Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Paleontology
Fossilized dung from a dinosaur ancestor yields a new beetle species
Whole beetles preserved in fossilized poo suggest that ancient droppings may deserve a closer look.
- Climate
3 things to know about the record-smashing heat wave baking the Pacific Northwest
Road-buckling, cable-melting, life-threatening heat waves in the Pacific Northwest may become more common as global temperatures rise.
- Animals
‘Fathom’ seeks to unravel humpback whales’ soulful songs
The film ‘Fathom’ on Apple TV+ follows the quest of researchers on the ocean’s surface to decipher the eerie symphony of humpback whale calls below.
- Earth
A satellite’s view of a deadly 2019 eruption could improve volcano monitoring
Monitoring volcanoes from space could enhance scientists’ understanding of, and ability to predict, even small eruptions.
- Climate
Collapse may not always be inevitable for marine ice cliffs
Runaway collapse of ice cliffs could dramatically boost sea level. But these cliffs may not be so vulnerable, new simulations suggest.
- Earth
A new book uses stories from tsunami survivors to decode deadly waves
In ‘Tsunami: The World’s Greatest Waves,’ two scientists chronical hundreds of eyewitness accounts to show the human cost of life at the water’s edge.
- Chemistry
Many cosmetics contain hidden, potentially dangerous ‘forever chemicals’
Scientists found signs of long-lasting PFAS compounds in about half of tested makeup products, especially waterproof mascaras and lipsticks.
- Earth
Scientists have found the origins of a mysterious, deadly flood in India
A landslide of rock and ice caused the deadly flood that washed out two hydroelectric power plants in an Indian Himalayan state in February.
- Physics
Auroras form when electrons from space ride waves in Earth’s magnetic field
New lab results confirm that auroras are triggered by disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field called Alfvén waves.
- Paleontology
Something mysteriously wiped out about 90 percent of sharks 19 million years ago
Deep sediments beneath the Pacific Ocean revealed a mystery: a massive shark die-off with no obvious cause.
- Climate
The last 30 years were the hottest on record for the United States
Typical temps across large swaths of the country are now 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than their 20th-century averages.
- Earth
2021 will be another busy year for the Atlantic hurricane season
The average season is busier than it used to be, as NOAA predicts 13 to 20 named Atlantic storms between June 1 and November 30.
