Friday, November 1, 2024

Week in Science: Sunken temple of ancient civilization found off Italy

November 1—This week, here are the rumors and misinformation to look out for on Election Day. Plus, an underwater temple from an ancient civilization is discovered off Italy, and destroying the ISS is going to make a huge mess. All that and more below!

--Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

Top Stories
Sunken Temple of Ancient Arabian Civilization Found off Italy

An ancient temple made by Arabian immigrants from the Nabataean culture has finally been found off the Italian coast

Shaken Baby Syndrome Has Been Discredited. Why Is Robert Roberson Still on Death Row?

Convicted of a crime that never happened, Roberson's case is a prime example of how the U.S. legal system often fails to recognize advances in scientific knowledge

Plans to Trash the Space Station Preview a Bigger Problem

A special spacecraft will guide the space station through Earth's atmosphere, but what about other large pieces of space debris?

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How Harris Plans to Make Home Care for Older Relatives Easier

Harris recently proposed a Medicare plan that would cover at-home health aides and other long-term care services, which could provide much needed relief to older adults and caregivers

These Are the Rumors and Misinformation to Watch for on Election Day

We can anticipate many false claims as we approach the U.S. presidential election—including untrue allegations of mass voting by noncitizens or of "suspicious vans" outside polling booths—and should quickly counter them, a misinformation expert says

Climate Goal "Will Be Dead Within a Few Years" Unless World Acts, U.N. Warns

The world is well on track to blow past a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius that many countries have put at the center of their climate efforts

Teenagers Are Taking New Weight-Loss Drugs, but the Science Is Far from Settled

Wegovy and similar weight-loss medications are becoming widely prescribed for teenagers with obesity, but little is known about their long-term effects

Math and Puzzle Fans Find Magic in Martin Gardner's Legacy

Scientific American columnist Martin Gardner started a long mathematical conversation that continues today

We Need a U.N. Study of the Effects of Nuclear War

A new United Nations expert study of the effects of nuclear war would spur informed and inclusive global debate on what nuclear war means for people and the planet today

Could Weight-Loss Treatments Lead to an Uptick in Scurvy?

We cover a 3.26-billion-year-old meteorite impact, the spread of bird flu and a scurvy case study that serves as a cautionary tale in this week's news roundup.

The Surprising Story of How Peaches Became an Icon of the U.S. Southeast

The Spanish brought peaches to the U.S., but Indigenous peoples spread the fruit across the eastern half of the U.S.

A Bird Flu Vaccine Might Come Too Late to Save Us from H5N1

If the influenza virus infecting cattle workers starts a pandemic, help in the form of a vaccine is months away

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Today in Science: Hidden patterns in songs reveal how music evolved

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