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Scientists have identified the earliest evidence of plague known so far: traces of bacterial DNA in the teeth of hunter-gatherers buried near Lake Baikal in Siberia. Carbon dating indicates that the disease caused outbreaks about 5,500 years ago, about 200 years earlier than previously thought.

Finding in Siberia

A team led by geneticist Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen analyzed remains from four cemeteries. They found traces of Yersinia pestis in the teeth of 18 individuals. The dating revealed two episodes of infection.

“To understand our own history, understanding the history of the plague is extremely important,” Willerslev said.

The prehistoric plague spread in stages. According to the authors, it was probably transmitted from marmots—native rodents—when people consumed their raw organs or handled infected skins. It also spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing.

Many of the deceased were children between 8 and 11 years old. Three girls were buried together; two were cousins. An aunt and her nephew were found in another mass grave. “There were people who buried the dead and who knew who they were. It’s a very human element,” said co-author Ruairidh Macleod, an expert in ancient DNA at the University of Oxford.

Implications of the study

The researchers note that children may be at greater risk due to still developing immune systems. The presence of multiple victims suggests that the prehistoric plague caused both isolated cases and outbreaks, said geneticist Aida Andrades Valtueña, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, who was not involved in the study.

This ancient strain evolved long before the bubonic plague responsible for the medieval Black Death. However, there is evidence that earlier plagues were just as serious. The disease not only affected populous cities, but also small nomadic groups.

“Understanding the steps the bacteria took to become the deadly pathogen we know today can provide clues about how pathogens could emerge in the future,” wrote Andrades Valtueña.

The study was published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Advances in brain-computer interfaces

Two investigations published in Nature Medicine confirm that neurotechnology is no longer science fiction. A man with severe amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) managed to communicate from home thanks to an implantable chip, used for two years. The study, led by Sergey Stavisky and David Brandman (University of California, Davis), is the first to demonstrate that these devices can be operated outside the laboratory.

“It is an important step forward, although it remains to be seen whether it can be generalized,” said Luca Berdondini, a researcher at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa.

In the second study, coordinated by the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), 40 Parkinson’s patients improved their gait. A chip combined with artificial intelligence interprets brain activity in real time and adjusts electrical stimulation autonomously. The technique, used for 30 years, is now becoming much more adaptable.

The challenge of bringing technology to the clinic

Both cases reflect a global career. Berdondini warns that “Europe risks falling behind the United States and China” due to regulatory barriers. Although European research has advanced, the transition from trials to clinical application needs to be accelerated, respecting ethics.

The arrival of Elon Musk’s Neuralink accelerated the pace. “These results are a stimulus for companies, because they show that the path is viable,” concluded the researcher. The challenge now is to bring these findings to more people and ensure that technological competition does not leave Europe behind.

Almost 50 teams, three countries and more than one hundred matches. The 2026 World Cup will not only be the largest in history, but it will also transform the way we watch football from home. Artificial intelligence and advanced statistics will be the protagonists.

Tools like Football AI Pro, created with Lenovo, will help coaches prepare for matches and detect weak points. For the viewer, the data will be converted into graphs and summaries that explain what is happening on the court.

How the experience changes

In Qatar 2022, 12 cameras were already used to track the ball and 29 body points of each player 50 times per second. By 2026, that level of detail will be the norm. Stats will no longer be cold numbers: defensive lines, heat maps and movement patterns will be displayed.

In addition, the organization announced 3D avatars to recreate plays and referee decisions. Thus, tactical concepts such as high pressure or compact block will be visual and easy to understand.

The 2026 World Cup will maintain the excitement of goals and surprises, but with tools that allow us to better understand the game. Technology does not take away passion, but rather adds context.