How the ‘steroid Olympics’ could highlight cracks in the anti-doping system

Hello Nature readers,
Today we read that AI brain implants are moving towards real-world use in China. Plus, we track progress on treatments for the virus at the centre of the Ebola outbreak, and consider what the ‘steroid Olympics’ means for athletes.

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China chases real-world success with BCIs

Start-up firms in China are ramping up their efforts to develop artificial-intelligence-powered brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) that can help people move, speak and control external devices. One company, NeuroXess, has run a small trial in which a BCI enabled one man with a spinal cord injury to control appliances by moving a computer cursor with his thoughts. The company has also developed a large language model that enables a brain implant to decode Mandarin at a rate faster than the average talking speed of a native speaker.

The race to trial Ebola treatments is on

Scientists are racing to trial experimental treatments and potentially vaccines against the rare Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, which is spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. A World Health Organization-sponsored clinical trial is set to test two treatments — a broad-acting antiviral and a mixture of two antibodies that recognizes diverse strains of Ebola — pending approval by the two countries’ governments. Options for vaccines are limited, but health officials are considering whether an approved vaccine for another species of Ebola virus could be trialled in the current outbreak.

Artificial egg aims to hatch extinct birds

The de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences says it has developed a key technology for bringing back extinct birds and rescuing endangered ones: an artificial egg. Colossal says it hopes to use the egg as part of its plan to resurrect the extinct South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus). The egg is detailed in a press release and video, but not in a paper or preprint. “It could be really important, it could be fantabulous,” says stem-cell biologist Paul Mozdziak. “Without data, it’s really impossible to judge.”

How AI is transforming mathematics

A string of remarkable successes for AI in mathematics has led some in the field to anticipate a time when the technology autonomously makes contributions at the level of the greatest mathematicians — and beyond. Others say — considering that AIs have superhuman access to all of existing mathematics, and never get tired — it’s surprising how little the systems have yet accomplished. A key issue is how to verify a solution generated by a technology that is known for its extremely convincing ‘hallucinations’ and difficult-to-spot mistakes.

Books of a feather reviewed together

As a follow-up to his book focused on the challenges faced by migrating birds in a changing climate, naturalist Scott Weidensaul’s The Return of the Oystercatcher celebrates the successes of conservation efforts helping bird species to bounce back. Ornithologist Louis Lefebvre’s A Bird’s IQ offers good news of a different sort — namely, that birds are smarter than we think and remarkably resilient.

Use ‘steroid Olympics’ to spur change

This week, the first ‘Enhanced Games’ — which permits the use of performance-enhancing drugs — is taking place in the United States. The head of the US anti-doping agency has called it a “dangerous clown show”, but it could play a role in highlighting the cracks in the current sports system, argues sociologist April Henning. “The sporting world needs an integrity organization that encompasses anti-doping, safeguarding, anti-bullying and anti-match-fixing policies” to better support athletes, who are under immense financial, mental and physical pressures, Henning writes.