Science News Highlights: Dinosaur Skin Evolution, Neuralink's Brain Chip, Blue Origin's Milestone

A fossil of Psittacosaurus reveals new insights into dinosaur skin evolution; Neuralink implants a brain chip in a second patient after fixing an issue; Blue Origin resumes space tourism, sending a historic crew including the oldest person in space.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Chinese fossil reveals evolution of skin in feathered dinosaurs

A new fossil of the Cretaceous Period dinosaur Psittacosaurus, a dog-sized herbivore with a parrot-like beak, that was donated to a Chinese university came with a surprise - one revealed only after scientists viewed it under ultraviolet light. It retained large patches of beautifully preserved skin, down to its cellular structure, providing new insight into skin evolution in feathered dinosaurs. The fossil points to "zoned development" in the skin of these dinosaurs, researchers said, with Psittacosaurus and probably other feathered dinosaurs possessing scaly, reptile-like skin on body regions without feathers, with soft, bird-like skin on areas with feathers.

US FDA clears Neuralink's brain chip implant in second patient, WSJ reports

The U.S. health regulator has allowed billionaire Elon Musk's Neuralink to implant its brain chip in a second person after it proposed to fix a problem that occurred in its first patient, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Earlier this month, Neuralink said tiny wires implanted in the brain of its first patient had pulled out of position. Reuters reported last week, citing sources, the company knew from animal testing that the wires might retract.

Bezos' Blue Origin launches first crew to edge of space since 2022 grounding

Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin launched a six-person crew - including the first U.S. Black astronaut candidate from the 1960s - from West Texas to the edge of space on Sunday, resuming its centerpiece space tourism business for the first time since its suborbital New Shepard rocket was grounded in 2022. "I am ecstatic," Ed Dwight, who at age 90 years and eight months became the oldest person in space, said upon landing.

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