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The potential for life on Mars, a peculiar human relative, and more in this week’s science roundup.(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Rising Star Program)Jump to category:
- Peculiar human cousin becomes stranger
- Intriguing scientific questions
- Water may exist as 2 states
- Also in science news this week
- Science Spotlight
- Weekend Reading
- Science in Pictures
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This week, we have taken a significant stride toward determining if life indeed existed on Mars, as NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected the most abundant concentration of organic molecules on the Red Planet to date.
The findings originate from mudstone samples within Jezero crater, an area believed to have once contained a deep lake. Last year, scientists reported a rock specimen exhibiting patterns analogous to those left by microorganisms on Earth, presenting it as one of the most compelling indications of past Martian life.
Currently, researchers have confirmed the widespread presence of intricate carbon-based molecules in this section of the crater, which they propose suggest the existence of fossilized microorganisms.
Delving further back into cosmic history, new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have illuminated how early galaxies experienced rapid evolution and short lifespans, potentially offering a glimpse into the eventual demise of our own galaxy.
In other astronomical news, JWST captured the process of a distant star’s formation, located 1,280 light-years away in the Orion constellation. Simultaneously, the Euclid space telescope delivered the most detailed image of the Milky Way galaxy ever captured.
Peculiar human cousin becomes stranger’A strange finding from an already peculiar hominin’: Archeologists discover all Homo naledi skeletons found in South African cave are female
The largest (left) and the smallest (right) skulls of Homo naledi unearthed in South Africa’s Rising Star cave system. All specimens of H. naledi have been identified as female.
(Image credit: Rising Star Program)
Homo naledi has once again surprised researchers this week. Discovered in a South African cave in 2013, this hominin species with a small brain and bipedal locomotion, a relative of modern humans, is believed to have existed around 300,000 years ago. Since its initial discovery, this enigmatic hominin has consistently astonished scientists with a series of perplexing findings. In 2023, evidence suggested that H. naledi might have utilized fire within the cave and possibly engaged in burial rituals. Now, archeologists have analyzed genetic material from the enamel of nearly two dozen skeletons at the site, revealing that all of them are female.
“The key takeaway is that this is a strange outcome from an already unusual hominin,” stated Elizabeth Sawchuk, curator of human evolution at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the research, in an email to Live Science.
Explore further archeology news
—A hanging lamp shaped like a sandaled right foot: A 1,600-year-old bronze lamp featuring intricate Christian symbolism
—Early Homo sapiens may have inhabited rainforests, according to new evidence, potentially altering our understanding of human evolution
—Some of the last remaining Neanderthals displayed remarkable diversity, suggesting inbreeding was not their downfall
Intriguing scientific questionsHow did the Romans construct such perfectly straight roads?
The exceptionally straight Stane Street in southern England was engineered by the Romans.
(Image credit: Tim Stocker Photography via Getty Images)
The Romans were renowned for their transportation networks, which facilitated commerce and travel throughout their vast domain. Many of these ancient roadways were recognized for their remarkable straightness. In modern times, constructing straight roads demands sophisticated surveying techniques utilizing GPS networks and lasers, alongside meticulous engineering to level the terrain. How, then, did the Romans achieve this feat approximately 2,000 years before the invention of such technologies?
—If you found this interesting, consider subscribing to our Life’s Little Mysteries newsletter
Water may exist as 2 statesWater might secretly be composed of 2 distinct liquids, according to scientists
A depiction of a water molecule. Recent research lends support to a controversial theory suggesting that water transitions between two chemical states.
(Image credit: Yaroslav Kushta via Getty Images)
Most of us consider water a basic beverage, but at a molecular level, it is quite fascinating. Consider this: Unlike most liquids, water ice is less dense than liquid water. That’s unusual. Water also exhibits greater resistance to temperature fluctuations compared to similar liquids, and its viscosity diminishes under specific pressures.
