Today in Science: An asteroid may hit the moon

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August 22, 2025—Alien-like creatures are all over the bottom of the sea. Plus, an asteroid might hit the moon, and how AI won gold at the International Math Olympiad.  —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TODAY'S NEWS This artist's concept shows a small meteoroid striking the surface of Earth's moon. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images The 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon in 2032. What would happen? | 5 min read A new analysis uncovers seasonal patterns of dengue virus, a mosquito-borne disease, across the Americas, which could help scientists anticipate future outbreaks. | 2 min read The journal Science removed an "expression of concern" (a red flag to readers) on a paper claiming evidence of Majorana quasiparticles. The study has been plagued by controversy for years. | 5 min read OpenAI researchers reveal how their experimental model, without the help of any outside aid, powered through hours-long proofs to earn a gold-medal score at the International Math Olympiad. | 6 min read Can peanut allergies be cured? Medicine's entire understanding of how to prevent children's allergies is being rethought. | 20 min read More News Support essential science journalism with a subscription to Scientific American! Today in Science readers get a special discount. TOP STORIES A helmet jellyfish undulates in Mar del Plata Canyon. ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute Deep Sea Variety In July and August scientists onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor (too) spotted many alien-looking creatures in the Mar del Plata Canyon, an underwater gorge two miles below the ocean's surface off the coast of Argentina. The group identified pink lobsters, glass (and goofy-looking) squids, a seastar with a "butt" and many more, including more than 40 species that may be new to science. How this happens: The area, situated about 190 miles off Argentina's northeastern coast, is shaped by two converging currents: one is salty and flowing down from the tropics, and the other is cold, full of nutrients and swelling up from Antarctica. Deep-sea canyons like Mar del Plata act like funnels, channeling and concentrating the waters. "This confluence creates one of the most energetic oceanic regions in the world, fueling high productivity and supporting remarkable biodiversity," says Jonathan Flores, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council in Argentina. A translucent telescope octopus floats in the deep sea. ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute Why this matters: "Deep-sea canyons are biodiversity hotspots and play key roles in ecosystem functioning, yet we still know very little about them," Flores says. "Continued exploration is essential to document species before they are lost—to understand how these ecosystems respond to environmental change and to inform conservation and management decisions."  Patagonian lobsterette (Thymops birsteini) (unconfirmed). ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute (CC BY-NC)

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PLAY NOW This week's science quiz is a tough one! Give it a shot. Also, check out today's Spellements puzzle.​ Remember, if you spot any words missing from Spellements, send them in and I may give you a shout-out in this newsletter! games@newsletters.com. This week Joaquin M. found myope, which is a near-sighted person. Good eye, Joaquin!  MOST POPULAR STORIES OF THE WEEK What Happens When an Entire Generation of Scientists Changes Its Mind | 15 min read How Your Brain's Nightly Cleanse Keeps It Healthy | 14 min read Chikungunya Outbreak, Glacial Outbursts and a New Human Ancestor | 11 min listen FROM THE ARCHIVE In honor of Scientific American's 180th anniversary, we're featuring some gems from the archive. This one is from our March 1950 issue. RECOMMENDED READS Every Friday in summer we're recommending a great, freshly-published science read. Tell us what you're reading, or if you try any of our recommendations! Katabasis By R.F. Kuang. Harper Voyager, August 26 2025. Graduate school is known for being challenging, but magic graduate school sucks the life right out of you: Memorizing ancient spells, selecting the correct enchanted chalk for sketching a pentagram, and perfecting your Latin so your spells don't break the fabric of the universe. In Katabasis fantasy author R.F. Kuang dives into the fictional (but oh-so-familiar) hellscape of academia. After their graduate advisor dies under mysterious magical circumstances, graduate students of magic Alice and Peter, both determined to finish their program with honors, decide they must descend into Hell and resurrect their professor so they can defend their dissertations. Like much of her previous work, Kuang excels here with her expansive world building, clever magic systems, and forward-moving plot that keeps you reading into the night. Katabasis cautiously wades into waters not often explored in the "magical school" genre of fantasy novels such as sexism and violence enacted by teachers on students. Readers will enjoy smirking at the literary references to Greek mythology, but the heart of the book is the reluctantly close relationship between Alice and Peter: there's no stronger bond than a trauma bond. —Brianne Kane In May, a new study came out saying that more than 99.999 percent of the global deep seafloor has never been seen by humans. We've come up with alternative ways to model what the bottom of the ocean looks like, using altimeters on satellites or sonar technology. But that doesn't tell us much about what lifeforms might be living in the darkest depths. For those hoping to encounter "alien" life, our own planet may be the best starting place.  Thank you for reading Today in Science this week. Have a great weekend and send feedback to: newsletters@sciam.com.    —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor With contributions by Andrea Tamayo

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