Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.

Scientists Stunned as Deepest Space Images Reveal Theory-Defying Giant

This stunning image showcases what astronomers think is the most distant galaxy protocluster ever found, and it holds a very important clue about the history of the universe. Located 12.7 billion light-years away from Earth, the protocluster, dubbed JADES-ID1, appears in this image as a collection of glowing dots and specks embedded within a large blue cloud. A protocluster is simply a galaxy cluster in its infancy. It is a region with a large number of young galaxies that are being pulled together by gravity, contained within a large cloud of hot gas. Galaxy clusters are vast collections of hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are held together by gravity, and a protocluster essentially shows how such a large structure forms and grows.

Runaway Black Hole Detected, Rewriting Cosmic History

Recent observations suggest that 'runaway' black holes are tumbling through the cosmos. Building on decades of theory, the discovery adds a remarkable new chapter to the story of the universe. Last year, astronomers were fascinated by a runaway comet passing through our solar system from somewhere far beyond. It was moving at around 68 kilometres per second, just over double Earth's speed around the Sun. First, the "no-hair theorem", which tells us black holes can be distinguished only by three properties: their mass, their spin and their electric charge.

AI Griefbots Are Transforming MourningBut At What Cost?

A researcher from the University of Essex dives into the philosophical and ethical questions surrounding "deathbots.” Deathbots fundamentally change the process of mourning because, unlike seeing old letters or photos of the deceased, interacting with generative AI can introduce new and unexpected elements into the grieving process. These "deathbots" or "griefbots" are one of the more controversial use cases of AI chatbots. Some are text-based, while others also depict the person through a video avatar. US "grieftech" company You, Only Virtual, for example, creates a chatbot from conversations (both spoken and written) between the deceased and one of their living friends or relatives, producing a version of how they appeared to that particular person. While some deathbots remain static representations of a person at the time of their death, others are given access to the internet and can "evolve" through conversations.

Oldest Sewn Garment Ever? Discovery Dates Back 12,000 Years

Archaeologists have found pieces of animal hide that are about 12,000 years old and may be the oldest known sewn clothing made by humans. The discovery was detailed in a study published in the journal Science Advances. The small scraps were found inside Cougar Mountain Cave in Oregon, according to reports. These two elk skin remains date back to the Late Pleistocene and the last phase of the Ice Age, approximately 12,060 to 12,620 years ago. This suggests that the early inhabitants of North America had already mastered advanced sewing skills thousands of years before the construction of the Egyptian pyramids (1700 to 2700 BC).