This week in science has brought exciting revelations — from finally uncovering the true identity of the mysterious "Dragon Man," to tracking down the universe's elusive "missing matter," and even a promising breakthrough in psychedelic therapy for depression.
🔍 The Mystery of 'Dragon Man' May Finally Be Solved
Back in 1933, a laborer in Harbin City, China, unearthed a large, human-like skull. The specimen had a massive cranium, broad nose, and large eye sockets — unlike any modern human. In 2021, scientists gave this fossil a new species name: Homo longi, or "Dragon Man." But not all experts agreed with that classification.
Many researchers believed the skull might actually belong to the Denisovans, a little-known and extinct group of archaic humans that lived alongside Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. Now, two new studies claim to have finally ended the debate. Their findings suggest that "Dragon Man" may indeed be Denisovan — providing crucial insight into our evolutionary history.
🌌 Finding the Universe’s “Missing” Matter
Another major breakthrough this week may help solve a long-standing cosmic puzzle: Where is the universe’s missing matter?
Scientists have long known that ordinary, or baryonic, matter — the stuff that makes up stars, planets, and us — accounts for only 5% of the universe. But for decades, astronomers could only detect about half of that matter. The rest was unaccounted for… until now.
Researchers have been using fast radio bursts (FRBs) — incredibly short, bright flashes of energy from deep space — to track down the missing particles. Because these bursts travel through intergalactic space, they carry clues about the matter they pass through. New findings suggest that these FRBs may have finally illuminated the hidden gas and particles drifting between galaxies, bringing us closer to completing the cosmic inventory.
🍄 Psilocybin Shows Long-Term Benefits for Depression
Also making headlines is a groundbreaking new study on psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, presented at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference.
Researchers followed participants who had received just one dose of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression — five years ago. Astonishingly, 67% of them remained in remission half a decade later. They also reported reduced anxiety and improved daily functioning.
These findings mark one of the longest follow-ups ever conducted on psychedelic therapy and provide compelling evidence that a single session of psilocybin treatment could offer lasting relief from depression.
🧪 In Summary:
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'Dragon Man' Skull: Likely belongs to the Denisovans, not a new species.
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Missing Matter Found: Fast radio bursts help map hidden particles in deep space.
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Magic Mushrooms & Mental Health: A single psilocybin dose shows 5-year depression remission in most patients.
Science continues to uncover answers to some of the biggest questions — both cosmic and personal.
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