Today's Science News
November 21, 2024
Friendly social behaviors are contagious for chimpanzees - Chimpanzees are more likely to engage in play or groom each other if they see others performing these social behaviors first, Georgia Sandars and colleagues at Durham University, U.K. report in a study publishing November 20, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.Sols 4368-4369: The Colors of Fall – and Mars - Earth planning date: Monday, Nov. 18, 2024 I am in the U.K., where we are approaching the time when trees are just branches and twigs.
Robot flies like a bird. - David Lentink's robotic bird model demonstrates how birds fly without vertical tailfins, potentially leading to more fuel-efficient airplane designs.
Chinese fossil found in 1986 confirmed as new dinosaur species - Palaeontologists have identified a new species of dinosaur from a Chinese fossil which was dug up in 1986.
NASA's Curiosity rover captures 360-degree view of Mars — and finds strange sulfur stones - The Curiosity shows sulfur stones, with no explanation of how they occurred on the Martian surface.
How Could Astronauts Call for Help from the Moon? - Exploring the Moon poses significant risks, with its extreme environment and hazardous terrain presenting numerous challenges.
There Was a 15 Minute Warning Before Tonga Volcano Exploded - Volcanoes are not restricted to the land, there are many undersea versions.
Is nuclear power gaining new energy? - Countries around the world are building new nuclear power stations.
November 20, 2024
Cannabis disrupts brain activity in young adults prone to psychosis: study - A study reveals that reduced brain connectivity in young adults at risk of psychosis worsens with cannabis use, highlighting treatment possibilities.In the ‘Wild West’ of AI chatbots, subtle biases related to race and caste often go unchecked - LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant raises bias concerns in AI hiring tools.
Main Sequence and White Dwarf Binaries are Hiding in Plain Sight - Common envelope binaries are the progenitors of Type1a supernovae, but little is known about this phase.
Final trailer for Prime Video's 'Secret Level' looks out of this world - A final trailer for Prime Video's "Secret Level" animated anthology
Gene Expression Shifts as Shrews Shrink and Regrow Their Brains - Transcriptomic studies of the shrew’s remarkably plastic brain could provide new insights into neurodegenerative diseases.
SabersPro Obi Wan Ep3 lightsaber review - Take the high ground with this stunning, and very expensive, replica lightsaber.
75,000-Year-Old Fire Pit Shows Neanderthal Innovation With Tar - Learn how early humans employed specialized fire pits to create resins needed to attach stone tool parts to wooden shafts.
Watch Russian Progress cargo spacecraft launch to the ISS on Nov. 21 - A Russian Progress cargo spacecraft will launch toward the ISS on Nov. 21 for a docking two days later.
NASA, SpaceX Illustrate Key Moments of Artemis Lunar Lander Mission - NASA is working with U.S. industry to develop the human landing systems that will safely carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back throughout the agency’s Artemis campaign.
STS-129 Crew Aboard the Space Station - The STS-129 crew members pose for a portrait following a joint news conference with the Expedition 21 crew members on Nov. 24, 2009.
Supermassive black holes bent the laws of physics to grow to monstrous sizes - Scientists may have cracked one of the biggest mysteries in space science, determining that supermassive black holes bent the laws of physics to grow to their huge sizes.
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 review: Is this the best cheap fitness tracker? - Did our favorite budget fitness tracker get just even better?
Qubit that makes most errors obvious now available to customers - Can a small machine that makes error correction easier upend the market?
Minnesota Trial Lawyers Want To Ban Neonics - Here Is Why That Is A Mistake - Minnesota is having a challenging year, so challenging they are approaching California as the wackiest state, according to other states.
What a Misplaced Meteorite Told Us About Mars - 11 million years ago, Mars was a frigid, dry, dead world, just like it is now.
Media Invited to Learn About NASA, GE Aerospace Contrails Flight Tests - Media are invited to learn about a unique series of flight tests happening in Virginia in partnership between NASA and GE Aerospace that aim to help the
'Black mold-like substance' and water contamination uncovered by FDA at Tom's of Maine toothpaste factory - The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to a Tom's of Maine facility in Sanford that makes toothpaste.
Study: Why Aztec “death whistles” sound like human screams - The basic mechanism relies on the Venturi effect, producing a unique rough and piercing sound.
Turning carbon emissions into methane fuel - Chemists have developed a novel way to capture and convert carbon dioxide into methane, suggesting that future gas emissions could be converted into an alternative fuel using electricity from renewable sources.
