The brightest take on this week’s science
Welcome to a special edition of Spark – a little cherry 🍒 on top of your holiday week.
Ever picked up a rock and thought it was gold? A man in Australia did that once, but what he found was even more precious…
What else you’re in for:
🔬 A skill test: Can you spot which rock is actually gold?
🧠 A 2025 roundup: Discoveries on the gut–brain connection
💊 A breakthrough: A new diabetes pill to rival Ozempic
Let’s get into it!
LOOK DOWN
Man Finds Rock Worth More Than Gold
(Museums Victoria)
In 2015, a man in Australia discovered a hefty, reddish rock near Melbourne.
David Hole thought it might be gold. But it turned out to be far more valuable.
The uncrackable boulder is actually a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite.
The long-distance traveler likely came from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
It probably landed in Australia between 100 and 1,000 years ago.
Without a metal detector, Hole may never have found it. The rock is only the 17th meteorite found in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest of its kind.
It’s not the only space rock to take its owner by surprise, either. In the US, a $100k meteorite was used as a doorstop for years…
Did you know that as a Spark subscriber, you are in the running to win a $10,000 Space Coast Adventure? The lucky winner will be drawn in just 14 days…
If you haven't referred your friends yet, this is your final window to get extra entries in the draw.
HOT BUTTON ISSUE
What’s Up With The Gut-Brain Axis?
LOOK OUT
‘Supergiant’ Gold Deposits Found In China
(bodnarchuk/Getty Images)
The largest gold deposits ever discovered in China could be worth an astonishing sum.
By some estimates, just two locations could serve up 2,000 metric tons (2,200 US tons) of the precious material.
That’s worth roughly 600 billion yuan (US$83 billion).
The Wangu deposit in Hunan province is a ‘supergiant’ that penetrates up to 3,000 meters deep.
The Dadonggou deposit in Liaoning province may be even bigger, with up to 91 percent of its gold extractable.
What a bonanza!
ZOOM ZONE
Microscope Mystery: Which Is More Valuable?
(CSIRO/CC BY-SA 3.0/University of South Florida)
Which is the meteorite? A or B?
Answer at the bottom.
LOOK IN
A New Pill Rivals Ozempic
(ArtistGNDphotography/Getty Images)
A daily oral pill works as well as injectable forms of semaglutide for those with type 2 diabetes, according to a new clinical trial.
The oral drug is called orforglipron.
In a trial of more than 1,600 people from 10 countries, researchers found that:
Participants on the highest dose lost 9.6 percent of their body weight, on average.
An astonishing 26 percent of the group on the highest dose lost more than 15 percent of their body weight.
By comparison, people using injectable semaglutide lose roughly 10 to 15 percent of their body weight.
The pill could be available as soon as 2026…
DOPAMINE HIT
Before You Go…
Is it time to lie down yet?
Microscope answer: B!
Meteorites are challenging to confirm by sight alone, even under high magnification. Many terrestrial rocks have similar appearances, with metallic flecks that look like silver or gold. Only by assessing other properties, like the rock’s chemistry, can scientists truly tell the difference.
That’s all for today… see you next week!
- Carly
P.S.
The countdown is on to see if you’re the winner of our Spark into Space sweepstakes and will be heading to Florida to train like an astronaut!
The winner will be randomly selected on December 11, but now we’re giving you a chance to boost your odds of winning!
Simply share this newsletter with your friends, and you’ll receive an extra entry for every friend who signs up.
