🦠 The tales teeth can tell

Researchers discovered a whole bunch of genomic samples from mammoth teeth dating back over a million years, and found microbes that lived lived alongside these giants from that period. As Pranjal notes in her story, this work opens up our ability to go back in time and closely study ancient microbial DNA – and learn about disease and survival in prehistoric eras.

I was also fascinated by this robot that's currently being developed to autonomously 3D print houses extremely quickly, using flexible legs to move around and an eco-friendly construction material. And Bron's got a beautiful gallery of bird photography from a prestigious global competition for you to flip through.

Get into all this and more – and let us know what you're curious about in science and tech lately by replying to this email. Enjoy!

– Abhimanyu Ghoshal

Highlights

BiologyScience

Ancient mammoth tooth reveals oldest known bacterial DNA

by Pranjal Malewar

Sequencing mammoth DNA has already helped scientists map out how these Ice Age giants evolved, migrated, and survived. But there's a hidden layer of history still waiting to be decoded – the microbes that lived inside them.

RoboticsTechnology

Spider-like construction robot promises to build a home per day

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

Construction robots have been around for a while. The new kid on this block is called Charlotte, and it's billed as being autonomously capable of building a 2,150-sq-ft home in a single day – operating at roughly the speed of 100 bricklayers.

PhotographyConsumer TechTechnology

World's biggest bird photography competition crowns its 2025 winners

by Bronwyn Thompson

This year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition attracted more than 33,000 entries from across the globe, which ultimately delivered a 2025 winners’ list that captures the beauty, drama and diversity of winged wildlife at its best.

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Proficient plier multitool packs 22 functions into a pocketable package

by Ben Coxworth

Multitools with 10 or so functions are all very well and good, but why stop there if you can go all the way up to 22? That's exactly what XTrailor's P22 offers, including pliers, multiple blades, plus even a whistle and a firestarter.

EnvironmentScience

Prehistoric 'road signs' guided ancient humans to rare desert water

by Bronwyn Thompson

Large rock-face murals scattered across the desert represent one of the most ambitious – and perilous – creative feats of ancient humans, with researchers arguing the massive carvings acted as visual beacons, guiding people to crucial water sources.

Tiny HousesOutdoors

Apartment-like tiny house makes space for family life

by Adam Williams

The Rutledge is a remarkably spacious tiny house that offers the comfort of an apartment on wheels. The tiny house features two bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms, making it a good fit for a family looking to downsize.

Consumer TechTechnology

Smart telescope lets you peek inside as it looks up at the cosmos

by Paul Ridden

While I enjoy stargazing as much as the next person, I also love to know how things work – to get under the hood. French smart telescope pioneer Vaonis helps quench my thirst with a special edition of its flagship that puts the inner workings on view.

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