Daily insights for science lovers ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
December 4, 2025—A new hypothesis for what prompted the Black Death. Plus, predicting destructive rogue waves, and we pick the top books of 2025. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | The coronagraph for NASA's Roman Space Telescope will allow the observatory to take snapshots of giant exoplanets. NASA/Sydney Rohde | | While looking through historic records, medieval and environmental historian Martin Bauch noticed a particularly serious crop failure that began in northwestern Italy in late 1345, just two years before the Black Death broke out in Europe. He analyzed regional grain trade records during the time and looked at tree ring and ice core data for signs of what might have been happening with Earth's climate. He hypothesizes, in a new paper published today, that an unnamed volcanic eruption may have set off a chain of events that triggered the Black Death pandemic.
The hypothesis: The as-of-yet unidentified eruption triggered several seasons of climate instability and crop failures, reports senior writer Meghan Bartels. That instability, in turn, forced several Italian states to import grain stores from new sources—specifically, from regions surrounding the Black Sea. Riding along on those grain stores, the researchers posit, were fleas infected with Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the plague.
What the experts say: "Climate is regularly discussed as a driver in the Black Death; however, quite what mechanism links climate to plague is relatively difficult to unpick," says Henry Fell, a disease ecologist studying the plague at the University of Nottingham and the University of York in England. Why difficult? Plague is an intricate disease system, with people, bacteria, fleas and multiple species of rodents all interacting in time and space.
| | Out in the open ocean, monstrous waves much higher than neighboring waves can suddenly appear. However, a new study has found a way to potentially forecast the frightening phenomenon. Scientists analyzed 27,505 wave measurements recorded over 18 years by laser sensors on an oil and gas platform in the North Sea. They found that when swells from several waves overlap in certain patterns, these sharpened crests can stack dramatically to build a single, towering wall of water. Why this matters: Scientists could someday use the measurable patterns as a fingerprint to predict the rogue waves. This could help protect human-built vessels and offshore structures that may be exposed to the damaging wake of these waves. What the experts say: "Our civilization critically depends on shipping and offshore activities, and there is a massive international research effort aimed at understanding rogue waves," says Keele University physical oceanographer Victor Shrira, who was not involved in the study. "Even the largest vessels and structures are not immune." —Andrea Tamayo, Newsletter Writer | | | | |
- As an undergraduate, marine biologist Matthew Kim (right) learned how to conduct research during long hours of fieldwork in the freezing water of the North Atlantic in New Brunswick, Canada. Despite the hardships, he highly recommends the experience. "Sitting in a lecture hall and taking laboratory courses are not the same as going out into the field and doing it yourself," he says. (Nature | 3 min read)
| | Scientific American has been reviewing and recommending books for more than 100 years. And you may have spotted weekly book reviews in this newsletter during the summer. Since we're at year's-end, our editors and staffers have picked out their favorite reads from 2025, and this year we narrowed down our top 10 favorite fiction and nonfiction titles released since January. What was your favorite book of the year? | | Listen to this episode of Science Quickly where our books editor, Brianne Kane, discusses some of our top book picks of the year. As part of the selection committee, I can tell you it's no easy feat to whittle down a pile of awesome books and pick even a top 10. I read several science-ish nonfiction books this year, and my overall favorite was Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. It's transportive and sweet at the same time. | | Let me know what you think of our selections and what you loved reading this year! Send them to: newsletters@sciam.com. See you tomorrow. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor
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