A new study suggests the GLP-1 medication semaglutide, used to treat obesity, may slow signs of aging in mice. Researchers also report on a flash flood in Nepal, Canadian recruitment of US scientists, and the movement of blackworms in confined spaces.
Satellite images taken days before a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal revealed concerning signs of an unstable glacier system, according to geophysicist Manoochehr Shirzaei. Shirzaei noted that predicting such events remains difficult with current monitoring systems. An effective early-warning system, he says, would require integrating multiple approaches to screen glacial regions, increased surveillance of potentially unstable areas, and modeling potential collapse scenarios.
The GLP-1 medication semaglutide—sold as Wegovy for obesity treatment—may possess anti-aging properties, a study in mice indicates. Researchers found that older female mice receiving the GLP-1 drug lived longer, and the treatment slowed several biological changes associated with aging, including inflammation. Treated mice also performed better on cognitive tests than untreated mice on a strict diet, suggesting benefits beyond calorie reduction, according to biologist and study co-author Danica Chen. Chen states the drug has benefits that aren’t explained by calorie reduction alone.
The Canadian government announced that its universities have recruited 64 international researchers, with 48 coming from the United States. These researchers will fill positions in fields ranging from health sciences to engineering and will receive a total of 500 million Canadian dollars (approximately US$360 million) in funding over eight years. The recruitment coincides with funding uncertainty faced by US scientists due to attempts by the administration of President Donald Trump to cut research grants.
Researchers have discovered that California blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus) move faster in confined spaces. The worms could traverse narrow tubes—around twice their width—in about one minute, significantly faster than in wider channels. This behavior was also replicated in computer models using strings of beads, potentially informing the design of robots for navigating tight spaces, such as rubble or the human body.
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