This week’s science news was full of surprising discoveries hidden deep within the Earth, including a potential answer to the age-old mystery of how Colorado River tributaries seem to defy gravity.
The Green River, which begins in Wyoming and joins the Colorado River in Utah, carved a path through the Uinta Mountains rather than bypassing them when it formed millions of years ago. Exactly how the river was able to flow “uphill” was unclear. But now geologists say they may have found an explanation. A phenomenon called lithosphere drip pulled down mountains, helped rivers carve their course, and then bounced back upwards to form the landforms we see today.
Artemis II is leaking
A rehearsal for NASA’s Artemis II mission went awry this week, prompting the space agency to postpone the first attempt to return astronauts to the moon from this weekend to early March.
If you’ve been watching Artemis launches all this time, you can probably guess that this week’s scrubbing is caused by hydrogen. This cryogenic liquid fuel is both clean-burning and highly efficient, as well as being an incredible escape artist, having leaked from NASA’s giant space launch system three times during refueling rehearsals.
Once Artemis II passes the water dress rehearsal and mock launch phase, NASA will conduct a flight readiness review before committing to a launch date. The next launch period will include March 6-9 and March 11. If Artemis II does not fly on these dates, it will be delayed until April. The mission is scheduled to launch by April 30th at the latest.
More space news
— ‘Textbooks need to be updated’: Juno spacecraft reveals Jupiter is smaller and flatter than we thought
—Asteroid 2024 YR4’s collision with the moon could cause a flash of light visible from Earth, study finds
– New scan reveals Martian meteorite that fell to Earth was filled with ancient water
life’s little mysteries
Boogers are the caviar and oysters of the children’s world, visually unappealing, with a salty taste and squishy consistency that heighten a child’s sense of delicacy – no matter what jaded adults say. But why do children, some adults, and even other primates eat their own snot? Turns out, kids might be better off eating traditional vegetables, which may have some health benefits.
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Apes have an imaginary tea party
A bonobo that successfully participated in a pretend tea party organized by scientists may have revealed that apes can also have imaginations.
The ability to visualize the presence of objects that are not there was thought to be a characteristic unique to humans. But now, an experiment conducted with the help of Kanji, a bonobo who lived at a research center in Des Moines, Iowa, and died last year, may show that great apes can also pretend.
In Kanzi’s case, the imaginary object was juice that the researchers pretended to pour into a cup, which he extracted with 68% accuracy throughout the trial. Replicating this research in bonobos and other great apes could reveal a broader range of imaginative abilities that have been anecdotally claimed but unconfirmed.
More animal news
-Saltwater crocodiles crossed the Indian Ocean to the Seychelles before humans arrived and made them extinct.
— ‘A system in flux’: Scientists reveal what happened when wolves and cougars returned to Yellowstone
—In their search for bees, Mozambican honey hunters and birds share a language with regional dialects.
Also featured in this week’s science news
— Black hole explosion ‘Jetty McJetface’ is one of the most energetic objects in the universe and is getting brighter and brighter
-A 7,500-year-old deer headdress discovered in Germany shows hunter-gatherers shared sacred objects and ideas with the region’s first farmers.
—Research suggests that men develop cardiovascular disease seven years earlier than women. but why?
— ‘Landmark’ elephant bones discovered in Spain may date from Hannibal’s war against Rome
–What is a malt book? AI social networks threaten ‘total purge’ of humanity, but some experts say it’s a hoax
science spotlight
Because post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can deeply rewire the human brain, traditional treatments such as antidepressants and trauma-focused psychotherapy are often not sufficient. That’s why researchers are exploring new avenues. It’s a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy using MDMA and psilocybin that doesn’t treat the symptoms, but acts on the brain systems disrupted by PTSD.
So far, the results are good. However, uncertainty remains about the long-term effects of these drugs and how they act on the brain. In this Science Spotlight, Live Science contributor Jane Palmer explores the science behind psychedelics and their potential as a treatment for PTSD. Accompanying it is a lengthy piece about how former Navy pilot Keegan Gill used ayahuasca to lay the foundations for his mental recovery after sustaining brain damage in a catastrophic jet crash.
something for the weekend
If you’re looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best opinion articles, crosswords and skywatching guides published this week.
— Live Science Crossword Puzzle #28: Asia’s largest desert — 6 horizontals [Crossword]
— “This is like how Google can map your home without your consent”: Why mapping archaeological sites using aerial lasers requires Indigenous partnerships [Opinion]
—The U.S. will see a rare “blood moon” solar eclipse before sunrise this March: where and when to watch it [Skywatching]
Science news in pictures
This week, the Natural History Museum announced the shortlist for the 2026 Nuveen People’s Choice Award for Wildlife Photographer of the Year. The results were predictably beautiful, moving, and horrifying. On display were a deer carrying the rotting head of a rival, a lynx playing with its food, and a family of polar bears resting in the mud of Hudson Bay in the summer heat.
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