Curiosity Weekly: "Inside the High-Tech Hunt for Dinosaur Bones"

Host: Dr. Samantha Yammine
Guest: Dr. Paul Serino (Paleontologist, University of Chicago)
Date: April 1, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode dives into the latest discovery of a new dinosaur species, Spinosaurus mirabilis, and spotlights the cutting-edge technology, interdisciplinary teamwork, and community partnerships fueling today’s paleontology. The episode also examines the limits of artificial intelligence in human-style reasoning and a neuroscience finding about the brain’s key role in building endurance.

Main Segments & Key Insights

1. Are AI Systems Truly Human-Level Smart? ("Humanity's Last Exam")

[01:30–06:50]

• Premise: Dr. Sam explores the ways that artificial intelligence performance on standardized tests is fueling debates about AI's real capabilities versus human expertise.
• The Big Challenge:
  • New "Humanity’s Last Exam"—a test crafted by nearly 1,000 researchers from 50+ countries, with 2,500 graduate-level, unsearchable questions across a range of subjects (math, physics, biology, humanities, etc.).
  • Rigorous vetting ensured that AI models couldn't just scrape the web for answers.
• Sample Question:

  “Hummingbirds with apodiformes uniquely have a bilaterally paired oval bone, a sesamoid embedded in the caudilateral portion of the expanded cruciate epineurosis of insertion of M depressor cauda. How many paired tendons are supported by the sesamoid bone?”
  (No one, including the host, answered correctly!)

• Results:
  • Top AI (Gemini 3.1 Pro) scored 50% at best; most models hovered around 5% accuracy.
  • Humans—especially experts working together—remain far ahead for now.
• Risks & Reflections:
  • AI might amplify bias, threaten privacy, be deployed in surveillance, or enable unethical use in autonomous weapons.
• Notable Quote:

  “So in Human versus Machine, human still wins. For now. Phew. And all it took was the top experts, a specialized test, and the power of teamwork. Something only people can understand. Take that.” — Dr. Samantha Yammine [06:40]

2. The Discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis

[09:09–28:59]

2.1. Meet the Spinosaurus

[09:09–13:46]

• Background: Spinosaurus mirabilis—a new species unveiled after an arduous expedition deep in the Sahara, as detailed in a 2026 Science article.
• Why It's Special:
  • Unique, scimitar-shaped crest—the tallest known on any theropod.
  • Remarkable teeth adaptation: Lower jaw teeth interlock “like a vise,” specialized for catching large, slippery fish.
  • Confirmed as semi-aquatic, but primarily adapted for life on land (contrasted to fully marine reptiles).
• Notable Quote:

  “It’s always nice to find a species that you can recognize from 30ft… the tallest crest on the top of any theropod dinosaur head that we've ever found.” — Dr. Paul Serino [10:06]

  “This is a dentition that is meant to pierce the fish and hold it tight.” — Dr. Paul Serino [12:14]

2.2. Time and Place

[13:46–14:18]

• When: About 95 million years ago, Late Cretaceous—well before T. rex.
• Where: Inland waterways of Africa; Spinosaurus and T. rex never coexisted in time or space.

2.3. Evolutionary Impact

[14:18–16:32]

• Behavior from Bones:
  • Rare to glean dinosaur behavior, but the Spinosaurus's adaptations are clear evidence for a “hell heron”—an apex fish-hunter within rivers.
  • No parallel in North America or elsewhere; evolution at its most specialized.
• Reflection: Evolution sometimes produces wildly unique forms that may never recur.
• Notable Quote:

  “At no point in the history of all of vertebrate life... has any marine animal like a whale, like a porpoise... ever lived up the rivers that was even half the size of Spinosaurus. So we have a hell-heron on our hands.” — Dr. Paul Serino [15:02]

  “You know, evolution doesn’t... guarantee that if [a form] goes extinct, it's going to evolve again.” — Dr. Paul Serino [15:50]

2.4. The Hunt: Field Discovery & International Collaboration

[16:32–21:29]

• Origin Story:

  • Inspired by a 1950s French explorer’s monograph and map, the team sought a lost site in the Sahara.
  • Found little at first—then, with help from local Tuareg expert Abdul Nassar, they were led to a graveyard of massive bones.
  • Pandemic delays; eventual return with a global team (20 scientists, 64 armed Tuareg guards).
  • Digital tools like drones and photogrammetry enabled recording and sharing of fossils “from the middle of the Sahara.”

