May 16, 2024: Orcas are at it again, a possible explanation for how Egyptians built the pyramids, and stronger solar storms are coming. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | • Years of careful planning helped us survive last weekend's severe solar storm with little damage, but even worse space weather is on the way. | 7 min read | | | • Scientists have developed brain implants that can decode internal speech. | 3 min read | | | Orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar 14 miles off the coast of Morocco attacked and sank a 50-foot-long sailing yacht on Sunday. The animals approached the boat and started slamming into the hull, causing leaks and damaging the rudder, the New York Times reported. This is the latest in a series of incidents since 2020 in the area where the animals, also called killer whales, have attacked and sunk a boat. What's setting the orcas off?
Why this is happening: Some researchers speculate that the attacks might be a type of play or amusing fad for the whales. Another possibility is that the whales are reacting to negative experiences with boats, which can strike and severely harm marine animals. By far the biggest threat to all whales is strikes from ships–NOAA Fisheries estimates that ships kill some 20,000 whales each year.
What the experts say: Adult orcas in the region have injuries consistent with boat collisions or entanglement, Alfredo López, an orca researcher at the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA), told Scientific American last year. "All this has to make us reflect on the fact that human activities, even in an indirect way, are at the origin of this behavior," he says. | | | The largest complex of Egypt's iconic pyramids stands on the outskirts of the harsh Western Desert—more than five miles from the nearest bank of the Nile River. How it was built in that location has long perplexed scientists. Researchers recently discovered an ancient branch of the Nile that likely made transportation of builders and materials to the pyramid site possible. By examining satellite imagery and sediment samples, the team tracked the former river just beside the pyramids, and hypothesized it ran dry during an extreme drought about 4,200 years ago.
Why this is interesting: Along the path of the Nile's long-lost channel, archaeologists could hunt for remnants of ancient Egyptian settlements that once relied on the waterway. Studying how changes in water availability affected these societies could inform modern strategies for adapting to a warmer climate.
What the experts say: "For most cities, we're not talking about how water helped the building of pyramids but rather how human civilizations otherwise depended on it and adapted to its changes," says Eman Ghoneim, a geomorphologist from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "And when we learn from the past, we can prepare for the future." –Riis Williams | | | The Bent Pyramid at the necropolis of Dahshur. The pyramid was constructed during Egypt's fourth dynasty. Eman Ghoneim | | | • Extra nipples, tail bones and goosebumps are a few examples of anatomical evolutionary leftovers from an earlier version of Homo sapiens. "Seeing ourselves in the perked-up ears of a dog, the glassed-over eyes of a crocodile, the tail of a squirrel or the nipples on a possum can bring us together, maybe a little weirded out, but still, together," writes Bethany Brookshire, a science journalist. | 5 min read | | | Human activities have an undeniable impact on wildlife. Researchers tracked animal movements before, during and after the pandemic, when the number of people in parks and wilderness areas changed dramatically. They found that animals have unique responses to the presence of humans depending on the circumstances. And their behavior is often unpredictable. | Thank you for being part of our circle of science-curious readers! Email me anytime: newsletters@sciam.com. Until tomorrow! | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | Aurora at Deep Lake at Nolte State Park, Wash. Milo Moss | | | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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