Nap of Youth | Organoid Farm | Walnut Paradox

In partnership with

My birthday was this week and I like sharing it, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

We’re looking back at my favorite age-inspired science news. If you forgot to get me a gift, just forward this to your friends!

—Steve 🥳 

Get the weekly email that explains science in sweatpants. Stay smart for free.

Nap of Youth

There is no fountain of youth, but there are dwarf lemurs. Researchers found how the sleepy primates slow down cellular aging while hibernating.

• Hibernates up to 7 months per year

• Lowering heart rate by 96% and breathing ~6x per hour

• Reduces oxidative stress and elongates telomeres

Telomeres, the protective caps at chromosome tips, gradually shorten with age as cells divide. Further research could improve our understanding of human aging and organ preservation. Or at least let us catch some Zs.

Sweet dreamzzz - see a baby lemur…and more details

Organoid Farm

Bespoke drug testing is here. Scientists developed a faster way to create organoids for RNA treatment tests.

• Organoid = tiny tissue structures grown from patient cells

• Can predict drug effectiveness for specific patients

• New method saves up to ~1 year of growth time

Over 300 patients have been tested, focusing on RNA-based approaches for rare diseases. Treatments still have to undergo animal testing for safety, but further studies could reduce approval timelines. And maybe help me regrow a spleen!

Future health insurance - personalized organoid banks

Walnut Paradox

Sea walnuts can age in reverse. Also known as Mnemiopsis leidyi, the comb jellyfish revert to a larval stage under stress.

• Shrink and revive when stressed

• Born-again walnuts grow larval tentacles to catch food

• Retain cellular identity throughout age-traversal

This is likely how M. leidyi survived stowing away in ships to become an invasive species in parts of Europe and Asia. Sea walnuts join immortal jellyfish and a tapeworm species on the short list of known age-travelling organisms. “Benjamin Button” of the sea.

Back when I was older - learn more about ocean walnuts

Go from AI overwhelmed to AI savvy professional

AI keeps coming up at work, but you still don't get it?

That's exactly why 1M+ professionals working at Google, Meta, and OpenAI read Superhuman AI daily.

Here's what you get:

• Daily AI news that matters for your career - Filtered from 1000s of sources so you know what affects your industry.

• Step-by-step tutorials you can use immediately - Real prompts and workflows that solve actual business problems.

• New AI tools tested and reviewed - We try everything to deliver tools that drive real results.

• All in just 3 minutes a day

Join 1M+ pros

_*ad

Unnatural Selection

Last week: “Do you like pineapples on pizza?”

One of these days I’ll find a way to ask y’all if a hotdog is a sandwich. 😅

st3v on site

Say “Kaas”!

Throwback to last year’s birthday week! I don’t speak Dutch, but I’m pretty sure this tardigrade was saying “Happy Birthday!”.

AI You’ll Actually Understand

Cut through the noise. The AI Report makes AI clear, practical, and useful—without needing a technical background.

Join 400,000+ professionals mastering AI in minutes a day.

Stay informed. Stay ahead.

No fluff—just results.

Smarter AI. Zero fluff.

_*ad

New to the casualSTEM?

Get the weekly email that explains science in sweatpants. Stay smart for free.

Missed last week’s science in sweatpants?

Catch-up here: 🔬Cow Cosplay | Lactose Lizards | Poetic Fingernails

I'd love to hear from you!

Reply to this email, I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!