Today in Science: Astronomers see the first superkilonova

It's a combo of a supernova and a kilonova ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

December 17, 2025—These rare orcas are in decline, scientists observe the first superkilonova, and a crucial climate research center will be shuttered.   —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TODAY'S NEWS The final stage of a superkilonova. Caltech/K. Miller and R. Hurt (IPAC) Astronomers may have discovered a never-before-seen cosmic explosion called a superkilonova that combines a supernova with a kilonova—the blast that results when two dead, dense stars collide. | 2 min read  In a first-of-its-kind discovery, ancient bees nested inside bones in a cave in the Dominican Republic. | 2 min read The Trump administration plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), perhaps the most crucial climate research center in the U.S. Climate scientists are alarmed. | 2 min read  Two moons in the solar system may not have accessible oceans beneath their surfaces after all, according to new analyses. | 4 min read More News Supporting our work means amplifying science. Consider a subscription to Scientific American and back independent science journalism! Plus, we've got some great holiday deals right now.  TOP STORIES A southern resident orca baby and mother play in the Salish Sea. These killer whales have strong family ties and rarely separate from their close relatives. Jeffery DelViscio Orcas On the Brink Off the coast of the Pacific Northwest live 74 southern resident whales. They have their own language and culture and don't associate with any of the other 50,000 orcas that live around the world. And they are the last of their kind. Decades of research show that pollution, noise from ships and dwindling populations of Chinook salmon have led to the decline of these animals. Our senior multimedia editor, Kelso Harper, joined researchers for a week of tracking orcas in the waters to the west of San Juan island.  How this happened: Many boat engines emit noises underwater at the same frequency that the whales use to communicate. In noisy waters, the whales will either give up on hunting entirely or miss prey because they can't echolocate. Meanwhile, pollutants accumulate in most ocean-dwelling top predators like whales. But food availability is having the most impact by far on the population. A combination of river damming, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution has caused numbers of Chinook salmon, the whales' primary food source, to plummet since the 1980s. What can be done: After years of research, this year Washington State enacted a new regulation requiring boats to stay at least 1,000 yards away from the southern resident whales, which gives them enough space to hunt away from the roar of boat engines. New research is needed to determine which Chinook salmon runs these creatures rely on most and to help devise protections. But governmental funding cuts this year have gutted the research engine that would have funded such projects in the future.  For more: Listen to Harper describe the experience of chasing orcas with researchers off the coast of the San Juan islands in this episode of Science Quickly.  Deborah Giles has cataloged the southern resident killer whales that inhabit the waters around the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest for more than two decades. She is an orca researcher at the SeaDoc Society. Jeffery DelViscio

FROM THE ARCHIVE Scientific American, Vol. 231, No. 6; December 1974 From the December 1974 issue: How many aces of spades do you see? "After a brief glance at this display most people report seeing three. Actually there are five. Because people expect aces of spades to be black, they tend to miss the atypical red ones. Thus do prior conditioning and experience influence perception." WHAT WE'RE READING An epidemiologist who has speculated about a connection between vaccines and "turbo cancer" in young people has been appointed to oversee the National Cancer Program. | WIRED A visual tour of a kitchen demonstrates how many toxic chemicals are exposed to our food. | The Washington Post This songbird's beak changed before and after COVID stay-at-home orders. | The New York Times Yesterday I asked if you'd be open to having a robot in your home (some household robots are being developed right now). Many of you wrote in to say you'd welcome robotic help with housecleaning, carrying wood in for the fireplace, or assisting residents in elder care facilities. This application of AI seems to be a no-brainer. In an ideal world, shouldn't the technology of the future aspire to make human life more peaceful and prosperous?  Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. You can always reach out: newsletters@sciam.com. Until tomorrow.   —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

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