Today in Science: Ozempic to treat addiction?

Daily science inspo July 12, 2023: Water's mysterious origin, the neurobiology of our bodily self and can Ozempic treat addiction? Read it all below! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TOP STORIES Liquid Origins Where did water on Earth come from? Scientists have observed many rocky, Earth-like exoplanets in the galaxy, many of which have hydrogen-rich atmospheres. By creating a simulation of Earth's formation that includes such an atmosphere, they concluded that lots of water endured in the early planet's atmosphere. It became encased inside its rocky mantle, even as magma rivers flowed freely across the outer crust. Why this matters: Scientists once believed the planet was bone-dry in its infancy. Though considerable water could have been here since the planet formed, planetary geologists remain confident that a significant portion still came from beyond our atmosphere–either on comets, fragments of meteorites, or even on solar winds. What the experts say: "In my opinion, there are probably several sources for water on Earth," says Laurette Piani, a cosmochemist at the University of Lorraine in France. Where is "I"? The awareness we have that we inhabit a body (an essential "I-ness") is constantly switching back and forth between a conscious and unconscious state of mind. If I ask, "what do your hands feel like right now?" you instantly become aware of the feeling in your hands. But in the moment just before I asked you that question, you likely weren't aware of your hands at all, or at least only in a vague sense. A particular region of the brain, called the posteromedial cortex (PMC), is likely the seat of that sense of physical being, according to a recent experiment. How it works: Neuroscientists implanted electrodes into the PMC of eight volunteers and sent electrical stimulation into that brain region. All participants reported strange changes to their subjective experiences like a feeling of floating, dizziness, a lack of focus and a sense of detachment from themselves.  What the experts say: This research provides a potential brain area to target therapeutically in people with conditions in which dissociation is a common symptom, such as functional neurological disorders and trauma-related disorders. CONTINUING STORY A resident cools off at Barton Creek in Austin, Tex., during a June heat wave. Parts of Texas have seen weeks of punishing heat and humidity. Credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images Extreme Heat Continues Yet another heat dome will send temperatures skyrocketing across the U.S. Southwest this week. Just last week the planet saw its hottest week on record. What's causing this? Senior editor Andrea Thompson dives into the science: The climate emergency is the main culprit, but this year's El Niño is contributing to warmer seas and atmosphere.  More coverage:  What the heck is a heat dome? | 4 min read Extreme heat is more deadly than you realize | 5 min read How much more heat can humans take? | 4 min read TODAY'S NEWS • Ozempic and similar medications may target brain circuitry involved in addiction as well as appetite control. | 7 min read • Russia is trying to leave the Internet and build its own "sovereign Internet" systems that threaten digital rights—and the stability of the global Internet. | 6 min read • Satellites and other technologies are spurring a new revolution in volcanic eruption forecasting. | 7 min read • Hotspots beneath cities, caused by rising temperatures, deform the ground, causing important infrastructure to crack under the stress. | 5 min read Colors show underground temperatures in Chicago's Loop district, with purple representing the highest temperatures. Credit: Alessandro F. Rotta Loria (temperature data); OpenStreetMap (base map) (CC BY-SA 2.0) More News EXPERT PERSPECTIVES • The dangers of AI that have been keeping people up at night are misplaced, writes Nir Eisikovits, a professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. The technology is nowhere near being capable of causing mass chaos or of killing off all human life as many worry, he says, but is on the cusp of supplanting vital features of the human mind: sound judgment, critical thinking, and adaptability. | 5 min read More Opinion WHAT WE'RE READING • On Tern Island, a former military outpost in the Hawaiian archipelago and a crucial nesting site for birds and turtles, remnants of human occupation are having a devastating effect. | Smithsonian Magazine • A math graduate student programmed an algorithm to come up with the best swear word. The result is a bit meh. | The Guardian • Can cognitive behavioral therapy really help our mental health? | The New Yorker I don't need ChatGPT or any other AI to help me invent new swear words...and I certainly could come up with something better than the algorithm in The Guardian article above. Perhaps this is one of those quintessentially human skills that AI will never replace. Phew! This newsletter is for you! Thanks for all your suggestions and ideas for how to improve it (and for telling me that you like it how it is!). Email me at newsletters@sciam.com. Same time, same place tomorrow. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters here. Scientific American One New York Plaza, New York, NY, 10004   Support our mission, subscribe to Scientific American here   Unsubscribe Email Preferences