• Notable Discovery Moment:

  “Then we find, as we drive up, car, car. Dinosaurs, teeth lying on the surface. And then... we come up to the biggest bones I've ever seen in my life... it was like a graveyard... we set out our cots and slept as best we could. The next morning... we picked up two jaw pieces, couple of jaw pieces, and a bone we didn't recognize, which turned out to be the crest... we could see this incredible spinosaur with a crest that swooped up from its skull. We knew this was landmark.” — Dr. Paul Serino [18:33–20:52]

• Collaboration Matters:

  • Local knowledge, cultural connection, and mutual benefit are crucial.
  • Commitment to building museums and heritage centers in Niger to preserve both paleontological and human history.

  “They are absolutely thrilled that they actually are responsible for a story about their country, about their backyard that went around the world and is now famous.” — Dr. Paul Serino [21:49]

  “We started a group with Nigerians as well, an international group called Niger Heritage. It’s not only the dinosaurs, but it’s also the cultures of the north that have no museum, but have every reason and right to have one.” — Dr. Paul Serino [23:39]

• Preservation Responsibility:

  • If knowledge, facilities, and local expertise aren’t developed, fragile fossils and community culture may be lost to time.

  “If you don’t have the scholars, the museums, the storerooms, the knowledge... they will eventually be destroyed.” — Dr. Paul Serino [25:42]

2.5. High-Tech Tools of Modern Paleontology

[26:41–28:56]

• Field Tools:
  • Drones for remote scouting
  • GPS for precise navigation
  • Photogrammetry for 3D documentation
  • Battery-powered jackhammers accelerate excavation (fueled by solar packs and compact generators)
• Lab Tech:
  • CT and industrial scanning of fossils, both large and small
  • Digital modeling and 3D printing of specimens (for research and Hollywood collaborations)
  • Use of nanotechnology and molecular analysis of fossil enamel
  • Digital mounting and skin recreation for visualization
• Notable Quote:

  “I can give the digital skeleton—and I was the first to do it—to a printer and print a skeleton. I’ve given it to Hollywood to put the skin on. And as you can see, we're getting good at that ourselves.” — Dr. Paul Serino [28:32]

3. The Neuroscience of Endurance: "No Brain, No Gain"

[31:35–35:22]

• Summary of Study:
  • Exercise builds endurance not just via muscles or heart, but also by brain rewiring.
  • Mouse study shows SF1 neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus become more active and form more synapses with training; turning them off halts endurance gains.
• Method:
  • Mice ran on treadmills; neuron firing tracked using fiber optics.
  • Used optogenetics (light-based on/off control of neurons).
• Finding:
  • Post-exercise neuron activation is required for adaptation; brain encodes endurance at a cellular level.
• Implication:
  • Human applications still to be proved, but our brains are deep collaborators in turning effort into real-world improvement.
• Notable Quote:

  “No brain, no gain... our brains are usually doing a lot more behind the scenes than we give them credit for. When we put in work, our brains do too.” — Dr. Samantha Yammine [34:50]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s always nice to find a species that you can recognize from 30ft… the tallest crest on the top of any theropod dinosaur head that we've ever found.” – Dr. Paul Serino [10:06]
• “This is a dentition that is meant to pierce the fish and hold it tight.” – Dr. Paul Serino [12:14]
• “We have a hell-heron on our hands.” – Dr. Paul Serino [15:02]
• “So in Human versus Machine, human still wins. For now. Phew. And all it took was the top experts, a specialized test, and the power of teamwork. Something only people can understand. Take that.” – Dr. Samantha Yammine [06:40]
• “If you don’t have the scholars, the museums, the storerooms, the knowledge... they will eventually be destroyed.” – Dr. Paul Serino [25:42]
• “No brain, no gain... When we put in work, our brains do too.” – Dr. Samantha Yammine [34:50]

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [01:30–06:50] – Humanity’s Last Exam: AI Versus Human Expertise
• [09:09–13:46] – Introduction to Spinosaurus mirabilis: Biology, Ecology, and Uniqueness
• [13:46–16:32] – Evolutionary Significance
• [16:32–21:29] – Field Discovery and Expedition Stories
• [21:29–26:41] – International & Local Partnerships; Heritage and Museum Building
• [26:41–28:56] – High-Tech Tools in Modern Paleontology
• [31:35–35:22] – Neuroscience of Endurance Training

Overall Tone

Warm, inquisitive, and rooted in excitement for discovery. The episode blends narrative storytelling, technical knowledge, and humility—eager to demystify the frontiers of science with listeners.

For Listeners New and Old

Whether you’re a dinosaur lover, a tech enthusiast, or simply curious about how science works in the wild, this episode offers a hands-on look at big questions from deep time and the cutting edge—all conveyed in accessible, spirited conversation.