Secrets of stonefish venom revealed - Researchers have done a “deep dive” into the most venomous fish species on Earth and revealed surprising new insights that might lead to better treatment for stings.
Every 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Had Faster Winds because of Climate Change - Every Atlantic hurricane that formed this year had higher wind speeds because of climate change.
Scientists take huge step forward in mapping all 37 trillion cells in the human body - Scientists published more than three dozen papers as part of the Human Cell Atlas, an effort to map the human body cell by cell.
The not so 'wicked' path from 'The Wizard of Oz' to the moon landing - "The Wizard of Oz" and space exploration are two topics that by all rights should have nothing in common.
This spot will be key to the inevitable collapse of a key Atlantic current - New modeling research reveals that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is particularly vulnerable to shifts in the Irminger Sea from increasing Arctic meltwater.
4 King Tut Artifacts You’ll Find at the Grand Egyptian Museum - The Grand Egyptian Museum is set to open in a few months.
NASA’s Chandra, Hubble Tune Into ‘Flame-Throwing’ Guitar Nebula - Normally found only in heavy metal bands or certain post-apocalyptic films, a “flame-throwing guitar” has now been spotted moving through space.
Discovery Alert: A Rare Glimpse of a Newborn Planet - The Discovery A huge planet with a long name – IRAS 04125+2902 b – is really just a baby: only 3 million years old.
China reveals secrets of 1st sample taken from the far side of the moon — and it contains a volcanic surprise - Active volcanoes were erupting on the far side of the moon 2.8 billion years ago, the first lunar samples returned from the far side reveal.
Black Friday Bargain: The best Sony camera for astrophotography is over $930 cheaper - Hurry, stocks are low!
What is BioSentinel? - Editor’s Note: This article was updated Nov. 20, 2024 shortly after BioSentinel’s mission marked two years of operation in deep space.
SpaceX’s Starship Soars in 6th Test Flight but Skips Booster Catch - The sixth test flight of SpaceX’s giant rocket ended with a fiery splashdown rather than a clean “chopstick” catch
Did NASA's Perseverance rover really find organics on Mars? These scientists aren't so sure - Could Mars have once hosted life?
'There are lots of mysteries in our backyard': Revised solar system chemistry explains long-standing puzzles - Pluto and other large bodies in the Kuiper Belt are surprisingly rich in rock rather than ice.
5 Surprising NASA Heliophysics Discoveries Not Related to the Sun - With NASA’s fleet of heliophysics spacecraft, scientists monitor our Sun and investigate its influences throughout the solar system.
SpaceX just got exactly what it wanted from the FAA for Texas Starship launches - "All pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met."
NASA’s Brad Doorn Brings Farm Belt Wisdom to Space-Age Agriculture - From his South Dakota roots to leading NASA’s agricultural program, Brad Doorn’s mission has remained the same: help farmers feed the world.
Uranus is Getting Colder and Now We Know Why - Uranus is an oddball among the Solar System’s planets.
ISS fires thrusters to dodge hunk of space junk - A Russian cargo ship docked to the International Space Station fired its thrusters on Tuesday (Nov. 19) to ensure that the orbiting complex dodged a piece of space debris.
Lucy's last day: What the iconic fossil reveals about our ancient ancestor's last hours - Fifty years after a fossil skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis was unearthed in Ethiopia, we know so much more about how this iconic species lived and died.
Ancient human ancestor Lucy was not alone — she lived alongside at least 4 other proto-human species, emerging research suggests - Lucy lived in a wide range of habitats from northern Ethiopia to northern Kenya.
A light touch makes PFAS not so-forever - They’re called “forever chemicals” for a reason: PFAS are diabolically difficult to break down.
Largest dinosaur ever auctioned sells for over $6 million — and it's twice as long as a school bus - A 70-foot-long Apatosaurus skeleton, named Vulcan, recently became the biggest dinosaur fossil ever sold when it was acquired for around $6.4 million at an auction in France.
Tail Clubs Weren't Just for Ankylosaurs – Some Sauropods Had Them, Too - A new discovery of basal sauropod helps dive a little deeper into the purpose behind the tail club.
Cracking the recipe for perfect plant-based eggs - Hint: It involves finding exactly the right proteins.
All Life on Earth Today Descended From a Single Cell. Meet LUCA. - The clearest picture yet of our “last universal common ancestor” suggests it was a relatively complex organism living 4.2 billion years ago, a time long considered too harsh for life to flourish.
