Friday, September 27, 2024

Week in Science: Earth is getting a new mini moon

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September 27—This week, we explore how your brain detects patterns without you even noticing, a small asteroid set to orbit Earth as a temporary mini moon, and why it's so challenging to figure out how many dinosaur species once roamed the Earth. Check out these stories and more below!

–Sunya Bhutta, Chief Audience Engagement Editor


The Surprising Challenges of Using Prehistoric Diversity to Understand Life Today

The incompleteness of the fossil record complicates efforts to figure out how life on Earth is faring today

Earth Is Getting a New Mini Moon

A small asteroid, 2024 PT5, will spend the next two months alongside our planet as a mini moon before swooping back to deep space

Stunning Bird Photographs Showcase Incredible Views of Life on the Wing

Quirky perspectives, separated lovebirds and a tobogganing penguin star in 2024 winners of the world's largest bird photography competition

A custom article sponsored by Harmony Biosciences
Reducing the stigma of narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is different in real life than in the movies, and people with the sleep disorder can suffer from stigma. A global push for awareness could help bring narcolepsy to light.

Dark Matter Could Be Hiding Out as Atom-Sized Black Holes

The universe's hidden mass may be made of black holes, which could wobble the planets of the solar system when they pass by

As Earth's Climate Unravels, More Scientists Are Ready to Test Geoengineering

More and more climate scientists are supporting experiments to cool Earth by altering the stratosphere or the ocean

'Spooky Action at a Distance' Observed in Quarks for the First Time

Physicists report the first observations of quantum entanglement in top and anti-top quarks, the heaviest known fundamental particles and their antimatter counterparts, inside the Large Hadron Collider

Will This Comet Be the Brightest of 2024?

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) could soon shine very bright in Earth's skies

These Bizarre Fish Walk on Six Legs and Taste the Location of Buried Prey

A species of legged fish uses taste receptors to search for hidden prey, providing an ideal window for scientists to study the emergence of new evolutionary traits

Dozens of Babies Have Been Born from Uterus Transplants

Uterus transplants are becoming more common, opening up the possibility of pregnancy and parenthood to people with certain health conditions

Please Don't Ask AI If Something Is Poisonous

From spotless giraffes to secret squirrels, Janelle Shane probes the absurdity (and dangers) of generative AI

How Your Brain Detects Patterns without Conscious Thought

Neurons in certain brain areas integrate 'what' and 'when' information to discern hidden order in events happening in real time

What Really Happened at the Pentagon's Once-Hidden UFO Office?

An office in the Pentagon investigated UFOs—and the paranormal—over a decade ago, segueing into a long saga leading to Congressional hearings and breathless news stories today. But the real story looks more like former defense officials pushing their personal mythology, rather than any cover-up of aliens

Scientist Pankaj

Today in Science: Humans think unbelievably slowly

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