Today in Science: New killer fungus discovered

Science meets inbox September 8, 2023: A new killer fungus discovered, the sweltering summer affected half the people on Earth and the science of shooting stars. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TOP STORIES Deadly Fungus Deep in eastern Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a team of biologists spotted a fuzzy purple stalk protruding from the leaf litter on the ground. Following the spore-covered body down into the soil, they found a mummified spider swaddled in fungal filaments called hyphae. The organism turned out to be an undocumented species of predatory fungus belonging to the genus Purpureocillium, whose spores latch onto and kill their insect or arachnid prey—and then a fruiting body bursts from the corpse to spread its spores. Why this is so cool: The "beautiful, velvety" purple specimen would be only the seventh species of Purpureocillium discovered in the world. It's a sister genus of Ophiocordyceps (which was launched to fame by the recent HBO series "The Last of Us"). What the experts say: Only 10 percent of species in the fungal kingdom have been identified, according to conservative estimates, says Jennifer Luangsa-ard, a mycologist at Thailand's National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. "We need more people looking for the missing taxa," she adds. There's "still a lot to be discovered." Credit: João Araújo Long, Hot Summer This June through August was the planet's hottest documented three-month period, with July ranking as the hottest month ever recorded. More than 3.8 billion people were exposed to extreme heat that was worsened by human-caused climate change in those months, and at least 1.5 billion experienced such heat every day of that period (shout out to poor Phoenix, Arizona).  Why this matters: More frequent, longer-lasting and more intense heat waves are among the clearest outcomes of rising global temperatures driven by the burning of fossil fuels. Numerous studies have found the fingerprints of climate change in heat waves around the world. Extreme heat is a major health risk—it is by far the deadliest type of weather in the U.S. What the experts say: "On a single day, the fact that more than half the people on the planet were experiencing climate-altered heat—that's just really, really remarkable to me," says Andrew Pershing, vice president for science of the nonprofit organization Climate Central. TODAY'S NEWS • Earth is bombarded by millions of bits of cosmic debris every day. Here's how to identify all the different types of shooting stars. | 6 min read • Self-driving cars are expanding their ranges in a handful of U.S. cities, but the reality doesn't yet match the hype. | 4 min read • A newly described fossil appears to be a birdlike dinosaur that might have specialized in running or wading instead of flying. | 3 min read • Within days of each other, Hurricane Jova in the Pacific and Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic rapidly ballooned into Category 5 storms. | 3 min read Jova rapidly strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours. Credit: CSU/CIRA & NOAA More News EXPERT PERSPECTIVES • Humans are feeding the invisible world of ocean microbes a punishing diet of carbon and pollutants, boosting the impact of climate change, and endangering all life on Earth, writes David Ewing Duncan, co-author with J. Craig Venter of the new book The Voyage of Sorcerer II: Explorations into the Microbiome of the Oceans. "As the world moves to limit human activity contributing to climate change, it's critical that the effect on Earth's smallest creatures be considered alongside concerns for more photo-friendly species like Adélie penguins, wild tulips, and piper plovers," he says.| 5 min read More Opinion ICYMI (Our most-read stories of the week) • When Will the Next COVID Vaccine Be Available, and Who Should Get It? | 6 min read • Mistranslation of Newton's First Law Discovered after Nearly 300 Years | 4 min read • Why High-Speed Bullet Trains Won't Work in the U.S. Right Now | 7 min read Many people consider Labor Day weekend the "end" of summer, but from where I'm sitting we're still in the heat, and have two official weeks left of the season.  I hope you can get in some relaxation this weekend and stay cool. Reach out any time with feedback or suggestions on how I might improve this newsletter: newsletters@sciam.com. See you on Monday! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters here. Scientific American One New York Plaza, New York, NY, 10004   Support our mission, subscribe to Scientific American here   Unsubscribe Email Preferences