Geophysical evidence points to a hidden complex near Tutankhamun’s tomb

Researchers say they have discovered new evidence supporting the intriguing but controversial idea that Tutankhamun’s tomb contains an unexplored chamber that could hold the remains of Egyptian queen Nefertiti.

The research team carried out several geophysical investigations, including the first use of gravity techniques to examine the density of the ground around the site. The researchers say the results strongly support the existence of a “hidden complex” of corridors and rooms that predates Tutankhamun’s burial.

Nature | 9 min read

Reference: Extraordinary documents regarding the Amarna Royal Tombs project — paper

OpenAI faces questions over claims about researchers’ work

OpenAI’s claim to have solved a major puzzle in fluid mechanics, the Navier–Stokes problem, has raised concerns about how researchers may inadvertently share their work through chatbots.

Mathematician Tristan Buckmaster said the company may have had access to work he and his collaborators had discussed for a year using the company’s artificial-intelligence tools. An OpenAI spokesperson said: “No user input since July 3 has been able to have any impact on this system.”

“Maybe the academics were a little naive,” said Michael Jacobides, who studies digital ecosystems.

Nature | 9 min read

NASA lunar probe finds a crater created by a rare impact

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified a crater on the Moon that formed between 11 April and 22 May 2024. The crater is bigger than the Colosseum in Rome and was created when a rock, probably the size of a three- to six-storey building, struck the lunar surface.

Researchers estimate that an impact of this scale occurs only once every 132 years.

Associated Press | 5 min read

Reference: Science Advances paper

Human brain organoids are wired into mice

In the most extensive integration of human brain cells into animals to date, researchers have connected lab-grown brain organoids to mice to replace missing parts of their brains.

Neuroscientist and study co-author Serge Pashka said the hybrid animals provide an unprecedented way to test drugs and study diseases involving abnormal brain development, including cerebral palsy.

Scientists say human neurons could never function in mice exactly as they do in humans. The study also shows no risk of creating superintelligent mice.

Nature | 8 min read

Reference: Nature paper

Features and impressions

Comb jellies and the evolution of life

Ctenophores, also known as comb jellies, appear to have played a major role in the evolution of the tree of life. These striking creatures are also exceptionally beautiful when viewed in the right light.

Explore this special feature on ctenophores to learn what these strange creatures can reveal about life on Earth, accompanied by rich illustrations.

Quanta | 10 min read

A proposed International Panel on Inequality

The proposed International Panel on Inequality has the support of the United Nations, the African Union, several governments and more than 700 economists and other inequality scholars.

Nature has also supported the proposal in an editorial. “While much is known about the causes and harmful consequences of deep inequality, this knowledge has failed to motivate politicians to take meaningful action,” the editorial said. “The proposed IPI is the best opportunity yet for inequality research to inform policy actions that can change lives for the better.”

Nature | 7 min read

Read more about why an International Panel on Inequality is needed in an article by authors including Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Winnie Byanyima, head of the United Nations AIDS agency.

Nature | 14 min read

Explore Earth’s hidden fungal infrastructure

I’m having fun today with an immersive journey through Earth’s “hidden infrastructure”: a network of mycorrhizal fungi that supports much of plant life.

The model was fed data from thousands of soil cores. An estimate suggests that topsoil on Earth contains approximately 1.10 × 10¹⁷ metres of living hyphae. A single living hypha can extend several kilometres, and the total mass is estimated at about 300 megatonnes—four to six times the weight of the entire human race.

While plants have fungi to thank, why not send me feedback about this newsletter? Email [email protected] anytime.

Thank you for reading,

Flora Graham, Nature Briefing Editor-in-Chief

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