# 170: Science Highlights Daily | 2019-01-29

This is a curated articles about the latest discoveries in science and interesting articles tackling technology and society.

We’ve only just found out exactly how sperm wiggle their tails to swim:

---

It turns out that sperm repeatedly switch between swimming forward and a state of frenzied thrashing around, but we still don’t know exactly how they get to the egg

Can scanning books really reveal if the US is becoming more tolerant?: Chelsea Whyte

---

An analysis of books shows that cultural norms are loosening in the US, but it may be missing the views from underrepresented groups in publishing

Blood test can diagnose fetal genetic disorders early in pregnancy: Sam Wong

---

A new test detects mutations in 30 genes by sequencing small amounts of fetal DNA in a mother’s blood

The emptiness of space has a structure we could use to send messages: Leah Crane

---

We could send messages by vibrating the structure of the vacuum of empty space - but they could only be read by a powerful laser that rips the vacuum apart

Apollo astronauts might have found a piece of Earth on the moon: Leah Crane

---

A 4 billion-year-old rock found on the moon may have originally come from our planet, and could be one of the oldest Earth rocks ever seen

Battling AI algorithm tested on a quantum computer for first time: Donna Lu

---

One of the most powerful techniques in machine learning, generative adversarial networks, has been tested on a quantum computer for the first time

Should we rename some cancers to make them sound less scary?: Charles Swanton

---

A cancer diagnosis is life-changing, yet some tumours pose little threat, meaning some are calling for a new name. The idea is not without risks, says Charles Swanton

We may finally know what causes Alzheimer’s – and how to stop it: Debora MacKenzie

---

Evidence is growing that a bacteria involved in gum disease causes Alzheimer's, raising hopes over new kinds of treatments that are currently undergoing testing

Exclusive: 600-million-year old blobs are earliest animals ever found: Graham Lawton

---

Fossils in China suggest that that some of the first animals in existence may have been carnivorous comb jellies similar to some species that still exist today

All you want to know about fatbergs but are too disgusted to ask: Kelly Oakes

---

Huge lumps of fat and waste keep appearing in sewers, particularly in the UK – are they really on the rise, or are we just paying more attention?