Some scientific minds have proposed that these peculiar characteristics stem from water’s composition of not one, but two liquids—a dense phase and a less dense phase—that continuously interchange. Now, with the assistance of artificial intelligence, evidence supporting this peculiar phenomenon has emerged.
Discover more unusual news
—A new paper suggests we have been searching for the wrong kinds of alien radio signals for decades, and offers a simple solution.
—Audio recordings indicate that the ‘oddballs’ of the sperm whale community are evolving two distinct dialects.
—China’s Einstein Probe has detected a mysterious cosmic explosion, the cause of which remains unknown to scientists.
Also in science news this week
—The U.S. has now approved bemotrizinol, a sunscreen component that has been in use in Asia and Europe for a considerable time. Here’s how it functions.
— ‘It’s impossible to fix it with patches’: A prevalent AI worm can spread between devices without human intervention, but how did scientists develop it?
—Water scarcity might impede the U.S. from increasing its lithium mining, thus intensifying reliance on foreign sources.
—Diagnostic puzzle: After years of taking a medication, a man experienced unusual changes in his sense of taste, rendering food unpalatable.
Science Spotlight’If any nation is to achieve it, it will be China’: Why is China rerouting some of the world’s most powerful rivers for thousands of miles?
Residents of China’s major northern cities have access to 74 times less freshwater compared to the average American; consequently, the Chinese government has implemented the world’s largest water diversion initiative.
(Image credit: Xinmei Liu for Live Science)
Individuals residing in China’s large northern metropolises possess 74 times less freshwater availability than the typical American. However, China possesses some of Asia’s most substantial rivers, which flow towards the south, alongside significant water reserves stored in glaciers in the west. To address this disparity, the Chinese administration has constructed the planet’s most extensive water diversion project, channeling water from the Yangtze River in the country’s central and southern regions thousands of miles through an intricate network of canals, pipes, dams, reservoirs, and pumps.
Despite these efforts, the water supply remains insufficient to meet the demands of the nation’s parched North. China is now expanding these conduits and planning a third, western route for the project, which is anticipated to be the most perilous and ambitious segment yet.
In addition to diverting the nation’s rivers, China is also constructing the world’s largest dam in a seismically active region of Tibet and has made substantial investments in creating a permanent “sky river” to help resolve the country’s water crisis.
Weekend Reading
For those seeking weekend activities, here is a selection of the most compelling news analyses, crossword puzzles, interviews, opinion pieces, and quizzes published this week.
—9 of the most prominent technology conspiracy theories [Countdown]
—AI companies should not be held legally accountable for their chatbots. U.S. courts must mandate it. [Opinion]
—Live Science crossword puzzle #49: ‘Short’ tempered French emperor — 13 across [Crossword]
—Ancient empires quiz: Can you identify which lands were governed by these historical powers? [Quiz]
—60 million stars: The Euclid space telescope has captured the most detailed photograph of the Milky Way ever taken [Skywatching]
Science in PicturesNASA satellite captures a vast wave of warm water, hundreds of miles long, signaling a devastatingly strong El Niño
A surge of warm water and elevated sea levels (indicated in red) spans the Pacific Ocean, observed a few days prior to the official declaration of El Niño.
(Image credit: Data for the map were collected by the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite and processed by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin)
New satellite imagery reveals a substantial wave of warm water traversing the Pacific Ocean, providing a striking visual representation of the recently declared El Niño phenomenon. The image displays a red-colored wave extending across the equator and accumulating near the western coast of South America.
Oceanic patterns of this nature are recognized as Kelvin waves. They manifest when winds in the equatorial Pacific Ocean temporarily shift direction, blowing from west to east. This atmospheric shift facilitates the gradual accumulation of warm water in the eastern region, consequently inhibiting the upwelling of colder waters from below.
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, operated by NASA, detected this wave. This satellite measures ocean temperatures by employing radar scans to detect alterations in sea surface height, which are influenced by the thermal expansion of water. The satellite has already documented several other Kelvin waves this year in anticipation of El Niño.
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