How Scientists Repurposed a Camera on ESA’s Mars Express Mission - A camera aboard the Mars Express orbiter finds a new lease on life.
DAILY DOSE: California reports suspected avian flu case in child; - A suspected avian flu case in California raises concerns, while climate change intensifies extreme weather impacts on agriculture and health.
Trump's Anti-Climate Agenda Could Help China Dominate Global Markets - Trumps retreat from climate agreements and tech funding will help China dominate global clean energy markets
Black Cats and Broken Mirrors: These 7 Superstitions Have Ancient Roots - Superstitions have been keeping people on their toes for centuries.
The Hero Who Convinced His Fellow Ornithologists of the Obvious: Stop Shooting Birds and Watch Them Instead - Too late to save the ivory-billed woodpecker, Arthur Allen changed science forever with his seemingly simple idea
SpIRIT CubeSat Demonstrates a Operational Gamma and X-Ray Detector - CubeSats are becoming more and more capable, and it seems like every month, another CubeSat is launched doing something new and novel.
Sun-Like Stars Around Black Holes: What Gives? - Buried in the treasure trove of the Gaia catalog were two strange black hole systems.
1,600-year-old amulet depicting King Solomon spearing the devil found in Turkey - The "King Solomon" pendant likely belonged to a cavalry soldier stationed at the ancient Byzantine city of Hadrianopolis.
Health Research Could Face Severe Cuts and Changes Under Trump - Sweeping reorganization and more research scrutiny could be on the way for the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Massive Black Friday air purifier deals 2024: Top discounts we recommend - Save big on air purifiers with these early Black Friday deals.
Self-assembling proteins can be used for higher performance, more sustainable skincare products - If you have a meticulous skincare routine, you know that personal skincare products (PSCPs) are a big business.
Thanksgiving special: Dinosaur drumsticks and the story of the turkey trot - Wings may be the obvious choice when studying the connection between dinosaurs and birds, but a pair of paleontologists prefer drumsticks.
Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops - Scientists discovered a stretch of DNA in both C3 plants, like wheat and soybeans, and C4 plants, like corn and sorghum, that is responsible for optimizing C4 plant photosynthesis and making them better at withstanding heat and drought.
Healthy women have cells that resemble breast cancer - A new study finds that, in healthy women, some breast cells that otherwise appear normal may contain chromosome abnormalities typically associated with invasive breast cancer.
Grumpy Voters Want Better Stories—Not Statistics - A social scientist looks at the portrait of U.S. voters, and voting, in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election that put Trump into the White House
Forcing a Smile Using Electrical Stimulation Can Boost Your Mood - Researchers directed electric current to activate targeted facial muscles and then asked study participants how they felt
Faking an accent? You’ll be spotted in Belfast but not London, says study - Across the UK and Ireland, people from Belfast are best at detecting when someone is faking their accent – while people from London are worst at it, according to a new study.
Analyze This: How big was the biggest T. rex? - Only around 80 fossil Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons have been found.
Gel coatings could make it easier to eat fiber-rich foods - Fiber is something that most of us get far too little of.
What Is Causing Disparities in C-Section Rates between Black and White Pregnant People? - A study of births in New Jersey reveals a troubling disparity between unscheduled C-sections for Black people.
Scientists create portable, miniature high-speed 'electronic nose' that outperforms mice - A group of scientists led by University of Hertfordshire researchers have collaborated to create a particularly fast and small "electronic nose."
Engineered antibiotic D22 shows promise against drug-resistant bacteria - Antibacterial drugs are important for treating infections.
Most precise large-scale gravity map of universe tests Einstein’s theories - Researchers have compiled a map of 6 million galaxies in the most precise test of how gravity works on large scales in the universe.
The key moment came 38 minutes after Starship roared off the launch pad - SpaceX wasn't able to catch the Super Heavy booster, but Starship is on the cusp of orbital flight.
Starship’s Booster (and Donald Trump) Make a Splash With Sixth Flight Test - SpaceX's Starship system went through its sixth flight test, which featured a double splashdown and a cameo by the president-elect.
Living in Delhi smog is like watching a dystopian film again and again - Toxic, deadly, poisonous - these words are back in the headlines as Delhi’s pollution spikes again.
The scientists who risk it all for research - Scientists in peril around the world share their experiences of the risks they face as academic freedom declines.
Explained: new ways to peer deep under our oceans - We explain how millions of marine images are available to the science community and general public through new data sets.
