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NEW CLUES TO
A PAINFUL PUZZLE

Friday, January 27, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we find a new piece in the long COVID puzzle, uncover mysteriously burned relics, glimpse newly discovered ancient galaxies, explore the history of ice skating … and see if dogs can help us reverse aging.

A picture of red blood cells tangled in white fibers

MICROGRAPH BY ANNE WESTON/EM STP, THE FRANCIS CRICK INSTITUTE, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Millions of people suffer from long COVID—but why?

New data may help solve this mystery. Using a specialized lab technique, researchers are now testing patients with long COVID for microclots in their blood.

“We’re very early,” says David Putrino, a rehabilitation and long COVID scientist. But out of the few dozen samples they’ve tested, 100 percent had microclots.

Read the full story here.

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A picture of neon green blobs against a black background

MICROGRAPH BY CHANTELLE VENTER AND RESIA PRETORIUS

A fluorescent warning: Long COVID microclots are more difficult for the body to disintegrate (above, microclots in healthy blood, left, and a severe microclot in a long COVID patient, right). Although they can’t block arteries or veins (like the clot at top), microclots can block the supply of oxygen to organs and tissue. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A picture of a woman looking at a wall covered in portraits

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTOPHE PITIT TESSON, POOL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Nazis tried to cover up their crimes, but the world refuses to forget—especially on International Holocaust Remembrance Day (A French Holocaust memorial, above)

How Spain’s lust for gold doomed the Inca Empire

See innovations inspired by the art of origami

Clothing from 1600s shipwreck shows how the 1 percent lived

‘The 1619 Project’ comes to Hulu, expanding the story of enslaved Africans

For Black motorists, a never-ending fear of being stopped

These 5 explorers disappeared into thin air. The search for answers continues.

These 3,000-year-old relics were torched and buried—but why?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A picture of tiny galaxies against a black background

IMAGE BY NASA, ESA, CSA, M. ZAMANI (ESA/WEBB)

Finding ancient galaxies: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has only been operational for six months, but it’s been busy. Already it has broken the record for farthest galaxies ever seen. These new galaxies are only 300 to 400 million years old and present new mysteries of the early universe, Nat Geo reports.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A picture of nuns ice skating with a snowy city in the background

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LAUNOIS, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Glide on: Even in ancient times, early civilizations used to ice skate. They strapped animal bones to their feet to cross frozen terrain. Modern ice skating likely started in Holland and then spread across Europe via the royal and elite. Canadians, like the nuns above in Quebec City, can take pride in inventing hockey in the 19th century.

WINTER SPORT
HISTORIES

LAST GLIMPSE

A picture of a dog receiving a medical examination

PHOTOGRAPH BY BECKY HALE

Lassie, reverse aging! Scientists are incredibly good at delaying aging in common lab animals. Now they’re turning to canines in hopes that their similarities to humans—from their lifestyles to ailments—will lead to anti-aging breakthroughs for people, Nat Geo reports. (Above, Ace is examined as part of a new gene therapy trial.) Worst case scenario? Fido gets a few more years.

Related: Can aging be cured? Scientists are giving it a try

WHAT A GOOD BOY

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Sydney Combs, and David Beard. Have feedback? Email [email protected]. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

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