Headlining science news this week is the fate of comet 3I/ATLAS as it orbits the sun.
While many conspiracy theories track this comet and suggest that it is actually some kind of space probe rather than a moving snowball, what we do know for sure is that it took on a bluish hue when it reemerged from the other side of the star. This is the third time experts have seen a color change since it was discovered, most likely caused by gases such as carbon monoxide or ammonia escaping from it, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Chimpanzees “think about thinking”
Humans are not the only ones who have learned to apply the “scientific method” when it comes to decision-making. Chimpanzees (pan-troglodytes) can also, to some extent, abandon their previous beliefs if more convincing evidence becomes available.
New research shows that chimpanzees use metacognition, or thinking about thinking, to weigh evidence and plan accordingly. To test this, scientists conducted experiments in which chimpanzees were presented with a set of boxes containing tasty treats and various cues suggesting which box contained the treat.
Importantly, when the chimpanzees were faced with contradictory information, they were able to reevaluate what they had previously seen and change their minds about where the food was. This kind of reasoning means that chimpanzees have surpassed what one scientist called the “high bar” of rationality.
Check out more animal news:
— Gulf of California killer whales paralyze young great white sharks before removing liver
– The first ‘dragging fossil’ of its kind was discovered in South Africa – left behind by a relative of the fuzzy elephant 126,000 years ago
–What kind of animals are fooled by optical illusions?
life’s little mysteries
When humans crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia to Alaska during the last ice age, they likely left behind a lot of archaeological evidence along the way. But can we dive in to investigate it?
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stranded astronaut
Earth’s growing space debris problem was brought into sharp focus this week when the return capsule carrying three Chinese astronauts – Wang Jie, Chen Zhongrui and Chen Dong – accidentally hit a mass of debris, forcing them to return to the Tiangong space station.
Officials with the Chinese Manned Space Administration are currently investigating exactly what happened and how much damage the debris caused. If the spacecraft is deemed too dangerous to fly, it will be ejected into space and the crew will return in their place aboard the next return module.
What is clear, at least as of this writing, is that the three astronauts who have been on the station since April 24 will have to postpone their return home a little longer.
Discover more space news:
— Astronomers discover strange ‘runaway’ planet behaving like star eating 6 billion tons per second
— Scientists have finally discovered an explanation for the biased clouds that follow Earth’s moon through space
—James Webb telescope creates first 3D map of extraterrestrial planet’s atmosphere
Also featured in this week’s science news
– Official announcement: The United Nations announces that the world will rise at a rate exceeding the 1.5 degree Celsius climate standard over the next 10 years.
— Crimean Stone Age ‘crayons’ were used by Neanderthals to create symbolic pictures, study claims
— “This is without a doubt the most powerful quantum computer on Earth”: Scientists unveil record-breaking quantum system Helios
—Aging and inflammation may not go hand in hand, research suggests
beyond the headlines
Climate scientists have warned that global warming could trigger a series of “tipping points” that could throw the planet into chaos. But what exactly is a tipping point, what happens when you cross it, and how can you avoid it? Staff writer Patrick Pester investigates.
something for the weekend
If you’re looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best polls, interviews, and opinion pieces published this week.
5 common mistakes beginner macro photographers make and how to avoid them [Feature]
“Torn by Darkness”: What would happen if a human fell into a black hole? [Book extract]
A toxicologist will explain when it’s safe to cut out moldy parts of your food and when it’s best to throw them away. [Opinion]
#18: Space’s first artificial satellites — 11 in diameter [Crossword]
science in video
If a trip deep into the pitch-black Sulfur Caves on the Albanian-Greece border didn’t already seem spooky enough, just wait until you see what’s lurking there: a giant city of spiders.
According to a recent study, the cave contains what scientists believe is the world’s largest spider web, with 111,000 spiders of two different species thriving in the cave’s permanently dark zone. The nest stretches over 1,140 square feet (106 square meters) along a narrow passageway near the cave entrance, creating a patchwork of thousands of funnel-shaped nests.
This is the first evidence of colonial behavior of two common spider species, the barn funnel weaver Tegenaria domestica and the sheet weaver Prinerigone vagans. But what makes this even more unusual is that in the outside world, barn funnel weavers typically eat P. vagans. Nevertheless, the two live side by side in the dark recesses of the cave, feeding on non-stinging midges, which feed on slimy secretions that protect the cave’s sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
All of which look very tasty (if you’re a spider). One thing that isn’t very appealing to the average person is this video of one of the researchers stirring up a huge web. You have been warned.
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