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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Planetary Science
How did Pluto capture its largest moon, Charon?
Planetary scientist Adeene Denton runs computer simulations to investigate Pluto, the moons of Saturn and other icy bodies in the solar system.
- Space
Black holes are encircled by thin rings of light. This physicist wants to see one
Theoretical physicist Alex Lupsasca is pushing for a space telescope to glimpse the thin ring of light that is thought to surround every black hole.
- Animals
Which venomous snakes strike the fastest?
Vipers have the fastest strikes, but snakes from other families can give some slower vipers stiff competition.
- Quantum Physics
Quantum ‘echoes’ reveal the potential of Google’s quantum computer
Google says its quantum computer achieved a verifiable calculation that classic computers cannot. The work could point to future applications.
- Animals
Scientists and fishers have teamed up to find a way to save manta rays
Thousands of at-risk manta and devil rays become accidental bycatch in tuna fishing nets every year. A simple sorting grid could help save them.
- Health & Medicine
Most women get uterine fibroids. This researcher wants to know why
Biomedical engineer Erika Moore investigates diseases that disproportionately affect women of color.
- Animals
Mic’d bats reveal midnight songbird attacks
Sensor data reveal greater noctule bats chasing, catching and chewing on birds during high-altitude, nighttime hunts.
- Physics
Here’s what might spark ghostly will-o’-the-wisps
Chemists have discovered tiny zaps of electricity moving between “swamp-gas” bubbles. Could they ignite methane gas to glow as dancing blue flames?
- Physics
Ice is more flexible than you think, a new nano-movie shows
Scientists have filmed nanoscale ice crystals adapting to trapped air bubbles without losing structural integrity.
- Animals
Tug or fetch? Some dogs sort toys by how they are used
Dogs that easily learn the names of toys might also mentally sort them by function, a new example of complex cognitive activity in the canine brain.
- Animals
Just like humans, many animals get more aggressive in the heat
From salamanders to monkeys, many species get more violent at warmer temperatures — a trend that may shape their social structures as the world warms.
- Animals
These giant carnivorous bats hug, cuddle — and even share dinner
Infrared cameras in Costa Rica revealed that the world’s largest carnivorous bat maintains close social bonds through wing wraps and prey sharing.
