April 16th 2025
Yoooo, welcome back!
Hope everyone is smashing the week and are ready for a cheeky mid week read.
Lets get straight into it..
01. DolphinGemma: Google's AI Deciphers Dolphin Communication
In a groundbreaking initiative unveiled on National Dolphin Day, Google, in collaboration with Georgia Tech and the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), introduced DolphinGemma—a specialized AI model designed to analyze and interpret dolphin vocalizations. By leveraging decades of underwater audio and video data from WDP's long-term study of Atlantic spotted dolphins, DolphinGemma aims to identify patterns and structures within dolphin sounds, potentially unlocking the secrets of their complex communication systems.
The project also incorporates the CHAT (Cetacean Hearing Augmentation Telemetry) system, which utilizes Google Pixel smartphones to process and respond to dolphin sounds in real-time. This integration facilitates interactive exchanges between humans and dolphins, marking a significant step toward interspecies communication.
How mad is this?
02. Moon Bricks Made from Astronaut Pee?
Yeah, so, researchers have discovered that urea, a primary component of human urine, can be utilized to create a concrete-like material suitable for building structures on the Moon. This approach leverages lunar regolith (moon dust) combined with urea to form a geopolymer that can be 3D-printed into durable habitats.
The significance of this discovery lies in its potential to reduce the reliance on transporting construction materials from Earth, a process that is both costly and logistically challenging. By using resources readily available on the Moon and recycling astronaut waste, this method exemplifies sustainable practices in space exploration.
looks funky man
03. Earthquake? Protect the Babies — Elephant Style
When a 5.2 magnitude earthquake rattled Southern California on April 14th, it wasn’t just humans who felt it. At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a herd of African elephants responded with astonishing speed and coordination — forming an “alert circle” around their youngest calves the moment the tremors hit.
Zookeepers captured the moment on video: adults instantly stopped what they were doing, repositioned, and created a tight perimeter to shield the little ones. This protective maneuver isn’t random — it’s a behavior observed in the wild during predator threats. Elephants can detect seismic vibrations through their feet, giving them a sixth-sense-like response system.
The footage is an incredible glimpse into just how intelligent, intuitive, and family-driven elephants truly are. It’s also a reminder that animals often understand the world in ways we’re only just beginning to grasp.
04. Katy Perry Just Sang… in Space
Katy Perry has officially become the first artist to perform a song in space — or more precisely, to space. Her track was broadcast live from Earth to the crew aboard Axiom Space’s all-female Ax-3 mission, marking a cosmic first in both music and astronaut history.
The moment was orchestrated as part of a celebration of women in space, timed with a live Q&A between the astronauts and Perry. While not physically aboard the ISS, her performance was transmitted directly to the orbiting crew — an interstellar concert with zero gravity and all vibe. Perry called it “an out-of-this-world honor,” and the mission itself made headlines as the first-ever private all-female astronaut crew.
Pop meets propulsion.
Quizzz
Q1: How can you reduce blood flow by 7.5 percent ?
Q2: Does the sun make a sound?
Q3: How long did the oldest dog live?
Q4: Are Earths Poles Moving?
05. Uranus: Now with 28 More Seconds of Weird
Turns out, a day on Uranus just got longer — by 28 seconds. Thanks to a decade of aurora-tracking via the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists have recalculated the planet’s rotation period to be 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 52 seconds. That’s a slight but significant update from Voyager 2’s 1980s estimate.
Researchers used the planet’s magnetic poles, tracked through its glowing auroras to measure its spin more precisely. This method could help refine rotation data for other magnetized worlds. The findings were published just ahead of Hubble’s 35th anniversary. A fitting reminder that even decades-old telescopes can still shake up our cosmic clock.
Fire Facts
1. Your signature could reveal personality traits.
2. The Moon looks upside down in the Southern Hemisphere.
3. You can be heavily pregnant and not realize it.
Starfish don’t have bodies.4.
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Quiz Answers
Q1 - A study found that wearing a necktie can reduce the blood flow to your brain by up to 7.5 per cent, which can make you feel dizzy, nauseous, and cause headaches. They can also increase the pressure in your eyes if on too tight and are great at carrying germs.
Q2 - In the form of pressure waves, the Sun does make a sound. The wavelength of the pressure waves from the Sun is measured in hundreds of miles
Q3 - The world’s oldest dog lived to 29.5 years old.
Q4 - Earth’s poles are moving. This magnetic reversal of the North and South Pole has happened 171 times in the past 71 million years. We’re overdue a flip. It could come soon, as the North Pole is moving at around 55 kilometres per year, an increase over the 15km per year up until 1990.
Cheeeers :D