Science news this week: James Webb telescope discoveries and an inverse vaccine
Oct. 1, 2023: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
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Dangerous 'superbugs' are a growing threat, and antibiotics can't stop their rise. What can?
Traditional antibiotics drive bacteria toward drug resistance, so scientists are looking to viruses, CRISPR, designer molecules and protein swords for better treatments.
Why are rare earth elements so rare?
There are 17 rare earth elements on the periodic table, but a better name for them would be the "troublesome earths." Here's why.
'They seemed primed to take over': How the Great Dying doomed the 'beast tooth' and set the stage for the dawn of the dinosaurs
This excerpt from Michael Mann's latest book looks at the Cambrian explosion, the Great Dying and how dinosaurs were able to take over thanks to changes to the climate 250 million years ago.
Electrifying time-lapse video shows neurons shooting across the inside of a chick embryo
An striking video of developing neurons won the 2023 Nikon Small World in Motion Video Competition.
Green-banded broodsac: The brain-hijacking parasite that creates disco zombie snails
This parasitic worm crawls into the eyestalks of snails, takes over its brain then pulsates to make the mollusk look like a dancing caterpillar.
Space photo of the week: Hubble spies a spectacular galaxy crash
Arp 107 hosts a special spiraling 'Seyfert' galaxy connected to a smaller galaxy by a 'bridge' of dust and gas.
Why is fish so smelly?
Fish smell is from degrading lipids and bacterial reactions that increase in potency over time.
Mysterious and 'beautifully carved' life-size camel carvings discovered in Saudi Arabian desert
Life-size carvings of camels have been found in the Saudi Arabian desert, but archaeologists aren't sure who created them and when.
Prenatal RSV vaccine protects newborns from the virus, CDC says
The CDC recommends a newly approved RSV vaccine be given during the last trimester of pregnancy to protect newborns.
Who should get the new RSV vaccines? Here's everything you need to know
There are now RSV vaccines approved for older adults and for pregnant people, and antibody shots (not vaccines) available for babies. What's the difference?
Scientists investigate mysterious case of orca that swallowed 7 sea otters whole
The female orca was found far from her normal hunting ground with six whole sea otters in its stomach and one lodged between its oral cavity and the esophagus.
Watch ghostly dumbo octopus swim with its massive 'ears' in rare new footage
On an expedition in Hawaii, a remote underwater vehicle filmed a dumbo octopus swimming with its ear-like fins near the seafloor. The pale white creature is one of the deepest-dwelling octopuses on Earth.
Woman is 1st to survive infection with deadly 'blackleg' bacteria she caught while gardening bare-handed
A woman survived a rare infection that had previously been reported in only two other humans, both of whom died from the disease.
After you die, your microbiome cooperates with soil microbes to 'recycle' your body
After you die, bacteria harvest your body for the nutrients that help push daisies.
The 1st American cowboys may have been enslaved Africans, DNA evidence suggests
DNA from cattle suggests some of the first cowboys in the Americas were enslaved Africans, who herded cows that were brought with them on slave ships.
See green comet Nishimura's tail get whipped away by powerful solar storm as it slingshots around the sun
After surviving its closest approach to the sun, Comet Nishimura was buffeted by a possible coronal mass ejection that briefly blew its tail away. The rare event was captured by a NASA spacecraft.
Record-breaking astronaut Frank Rubio finally returns to Earth after accidentally spending 371 days in space
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has finally returned home from a 371-day stay on the International Space Station — a record for an American — after being trapped when his ride home was damaged.
Scientists just proved that 'monster' black hole M87 is spinning — confirming Einstein’s relativity yet again
Astronomers have spotted two huge jets fired off by the 'monster' black hole M87 wobbling on an 11-year cycle, proving for the first time that black holes spin.
