🐾 Size does matter — if you are a naked mole-rat

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
 
Inverse Daily
 
By Ashley Bardhan April 11 2022
 
 
Don’t be so sensitive — sometimes size matters. A large, comfy sofa is better than a small, comfy sofa, and a giant, glorious red rose is superior to a small, glorious red rose. Or, if you’re a naked mole-rat, you may be a little extra grateful for your enormous spleen.

New research indicates that the wrinkly creatures seem to correlate social stock with these large organs, which assist with fighting infection. Read more about naked mole-rats’ preferences in today’s Inverse Daily, then turn your attention to stories about “baby dragons” and electric vehicles. Oh, and a quick favor before you go: Vote for Inverse Daily in this year’s Webby Awards by clicking this link!
 
 
 
What's New
 
RUFUS? Science
 
 
For naked mole-rats, social status correlates with this organ’s size
 
You know what they say about big spleens… Research published this week in Open Biology indicates that naked mole-rats, scientific name Heterocephalus glaber, care about size when it comes to the soft internal organ.

“All vertebrate animals have a spleen, an organ that is part of the lymphatic system whose job is to fight infections and keep the body’s fluids in check,” writes Elana Spivack. “The human spleen is fist-sized, and resides above the stomach and under the left-side ribs.” 

Spleens might mushroom when you’re fighting an infection, but, uniquely, some naked mole-rats have swole spleens, which seem to correlate to high social ranking.

This could be because grand spleens are better at fighting infection, so big-spleen mole-rats are generally “stronger and more able to recover from infections received in battle,” writes Spivack. “If the large-spleened beings are destined for glory, it may be because they have a stronger immune response.”
 
Continue reading
 
Lights Out Science
 
3D scans reveal how cave-dwelling “baby dragons” hunt in the dark
 
“In the pitch-black karst caves of Europe, completely blind salamanders called olms thrive,” writes Inverse card story editor Jennifer Walter. “Formally known as Proteus anguinus, the elusive creatures once intrigued the likes of Charles Darwin and other early naturalists.”

These naturalists once whispered that the spindly cave-dwellers were related to dragons, and although science has since put those rumors to rest, olms are still a mysterious type of guy. Scientists are particularly interested in why the blind salamanders live in caves, so they scanned their little bodies and made 3D models of their sensory organs. Hey, we’ve all done it (and you can enjoy the models for yourself online).

“The researchers found that olm eyes begin to develop as larvae,” writes Walter, “but once olms hatch, their eyes start to regress, and they never form the ability to see.” Their bodies make up for it with a keen sense of smell and buff jaw muscles, both of which are possible clues for understanding the secret life of olms.
 
Continue reading
 
 
Feature
 
Horizons Innovation
 
 
Why Polestar’s controversial “moonshot” electric car plan just might work
 
In his latest feature for HORIZONSInverse’s new innovation newsletter, editor Mike Brown interviews Polestar COO Dennis Nobelius about his improbable plan. 

“In April 2021, Polestar made a bold claim,” writes Brown. “The electric vehicle startup was going to create a climate-neutral car. Now, Polestar COO Dennis Nobelius tells Inverse [...] they had no idea how to actually do it.”

Nobelius doesn’t think anyone else in the EV industry knows how to do it, either, but even without a road map, Polestar is adamant about its goal to create a climate-neutral car by 2030. Other companies like Mercedes Benz and General Motors have also made flashy claims about climate-neutral cars, but they tend to be less ambitious in their timelines, scattering goalposts throughout the next 20 years.

Polestar is hoping to crystalize its dreams in just eight, but the company can’t do it alone. So far, Polestar has secured a series of project-related partnerships, like a planned collaboration with the steel company SSAB to create fossil-free steel. 

“By working with other suppliers and manufacturers, Polestar could produce more than one climate-neutral car by 2030: By giving other car makers the blueprint to do it themselves,” writes Brown.
 
Continue reading
 
 
Reel Science Netflix
 
 
The smartest sci-fi movie on Netflix reveals a dark truth about future technology
 
For Inverse reporter Tara Yarlagadda’s most recent installment for Reel Science, a series where she investigates the real science behind your favorite movies, we take another look at Her. “Released in 2013, the sci-fi drama Her was ahead of its time in anticipating the lightning-fast advances in AI that are now starting to shape our everyday lives,” writes Yarlagadda. “But was its depiction of artificial intelligence scientifically accurate?”

