Science News Magazine: December 2, 2023

More Stories from the December 2, 2023 issue

1. 

   Rock from the impact that formed the moon may linger in Earth’s mantle

   When the young Earth and a Mars-sized body collided 4.5 billion years ago, it left behind dense mantle rock that survives to today, a study finds.

   By Sid Perkins

2. 

   Paleontology

   Dinosaur feathers may have been more birdlike than previously thought

   Feather proteins can change during fossilization, raising questions about what dinosaur feathers really can tell us about feather evolution.

   By Saima S. Iqbal

3. 

   Planetary Science

   Marsquakes and meteorite hits show Mars has a dense liquid metal core

   Mars’ dense liquid iron core is wrapped in a layer of molten rock, which threw off previous measurements of the Red Planet’s heart.

   By James R. Riordon

4. 

   Plants

   Salty sweat helps one desert plant stay hydrated

   The Athel tamarisk excretes excess salt through its leaves. The buildup of salt crystals pulls water directly from the air, a study reports.

   By Ariana Remmel

5. 

   Plants

   On some Australian islands, sea level rise may be helping mangroves thrive

   Rising seas usually spell trouble for mangroves. But the first survey of the Howick Islands in 50 years finds that mangroves there have expanded a lot.

   By Darren Incorvaia

6. 

   Life

   See the wonders of two newfound deep-sea coral reefs off the Galápagos

   Coral reefs around the world are in trouble. But these reefs in the Galápagos Island Marine Reserve have yet to be damaged by humans.

   By Erin Garcia de Jesús

7. 

   Health & Medicine

   The CDC is expanding its disease surveillance of international travelers

   Passengers at four major U.S. airports will now be tested for over 30 pathogens through a mix of wastewater testing and voluntary nasal swabs.

   By Betsy Ladyzhets

8. 

   Life

   Head lice hitched a ride on humans to the Americas at least twice

   The genes of head lice record the story of their human hosts’ global voyages.

   By Jake Buehler

9. 

   Life

   Human cancer cells might slurp up bacteria-killing viruses for energy

   In the lab, human cancer cells show signs of cell growth after ingesting bacteria-killing viruses, a hint our cells might use bacteriophages as fuel.

   By Darren Incorvaia

10. 

    Animals

    Here’s how high-speed diving kingfishers may avoid concussions

    Understanding the genetic adaptations that protect the birds’ brains when they dive for food might one day offer clues to protecting human brains.

    By Claudia López Lloreda

11. 

    Neuroscience

    In a Jedi-like feat, rats can move a digital object using just their brain

    In a new study, rats could imagine their way through a 3-D virtual world, hinting at how brains can think about places that they’re not physically in.

    By Laura Sanders

12. 

    Physics

    Physicists get a first glimpse of the elusive isotope nitrogen-9

    With seven protons and two neutrons, the lopsided atomic nucleus of nitrogen-9 pushes the limits of what can even be considered a nucleus.

    By Elise Cutts

13. 

    Animals

    The mysterious deaths of dozens of Zimbabwe’s elephants has been solved

    A bacterium never before identified in elephants or implicated in deadly internal hemorrhaging killed Zimbabwe elephants in 2020, genetic tests show.

    By Tawanda Karombo

14. 

    Paleontology

    Newfound fossil species of lamprey were flesh eaters

    In China, paleontologists have unearthed fossils of two surprisingly large lamprey species from the Jurassic Period.

    By Carolyn Gramling