Saturday, July 27, 2024

Week in Science: "Cocaine sharks" discovered off coast of Brazil

July 26—This week, "dark oxygen" coming from 13,000-feet below the ocean's surface, how SpaceX's Dragon vehicle will destroy the International Space Station, and the first U.S. species has gone extinct from sea-level rise. All that and more below.

--Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor


'Dark Oxygen' Discovered Coming from Mineral Deposits on Deep Seafloor

Baffling new results show that rocklike mineral deposits in the deep sea can produce oxygen

What to Know about Project 2025's Dangers to Science

Project 2025 would jeopardize federal scientists' independence and undermine their influence

It's Going to Hit 90 Degrees in Alaska This Week

Temperatures in Fairbanks, Alaska, are predicted to reach a record-tying 90 degrees Fahrenheit because of a prolonged, unusually late heat wave

500-Million-Year-Old 'Alien Fish Taco' Was among First Creatures with Jaws

A bizarre fossil of a Cambrian creature that looked like an "alien fish taco" reveals how a single group with jaws came to account for around 90 percent of all animal species on Earth

Nope—It's Never Aliens

Claims of alien starships visiting Earth always fall short, but people still fall for them

How SpaceX Will Turn a Workhorse Vehicle into a Hulking Destroyer of Space Stations

SpaceX will supercharge its Dragon capsule to send the International Space Station to a watery retirement

Cleaning Up Paris's Poop River for the Olympics 

The Seine will be the stage for the Paris 2024 Olympics' Opening Ceremony—and for its marathon swimming events. But this urban waterway is challenging to keep clean.


Meet the First U.S. Species to Go Extinct from Sea-Level Rise

A tall cactus found only in Florida's Key Largo is the U.S.'s first species to go extinct from sea-level rise

Sharks in Brazil Test Positive for a Surprising Contaminant: Cocaine

Cocaine has been detected in sharks for the first time, but scientists aren't sure of the impact

China Makes History with First-Ever Samples from the Moon's Far Side

China's Chang'e 6 mission has successfully returned samples from the moon's far side, opening a new phase of the nation's lunar space race with the U.S.

Trump's Massive Deportation Plan Echoes Concentration Camp History

Trump's language about immigrants "poisoning" the U.S. repeats past rhetoric that led to civilian detention camps, with horrific, tragic results

One of Earth's Most Elusive Whales Washes up on New Zealand Beach

Scientists hope the incredibly rare beaching of a spade-toothed whale will help them learn more about this persistently elusive species

Between Twister and Twisters, Tornado Science Has Improved a Lot in Three Decades

Three decades of tornado science research is now at play in the new summer flick Twisters

Scientist Pankaj

Today in Science: Humans think unbelievably slowly

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