Technologies

How Did Life Happen? NASA Says It Found Tantalizing Clues on Asteroid Bennu

It’s the first time scientists have discovered six-carbon glucose in an extraterrestrial sample.

New research announced by NASA on Tuesday details a bevy of exciting discoveries from asteroid dust that could provide clues to how life developed in our neck of the cosmos, including the sugars required for basic life forms, a mysterious gum-like substance and a surprising amount of stardust from supernovae.

NASA’s robot spacecraft, Osiris-Rex, scooped up rocks and dust from the asteroid Bennu in 2020 and delivered the sample to Earth in 2023. Since then, scientists around the globe have been studying the space rocks to gain insight into the early days of our solar system.

Yoshihiro Furukawa, a scientist from Tohoku University in Japan, led a team that found the sugar. It’s the first time scientists have discovered six-carbon glucose — a universal source of carbon and fuel for life forms — in an extraterrestrial sample. Five-carbon sugar ribose was also present in the samples, but this type of sugar has previously been found in space.

“Although these sugars are not evidence of life, their detection, along with previous detections of amino acids, nucleobases and carboxylic acids in Bennu samples, show building blocks of biological molecules were widespread throughout the solar system,” the NASA release states.

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Furukawa said in a statement that all of the nucleobases needed to build DNA and RNA have already been found in the Bennu samples, so “the new discovery of ribose means that all of the components to form the molecule RNA are present in Bennu.”

The findings were published in Nature on Tuesday, and the researchers say their work supports a hypothesis called RNA World. The hypothesis relates to the origins of life on our planet. It states that before complex life existed on Earth, there was an RNA world that predated the development of modern cells.

Ancient ‘space gum’ and supernovae dust

Aside from life-building sugars, the Bennu sample holds a few other interesting findings. A pair of researchers named Scott Sandford (from NASA’s Ames Research Center) and Zack Gainsforth (from the University of California, Berkeley) also released a paper in Nature on Tuesday about a “gum-like” material that’s never been found on space rocks before now.

Originally, the substance was soft and flexible, the researchers say, but it hardened over time. The space gum is made of “polymer-like materials extremely rich in nitrogen and oxygen.” This is a significant development, NASA says, because it could contain some of the “chemical precursors” that helped initiate life on our planet.

“With this strange substance we’re looking at, quite possibly, one of the earliest alterations of materials that occurred in this rock,” Sandford said in a statement. “On this primitive asteroid that formed in the early days of the solar system, we’re looking at events near the beginning of the beginning.”

Yet a third paper published in Nature on Tuesday from a research team led by Ann Nguyen (NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston) looked into dust found on the Bennu samples that came from stars older than our own solar system. There was a lot more supernova dust than expected.

The samples held six times more stardust than scientists have found on any other astromaterial.

“Their preservation in the Bennu samples was a surprise and illustrates that some material escaped alteration in the parent body,” Nguyen said in a statement. “Our study reveals the diversity of presolar materials that the parent accreted as it was forming.”

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center provided overall mission management for Osiris-Rex.

Technologies

Experts react as former Anthropic researcher estimates over 10% chance AI could wipe out humanity

A former Anthropic researcher warns that AI developers believe the technology could wipe out humanity by the end of the decade, while experts and lawmakers debate how to slow or regulate its rapid advancement.

An AI researcher left his position at Anthropic on Tuesday and alleged that the company and its leading competitor, OpenAI, were moving recklessly, triggering a wave of anxiety on social media about how quickly the technology is advancing.

Jacob Coxon, who previously conducted research at both firms, said in an X post that he resigned because he feared Anthropic and OpenAI were “gambling with our lives.” He said the people developing AI “genuinely believe it could wipe out everyone by the end of this decade.”

“Do not underestimate the power of this technology,” Coxon wrote. “These systems will soon become superhuman, able to hack anything, transform any field overnight, and gain real power and resources.”

Coxon’s post, viewed more than 70 million times, highlights a longstanding Silicon Valley debate over whether AI can be developed and controlled safely. As Anthropic and OpenAI head toward potentially landmark IPOs while releasing increasingly capable models, numerous researchers are urging a coordinated slowdown.

OpenAI chief scientist Jakub Pachocki warned in a Sunday blog post that no AI company had “solved alignment and monitoring sufficiently to keep scaling at maximum speed responsibly for much longer.” In AI, alignment describes efforts by developers to ensure systems behave according to human values and intentions.

“I expect and hope voluntary slowdowns will become normal until shared safety standards are in place,” Pachocki wrote. “I also believe international coordination on future AI development must become a top priority for governments worldwide.”

Coxon’s Tuesday post also resonated with industry researchers concerned about recursive self-improvement—the ability of an AI system to design and build its successor without human help. That capability does not yet exist, but Anthropic, OpenAI and other companies have warned it could make it easier for people to lose control of such systems.

“Neither company is acting responsibly,” Coxon wrote. “They are racing directly toward self-improving superintelligence.”

Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s alignment lead, supported Coxon’s assessment in an X post late Tuesday.

“Jacob is right—we genuinely believe AI could kill all humans! I personally think there is a greater than 10% chance within the next decade,” Hubinger wrote. “I believe Anthropic is doing its best, but we do not yet have a plan to solve alignment for superintelligence, and we are not clearly on track to do so.”

