their environment — whether escaping predators or hunting for prey. But pinpointing exactly which animal has the best eyesight is easier said than done. —If you enjoyed this, sign up for our Life's Little Mysteries newsletter Queen Hatshepsut ruled as pharaoh between 1473 and 1458 B.C. and, until recently, it was thought that after her death her nephew and successor smashed all of her statues to erase her from public memory. However, new research suggests this might not have been the case. Researchers now say that, while Hatshepsut's statues were indeed intentionally broken, it was not to blot out her existence. Rather, her statues are thought to have been broken to "deactivate" their supposed supernatural powers. Discover more archaeology news —'Thriving and densely-built': Archaeologists unearth 'tower' houses and ceremonial building in ancient Egyptian city of Imet —'God-king' born from incest in ancient Ireland wasn't a god or a king, new study finds —40,000-year-old mammoth tusk boomerang is oldest in Europe — and possibly the world —Threaten an AI chatbot and it will lie, cheat and 'let you die' in an effort to stop you, study warns —'Pulsing, like a heartbeat': Rhythmic mantle plume rising beneath Ethiopia is creating a new ocean —'Ring of fire' thunderstorms loom around 'heat dome' as season's first tropical storm, Andrea, named in the Atlantic —Intrepid baby-faced robot dons a jetpack for its next adventure — becoming the first humanoid robot to fly Back in November, orcas off the coast of Washington brought back a bizarre trend that hadn't been reported since the 1980s: balancing dead salmon on their heads. Now, the same orca pod has been filmed giving each other "massages" with seaweed, a behavior that has never been reported before. The footage shows the orcas breaking off sections of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), pressing the stems against the body of another orca and rolling the kelp between their bodies, in what seems to be a newly described grooming ritual. The researchers believe it is the first example of tool manufacture by marine mammals, the first known tool used in wild animals that benefits two individuals at once, and the first time non-human animals have been observed manipulating a tool with the core of their bodies, rather than an appendage. If you're looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best long reads, book excerpts and interviews published this week. —AI hallucinates more frequently as it gets more advanced — is there any way to stop it from happening, and should we even try? (Analysis) —The San Andreas Fault: Facts about the crack in California's crust that could unleash the 'Big One' (Fact file) —How to photograph your microscope specimens (Feature) And something for the skywatchers —You can see a giant 'hole' shoot across Saturn this summer — and it won't happen again until 2040 Mysterious patterns on Mars, spanning up to 12 miles (20 kilometers), have been photographed up close for the first time. The spiderweb-like structures, known as "boxwork," are made up of criss-crossing ridges of mineral-rich rock that scientists believe may have been left behind by ancient groundwater on the Red Planet. The web-like structures were photographed by NASA's Curiosity rover, and scientists hope that studying them up close could reveal more about Mars' watery past and provide clues about whether the planet once harbored life. Want more science news? Follow our Live Science WhatsApp Channel for the latest discoveries as they happen. It's the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don't use WhatsApp, we're also on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Flipboard, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and LinkedIn.
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Imperfect climate models can still help us immensely, Yale says
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. The fight against climate change is ongoing, and while we're still a long way from finding an actually sustainable solution, researchers at Yale say that imperfect climate models may actually be far more helpful than many think. While the UN has warned time and again that we're losing control of climate change, a lot of the research into how the world is changing and temperatures are rising has remained a bit of a mystery itself. That's because no matter how hard we work on it, we always seem to come up with models that don't quite line up. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 In fact, some have even said that what's happening on Earth right now can't be explained by climate models. So, where does that leave us? Well, according to scientists at Yale, those imperfect climate models are actually giving scientists very important information to work with. That's because when you have highly idealized models, they don't bother to take into account all of the information, like every gust of wind, ever drop of rain, etc. Instead, they take a broader look at everything. This broader look lets scientists focus on the more abstract aspects of climate change, instead of having to worry about the minute details all the time. Of course, there's still something to be said for those more detailed models, but even an imperfect model that is too broad can provide useful information for scientists to build on. The downside here is that if we always have imperfect models, how much progress are we actually making overall? The answer, the Yale scientists say, is that models must be built for a purpose. Without a purpose, we aren't going to be able to hone in on the issues. The challenge, though, is making a model that is actually fit for purpose. Without that purpose, we're just consistently creating imperfect models that eventually will cease to teach us anything. You can read more about the scientist's arguments in a post shared to Yale Climate Connections. It's an eye-opening read for anyone trying to keep up with the latest in our fight against climate change. More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
