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November 22, 2024
On the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she means to science, and what she taught us about ourselves. Plus, divers have recovered seeds of a long-lost rye variety from a 146-year-old shipwreck in Lake Huron. And, just in time for Thanksgiving, a potato researcher explains potato varieties, potato nutrition, and some tubular tuber facts.
Scared to Death… Literally
An earthquake, terrorist attack, or even a hole-in-one can cause a heart-stopping surge of adrenaline.
Learning From the Things That Annoy Us
Why you have to overcome irritation in order to examine it.
How One Guy Raised $1.3 Million for a Tesla Museum
The money will be used to turn Nikola Tesla’s final laboratory into a museum.
When Infections ‘Spillover’
Will the next human pandemic start in an animal? Writer David Quammen talks about Ebola, HIV and other diseases that ‘spillover’ from animals to humans.
New Program Spurs Solar Development on Public Land
The plan identifies 285,000 acres of public land in six Western states for solar energy projects.
Spacecraft Records ‘Chorus’ of Space Sounds
What do Earth’s radiation belts sound like? Wonder no more.
Winter Weather Predictions—Science or Folklore?
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts winter weather months in advance. But how scientific are those predictions? And are NOAA and Accuweather any better at the art of seasonal forecasting?
Making Sense of Presidential Polls
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the presidential polls? A neuroscientist and statistician talk about how to make sense of the election—and why not all votes are created equal.
Scientists in the Dark Over Birth of the Moon
Two new studies present very different ideas about how the Moon was formed—a riddle that one scientist says may never be solved.
Curiosity Rover Gets the ‘Scoop’ on Mars
Did the rover shed a piece of plastic while collecting its first scoop of Martian soil?