Today in Science: The dubious origin of the hantavirus outbreak

Plus, a brain health fad that dyes your tongue blue ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

May 15, 2026—The “most metal animal in the world,” decaying probes on Venus, and a health trend that also dyes your tongue blue. Happy Friday! Andrea will be back on Monday.  —Emma Gometz Newsletter Editor TOP NEWS Scaly-foot snail. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The endangered scaly-foot snail basks on the lips of underwater volcanoes and crafts its shell with iron. Metal! 🤘 | 4 min read Scientific American editor Kate Wong has been to the landfill that some say sparked the recent hantavirus outbreak—and she reviews the evidence that the theory is true. | 7 min read A third of Americans have asked AI chatbots to help them understand medical test results. | 4 min read Black women face a disproportionately high maternal mortality rate, and they also have a high rate of fibroids, undiagnosed endometriosis and other gynecologic conditions. It's being called the “Black womb crisis.” | 15 minute listen The film Silent Friend reimagines the history of how scientists have approached studying consciousness in plants. | 4 min read El Niño, which can throw off weather patterns and drive up global temperatures, is likely to emerge either this year or in 2027. | 5 min read A study showed that AI art can't produce the same awe in its viewers that human art can, and a mathematical ratio could explain why. | 5 min read We don't have enough telescopes to see all the wavelengths of light coming to us from the cosmos (yet). | 6 min read   We want to hear from you: What are your biggest questions about hantavirus? Our reporters are listening. Reply to this email with your questions! Support science journalism you can trust with a subscription to Scientific American. Try it out for 90 days for just $1! TOP STORIES An artist's impression of NASA's DAVINCI probe descending toward the surface of Venus. NASA Mangled Venus Probes  Venus, while a beautiful planet to see in the sky, does not sound fun to stand on. It's hot enough to melt lead (860 degrees Fahrenheit), has comparable pressure to 1,000 meters below sea level, its atmosphere is 97 percent carbon dioxide and it’s rife with volcanic activity. Space archaeologists previously thought that the 20 probes, landers and balloons sent to Venus from Earth must have been destroyed in this hostile environment, but a new study shows that there’s reason to believe many of them are still there, right where they were last seen.    How we know: NASA’s Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER) lab recreated the Venusian environment on Earth. Researchers exposed materials that make up probes like titanium and aluminum to the simulated Venus environment and found they could withstand the heat and pressure. They would corrode and oxidize over time, but the shape of a probe made with titanium would likely endure. The researchers also made a map of where every probe would have ended up on the surface of Venus and determined that most of them weren’t at major risk of a volcanic or seismic event burying them.    What the experts say: Space archaeology is about studying human interaction with space through the artifacts we leave behind, which some scientists refer to as our “space heritage.” The paper “extends the range of space archaeology," says Beth O’Leary, a space archaeologist and professor emerita at New Mexico State University, who was not involved with the study. What we leave behind, wherever it is in the universe, tells our story.  Fads in Blue  A new health fad is circulating on TikTok among so-called biohackers—individuals who try to optimize their own wellness through behavioral changes, supplements and sometimes experimental tactics or treatments. Some claim that methylene blue, a synthetic dye, boosts cognition and slows aging. It also turns your tongue blue. What the science says: The substance has been around a long time (it was used to treat malaria in the late 19th century), but recent research is lacking. The idea that the blue dye can boost brainpower comes from preliminary studies on methylene blue as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease; this research is based on the theory that the dye might combine with the tau proteins that are implicated in that disease. But most of that work is in animals, and the few studies of people are very small and show only tiny effects. What the experts say: “There are no compelling human clinical trials that have shown any benefit,” says Joe Schwarcz, professor of chemistry at McGill University. Some influencers mention methylene blue alongside creatine, which has a robust research record in humans showing it can help build and maintain muscle. “Pseudoscience producers are very good at what they do,” Schwacz says. “They have learned to cloak themselves in the garb of science. They can sound very seductive, and they’re very adept at misleading people and selling them stuff that nobody really needs.” —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

PLAY NOW How well did you keep up with science news this week? Put yourself to the test with today's science quiz. Also, check out today's Spellements puzzle. If you spot any missing science terms from the puzzle, email them to games@sciam.com.  MOST POPULAR STORIES OF THE WEEK Hantavirus outbreak occurs at sea, microplastics may contribute to warming, and Alaska landslide sparks tsunami | 12 minute podcast See the Pentagon’s new UFO image release | 2 min read Strange crystals found inside wreckage from the first nuclear bomb test | 3 min read Thinking about brain health can be a little scary—so much of who we are is packed into that fragile organ! But in the desperate search to preserve the brain’s wellbeing, some people can fall into sketchy fads like eating blue dye. Sure, exciting research could pave the way for new supplements, but evidence already supports some simpler brain-health solutions: Sleeping well, eating a balanced diet, and getting time outside with your friends. Enjoy your weekend everyone—your brain may thank you for it! You can reach out to me anytime: newsletters@sciam.com.  —Emma Gometz Newsletter Editor

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