November 19, 2024
The Once and Future Woods - Cathedrals, seed banks, and oaks: How to live in times of change.Microsoft and Atom Computing combine for quantum error correction demo - New work provides a good view of where the field currently stands.
The Power of Small Wonderments - Alan Lightman’s three greatest revelations while writing The Miraculous from the Material .
The Strange Pulsar at the Center of the Crab Nebula - Thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, we all have a vivid image of the Crab Nebula emblazoned in our mind’s eyes.
Exploring the Nexus: Christian Bök - Christian Bök explores how science and poetry intersect, advocating for deeper engagement between these fields to inspire innovative creative expression.
‘Bomb Cyclone’ and Atmospheric River Will Bring Extreme Weather to U.S. West Coast - A major windstorm and an atmospheric river are set to unleash a “firehose” of precipitation from California to British Columbia
Climate change is driving the rise in dengue cases - At least 257 million people now live in places where climate warming could cause dengue incidence to double in the next 25 years in Asia and the Americas.
Developing advanced recycling technology to restore spent battery cathode materials - A research team developed an eco-friendly method for recycling cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries.
Trees Alone Can’t Stop Climate Change - Forests absorb planet-warming pollution, but world leaders shouldn’t include them in plans to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, a new study recommends
How Humans Have Caused the Most Recent Wave of Extinction - Our impact on the planet has caused the Sixth Mass Extinction.
Advances in Cell Therapy for Restoring Vision - Scientists use innovative stem cell culture models to progress retinal cell therapy research.
Scientist behind superconductivity claims ousted - After claims of high-temp superconductivity were retracted, Ranga Dias lost his university job.
Most parents don’t ask about firearms in the homes their kids visit - Many Illinois parents overlook asking about unlocked firearms before playdates, highlighting a vital safety issue.
Novo Nordisk sells hit weight-loss drug in China—at fraction of US price - As US struggles to afford GLP-1 drugs, the rest of the world sees much lower prices.
Does Fluoride Cause Cancer, IQ Loss, and More? Fact-Checking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Claims - Donald Trump's administration may remove fluoride from drinking water, linked to health risks, despite evidence supporting its safety for oral health.
Sea Otter Surrogacy Pairs Childless Otters with Orphan Pups - What happens if an otter pup gets separated from its mother?
SpaceX will try some new tricks on Starship’s sixth test flight - "An additional objective for this flight will be attempting an in-space burn using a single Raptor engine."
Drugging the Undruggable - Learn how cutting-edge strategies empower researchers to target undruggable proteins.
Delving deep into regulation of cobalt active sites to enhance selectivity of propylene to improve production - Chemical reactions are not always naturally optimized to yield the products in the quantities needed, especially on the scale needed for the amount of industry in the world today.
Emergent gravity may be a dead idea, but it’s not a bad one - Gravity may not emerge, but some interesting ideas did.
RFK, Jr., Is a Bad Prescription for U.S. Public Health - Prominent vaccine skeptic RFK, Jr., is a proven menace to public health.
DAILY DOSE: China’s rapid growth reshapes global climate dynamics; Are scientists capable of intellectual humility in the face of public distrust? - China's rise as the top greenhouse gas emitter shifts global climate responsibility, raising debates on aid and emissions contributions during UN talks.
Science Crossword: Equine Emergence - Play this crossword inspired by the December 2024 issue of Scientific American
What Is Exploding Head Syndrome? - If you've heard a gun shot while you fall asleep that didn't actually happen, you may be experiencing exploding head syndrome.
Book Review: How Oak Trees Warn Us about the Limits of Adapting to Climate Change - Oak trees have genetic flexibility that allows them to solve ecological problems.
Fossil Fuels Are Not Essential - The fossil-fuel industry argues that we can’t live without its deadly products.
Horse Domestication Story Gets a Surprising Rewrite - Archaeological and genetic discoveries topple long-standing ideas about the domestication of equines
See How Close We Are to Gender Equality around the World - U.N. statistics show progress toward the goal of gender equality but a long way left to go
Why I Want to Be Buried on the Moon - The far side of the moon offers grounds for compromise between advocates and opponents of lunar development
Concussions Are Remarkably Common and Can Cause Long-Term Problems - New diagnostic techniques can pick up these brain injuries and ensure people get help
December 2024: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago - Alcohol in space; basking in the limelight
How the Science of Curiosity Boosts Learning - Understanding curiosity can help people—and robots—learn faster
Book Review: An Expansive New Translation of a Haruki Murakami Classic - In End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland , the title is flipped, but cyberpunk pleasures remain
Book Bans Harm Kids - Censoring what children read deprives them of reality and the chance to feed their curiosity and develop empathy
Why Hypochondria Can Be Deadly, and How Newer Treatments Help - Intense health anxiety is a true mental illness and threatens lives.