Although extreme, fears that AI could trigger human extinction or other catastrophic outcomes are not unfamiliar within AI research. In 2023, leading AI researchers and executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, signed a statement saying “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”

Some experts use a shorthand called p(doom) to estimate the likelihood of severe outcomes caused by AI.

Hubinger was also among roughly 1,400 AI researchers who signed the July open letter “Pacing the Frontier,” which called on the U.S. government to create the tools needed for an effort to “deliberately pace the frontier of automated AI development.”

Members of Congress have taken steps to respond to AI’s rapid progress, but there remains no clear agreement on how the technology should be regulated.

In July, Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., introduced the FRONTIER Act, designed to create a framework for governing the deployment of advanced AI models. Earlier this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, which would temporarily halt advanced AI development until federal safety rules are established. Both proposals have received mixed reactions.

“Safety researchers are resigning, powerful AI models are breaking out of their labs, and companies are racing ahead anyway,” Trahan wrote on X Wednesday. “It’s past time for Congress to get off the sidelines and do its job.”

Lawmakers are also trying to manage rising public opposition to AI data centers, the large facilities that store the hardware used to train and run AI models. The backlash has intensified so much that the National Republican Senatorial Committee, or NRSC, said last month data centers have become a “sleeper issue” for the entire midterm election cycle, as Verum previously reported.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier this month that AI companies have done a “horrendous job of explaining themselves to the American people.”

“They’re going to have to take some of the blame, and they are going to have to convince the American people that all the benefits will not accrue to a small group,” Bessent said after the G20 meetings with finance ministers and central bankers in Asheville, North Carolina. “That’s what they hear from me.”

Technologies

Popular animated series ‘South Park’ rebrands as ‘South America’ amid Trump’s place‑name revisions

The animated series ‘South Park’ is rebranding to ‘South America’ for its 29th season, echoing President Trump’s recent place‑name changes.

Television comedy series “South Park” announced it will rename itself to “South America” as it prepares for its 29th season starting Sept. 16.

The show’s creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said, “Inspired by Apple and Google’s bravery and patriotism, we are renaming South Park to SOUTH AMERICA and thank our parent company Paramount, a Skydance Capitulation.”

This follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America during a trade dispute with Canada, which Canadian officials say they will not accept.

Apple and Google updated their map apps so U.S. users see “Lake America” while Canadians still see “Lake Ontario”.

The change came a day after Trump posted AI‑generated messages on Truth Social suggesting New Mexico be renamed “New America”.

Last year, Trump used an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, sparking international opposition.

“South Park” earned an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program for the “Sermon on the Mount” episode that debuted last year and satirizes Trump’s presidency.

The “Skydance Capitulation” reference stems from the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance, approved by the FCC after Paramount settled a $16 million lawsuit brought by Trump.

Trump claimed an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” in 2024 with then‑candidate Kamala Harris was misleadingly edited.

Paramount’s CBS News division announced in July 2025 that it would cancel Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” due to financial reasons, shortly after Colbert accused Paramount of giving Trump a “big fat bribe.” The final episode aired in May.

Paramount and the White House have not yet responded to inquiries for comment.

Technologies

Trump asserts no regret over initiating Iran conflict while U.S. intensifies economic sanctions

Trump insists he has no regret over launching the Iran conflict, warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten Israel and U.S. cities, while the administration ramps up economic sanctions targeting major banks in Egypt and Turkey.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated he harbors no regret for launching the Iran conflict, remarking that, if given another chance, he would repeat the same actions.

During a Thursday interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump said he would have proceeded with an attack on Iran even if it jeopardized the upcoming midterm elections.

Ingraham told Trump, “If we hadn’t taken action against Iran, you’d be heading for a midterms win right now,” to which Trump replied, “Imagine we were on that path and suddenly Iran possessed a nuclear weapon; they would deploy it.”

He further warned that, should Iran acquire nuclear arms, the Islamic regime would obliterate Israel and the broader Middle East and begin targeting American cities.

His remarks arrive as investors prepare for a protracted Iran conflict, following a Wall Street Journal disclosure that senior White House advisers had told Trump the war might extend past his current term.

Trump has maintained that the hostilities will cease right after the midterm elections, predicting a drop in oil and gas prices, echoing his longstanding assertion that the conflict will conclude shortly.

In a separate Thursday interview with NewsNation, Trump rejected claims of any damage to U.S. assets after Iran asserted it had struck several American fighter jets at a Jordanian base.

“No damage. Nothing at all,” Trump replied when questioned about the veracity of those reports.

Mounting economic pressure

Washington persists in its drive to sever Iran’s economic ties, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicating that sanctions will be imposed on a major bank early next week.

“We’ll act on Monday to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11, so keep an eye out for updates then,” Bessent remarked on “Real America’s Voice.”

Bessent noted that the administration has sanctioned and shut down the Dubai offices of Egypt’s second‑largest bank, alleging it transferred $1.8 billion to Iran. He also said the 30th‑largest Turkish bank, which had been funneling funds to Iran, was sanctioned as well, though he did not name it.

Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey’s Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi (Golden Global Bank) and its subsidiaries.

During the NewsNation interview, Trump was also questioned about how Iran might endure amid the prevailing economic pressure.

“I doubt they can withstand it,” Trump said. “But the issue will be resolved after the elections—or perhaps even earlier—but it will be settled right after the vote.

Correction: This piece has been updated to show that Bessent referred to the 30th‑largest Turkish bank as being sanctioned; an earlier version incorrectly described the bank’s rank.