Experts say it isn’t… yet. In the movie, human being Theodore falls in love with his highly intelligent virtual assistant, Samantha. In real life, researchers would not be able to create a learning model as quick and versatile as Samantha — we don’t have the computer processing power.

And while “AI certainly could learn basic things about the world, they wouldn’t be able to use that information to rapidly change rapidly the way Samantha does in the movie, transforming from a naive virtual assistant to a complex artificially intelligent being that surpasses humans,” writes Yarlagadda. “But as quantum computing — a method of processing large amounts of data very quickly — takes off, we could get closer to a future where AI is interacting with humans in complex ways and even forming relationships.”
 
Continue reading
 
 
Meanwhile ...
 
New data on an elusive particle could upend physics as we know it
GMC's Hummer EV Pickup will make you forget all about the Tesla Cybertruck
Natasha Lyonne enters the multiverse in new 'Russian Doll' Season 2 trailer
Tim Burton's most influential sci-fi movie is finally streaming on HBO Max
 
 
 
 
On this day in history: The Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, putting in motion the “first American emergency during mission,” NASA writes on its website. Though Apollo 13’s launch went well, an oxygen tank in the ship’s service module failed after two days in space, and the crew had to abandon its intended lunar landing for a safe, early re-entry to Earth.

Song of the day: Come Back to Earth,” by Mac Miller.

About this newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share a story about the time you met an astronaut? Send those thoughts and more to newsletter@inverse.com.
 
 
 
Lifetime Stats
7879
lifetime opens
 
You rank in the 100th percentile of Inverse Daily subscribers with 7879 lifetime opens.
 
share Inverse Daily
 
Do you know someone who would enjoy reading Inverse Daily? Take a few minutes to share it with them.

Or copy & paste your personal referral link:
https://www.inverse.com/newsletter?referral_code=024cfe3d-65ed-4a7d-923d-6538f2414d1d&list=inverseDaily
 

You're receiving this email because you signed up to receive communications from BDG Media. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.


315 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2022 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Older messages

🧠 Let’s talk about exercise and therapy

Sunday, April 10, 2022

This week we're talking about new research supporting a step you might want to take before therapy. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

🚀 Elon Musk may have jeopardized SpaceX’s Starship mission to Mars

Friday, April 8, 2022

Plus: Astronomers may have discovered the most distant galaxy ever. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

🍿 Review: 'Tokyo Vice'

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Ken Watanabe shines in 'Tokyo Vice,' a gorgeous but uneven new yakuza-centric crime drama. The first three episodes of the series premiere Thursday, April 7, on HBO Max. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

🦠 Another bird flu outbreak is underway — should you be worried?

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Plus: A team of international researchers has finally managed to sequence a complete human genome. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

🌩 One deadly weather combination could plague Americans by the year 2100

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Plus: All the launch information for Axiom Space's SpaceX-sponsored ISS mission, and more. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

You Might Also Like

AI chatbots keep failing every accuracy test thrown at them

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

PLUS: Why Substack's new subscriber milestone is so significant ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Everything We’ve Written About That’s on Sale at Nordstrom

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Plus: Actually cute plus-size maternity clothes. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.

What A Day: Bad Car-ma

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Elon Musk's politics are sparking a major Tesla backlash, ironically thanks to Trump. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Rohingya refugees just lost half of their food aid. Now what?

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

An interview with Free Rohingya Coalition what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas Hey, this is Sham Jaff, a freelance journalist focused on Asia, Africa and the Americas and your very

Shayne Coplan’s Big Bet Is Paying Off

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

March 11, 2025 THE MONEY GAME Shayne Coplan's Big Bet Is Paying Off By Jen Wieczner Photo: Dina Litovsky At 6 am on Wednesday, November 13, eight FBI agents in black windbreakers burst through the

We need your input.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Share your insights & receive a 70% off forever. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

We Talkin’ About Practice?

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Nobody Told Me There'd Be Days Like These ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Seattle startup takes eco-friendly aim at recycling clothing 

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Read AI rolls out enterprise search tool | Hard time for hardware ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: A limited number of table sponsorships are available at the 2025 GeekWire Awards: Secure your

☕ The beauty of it all

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

A conversation with Ulta Beauty's CMO. March 11, 2025 View Online | Sign Up Marketing Brew Presented By Iterable It's Tuesday. Count Kathy Hochul as an ad buyer. The governor of New York is

🤔 What’s in your wallet? A scam.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Plus, a new streaming deal is the latest gift to Trump from the billionaire CEO and his company — which profits off government contracts. Forward this email to others so they can sign up 🔥 Today on