Should Offshore Oil Rigs Be Turned into Artificial Reefs? - Oil rigs around the world are habitats for marine species.
Mathematicians Discover a New Kind of Shape That’s All over Nature - Mathematicians have found a new kind of shape with connections to nature and art
Could Ocean Engineering Pull Carbon from the Atmosphere as a Last Resort against Climate Change? - Changing the ocean’s chemical and biological makeup could force it to pull vast amounts of planet-warming carbon from the atmosphere.
Can going to a haunted house boost the immune system? - Study found marked decrease in inflammatory markers and white blood cells after visiting a haunted house.
The chilling sound of the Aztec death whistle - The Aztec skull whistle produces a shrill, screaming sound.
How cells habituate - Up until recently, habituation -- a simple form of learning -- was deemed the exclusive domain of complex organisms with brains and nervous systems, such as worms, insects, birds, and mammals.
Takara Bio launches high-throughput, cost-effective qPCR system to advance clinical research - The SmartChip ND system meets laboratories’ needs for flexibility, scalability, efficiency, and affordability.
Contributors to Scientific American’s December 2024 Issue - Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories
Curiosity, Horses and Hypochondria - Discovering weird new shapes, turning oil rigs into reefs and making the ocean absorb more greenhouse gases
Readers Respond to the July/August 2024 Issue - Letters to the editors for the July/August 2024 issue of Scientific American
Famous Star Hasn’t Formed Planets, and We Don’t Know Why - The nearby star Vega, featured in the 1997 movie Contact, appears to have a smooth disk devoid of giant planets for reasons we can’t explain
How the Arrival of an Endangered Bird Indicates What’s Possible for the L.A. River - Could the waterway that the city was built around make a comeback?
Predicting the mode of action of new anti-cancer compounds with AI - Plants, fungi and bacteria produce a variety of bioactives that alter cell metabolism, sometimes to the point of cell death.
Recovering in-demand metals for new electronics—researchers find industrial-strength adsorbents soak up lanthanum - Nearly all technology today—from cellphones to computers to MRI scanners—contains rare earth elements (REEs).
Exotic Powder Pulls Carbon Dioxide from the Air at a Record Rate - A unique crystalline compound soaks up CO 2 with great efficiency
Let’s learn about ancient pyramids - You may have heard of pyramids built in ancient Egypt — but what about ones built elsewhere in Africa, Europe and the Americas?
Want to be a trusted scientist? Act humble, says study - People see humble scientists as more trustworthy, according to a new study.
Little Books with Big Subjects - One of the biggest mistakes novice children’s book writers make is to assume that a story must teach something.
An Antibiotic That Distinguishes Friend from Foe - A novel compound targets an essential transport system found only in disease-causing bacteria, leaving commensal bacteria unharmed.
First “concerning” signs of summer 2024’s impact on Great Barrier Reef - The deadly impact of intense marine heatwaves and cyclones to the Great Barrier Reef has been revealed by initial results from AIMS' Long-Term Monitoring Program.
Without a moral mainframe, AI will stymy gender equality - Systemic gender bias must be called out as we embrace the reality of AI, writes former Libyan foreign minister Najla Mohammed El Mangoush.
How surface electrons could help nano fabrication - In some very neat science, electron imaging has captured the atomic structure of the outermost layer of electrons on a material’s surface.
November 18, 2024
Color Makes the Universe - How a flashy opal inspired artist Tyler Thrasher's new book.The ISS has been leaking air for 5 years, and engineers still don’t know why - "This is a an engineering problem, and good engineers should be able to agree on it."
Trust in scientists hasn’t recovered from COVID. Some humility could help. - Intellectual humility could win back much-needed trust in science, study finds
To invent the wheel, did people first have to invent the spindle? - The physics of spinning objects may have seeded concepts key to the wheel.
The amorous adventures of earwigs - Elaborate courtship, devoted parenthood, gregarious nature (and occasional cannibalism)—earwigs have a lot going for them.
Oldest ever Ediacaran worm found in South Australia - Palaeontologists have uncovered a fossilised worm-like creature at Nilpena Ediacara National Park in South Australia.