This Week in Science: Dizzy Chimps, ChatGPT, and Nickelback
It’s time for “Nerd News,” covering the most important news for your brain. Here’s a quick rundown of this week in science . . .
1. A new version of ChatGPT came out Tuesday. It’s called GPT-4, and it’s supposed to be even “smarter” than the last version. For example, a perfect S.A.T. score is 1600. The last version scored a 1260, and this one got a 1410.
2. A study in England found that when gorillas get bored, they like to spin around in circles to make themselves dizzy. Scientists think it could offer clues to why some humans feel the urge to do mind-altering drugs.
3. Living at high elevations might keep you healthy. A study linked the low-oxygen levels to fewer cases of diabetes and heart disease.
4. Got a bad back? A study in Finland found riding a horse might help. (???) People who took it up had less lower back pain three months later.
5. A study at Rutgers found Nickelback might be responsible for all life on Earth. (???) They identified a specific peptide . . . or string of amino acids . . . that may have kickstarted the first life billions of years ago. Two nickel atoms are bound to a “backbone” of nitrogen atoms. So they’re calling it the Nickelback peptide.
