Science Tuesday: All of January’s Science News

Ok, so Science Tuesday is coming to you on a Thursday because I couldn’t get into my blog for two days (I’m not sure why, but it’s letting me today, so I’m just going to shrug and go with it). I know we’re all VERY EXCITED (or bafflingly pissed off) about the car in space, but there’s a ton of other cool science stuff that’s been going on, so let’s get to it!

Ancient writings in mummy cases seen via new scanning technique

Snakes’ venom can be used to learn more about pain

Research projects focus on artificial ovaries to help cancer survivors conceive

Disoriented sea turtle hatchlings exhibit a lot of stamina

Pacific Northwest’s mountains may have been shaped with help from salmon

New egg for long-lived albatross Wisdom (Ok, someone needs to rewrite this headline because it’s worded so poorly, so here we go: Wisdom, a 67-year-old albatross, laid her 36th egg, which is pretty damn impressive)

Metalens uses nanofins to focus almost all of visible light spectrum

Jazz musicians’ improvisation gives their brains a creative edge

UK’s new AI system could help find heart, lung diseases sooner

Jellyfish collagen promising in wound treatment (Yes! I want to be part-jellyfish!)

Ancient baby’s DNA reveals previously unknown Native American ancestors

Massive bubbles observed on surface of distant red-giant star

Male Australian peacock spiders court females with abdominal rainbow

Bacteria genetically modified to create ultrasound-detectable noise

Ancient clay stamp found in Jerusalem hints at city’s government structure

Bleaching events in world’s coral reefs accelerating

Genes linked to exploration in birds may help them adapt to climate change

Bonobos seem to prefer hinderers over helpers

New prime number record holder more than 23M digits long

Mice treated with gene therapy see temporary relief from type 1 diabetes

Device may offer long-sought relief for tinnitus sufferers

Astronomers use new technique to spot alien planets

Adventure book fragments found in wreckage of Blackbeard’s ship

Story of Earth’s creation seen in ancient Mexico stone structure

Cooling drool may help blowflies regulate their temperatures (I LOVE Scientists. They want to know everything, including how flies keep cool in summer)

Debris from asteroid indicates impact in Southeast Asia

Fungus behind deadly white nose syndrome in bats sensitive to UV light

Hole in ozone layer is healing

Researchers learning how El Nino affects Antarctica’s melting ice shelves

Ancient shark species possibly megalodon ancestor

Scientists concerned about dolphins dying in Brazil

Longer brain rhythms could be seizure indicator

Ingestible capsule examines gastrointestinal system

Amazon home to rare hybrid bird species

Shipwrecks, lighthouse found off coast of Mexico

Huge endangered water lily pads bounce back in Paraguay

Working human muscle created using skin cells

Immune reactions may make CRISPR-Cas9 ineffective in humans

Self-healing muscle could be used in prostheses

New clues about fast radio bursts emerge

Dolphins seem to recognize themselves in mirrors at early age

Walruses, flying foxes prefer to keep their young on their left sides

Oldest butterfly-scale fossils found in Germany

Ointment shows promise in treating drug-resistant bacteria

Areas of subsurface water ice on Mars revealed by erosion

Distant supermassive black hole observed burping twice

Astronomers to use Hubble observations to learn about Europa water plumes

Fossils of 113-million-year-old dinosaur found in Australia

Study finds evidence that world’s freshwater is acidifying

Space travel can hurt astronauts’ eye nerves

Ancient desert farmers may have used Silk Road travelers’ irrigation advice

Banquet hall find reveals clues about ancient Moche civilization in Peru

Scientists identify new lemur species

Genome size may have played role in flowering plants’ global dominance

New model sheds light on eyes of hurricanes

Fleas, lice on humans, rather than rats, spread medieval plague (the rats have been absolved of blame!)

161-million-year-old dinosaur boasted iridescent plumage

Illegal pot farms may be exposing Calif. owls to rat poison, researchers say

Private genetic testing for potential baby characteristics raises concerns

Creative thinking driven by key brain connections

Speed of stars at Milky Way’s center may help answer questions about bulge

Salmonella likely caused mystery 16th-century epidemic

Scientists chase elusive measurement of universe’s expansion speed

Scythian royals may be interred at ancient Siberian burial site

Tomb of Tut’s wife may be hidden in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings

Necropsy shows how dolphin was suffocated by octopus it was trying to eat

Gene encodes virus-like protein to transfer information between neurons

Prostate cancer’s spread may be spurred by high-fat diet

Small version of gamma ray burst created in lab

Pair of flooded cave systems join to create world’s largest underwater cavern

Images of DNA in action may lead to new cancer drugs

Periodic table created for 2D metals

Fluorescing bones discovered in chameleons

Environmental factors may have triggered antelopes’ mass die-off

NASA, NOAA scientists put 2017 in top 3 of world’s hottest years

Genetically modified yeasts engineered to not breed with natural plants

Distant stars may help spacecraft navigate in deep space

Hunter-gatherers can identify smells better

New swift moving robotic arm is composed of DNA

Changing weather in Arctic may threaten musk oxen

Researchers exploring use of self-healing fungi in concrete

Ancient Viking comb could hold clues to language evolution

Team works to re-create face of ancient woman (she looks familiar…)

Ancient underwater volcanoes revealed in 3D seismic reflection-produced map

Global sea level may be feature of Saturn moon Titan

West Nile virus lingers longer in sparrows exposed to light pollution

Microplastics pollution found on Scottish archipelago’s beaches

8 types of cancer found with CancerSeek (this is amazing! It can even detect cancers that currently have no screening test)

508-million-year-old worm fossil discovered

Eliminating dark matter DNA could solve scientific puzzle

Dust storms causing loss of water on Mars

Pair of research teams create ultra-thin mirrors with excitons

Rare blind golden-line barbel fish discovered in Chinese cavern

Device uses metamaterial to carry sound from underwater to air

Stars with extra lithium baffle astronomers

“Hot Jupiter” exoplanet’s winds blow in unusual direction

Scientists debate existence of pheromones

Scientists express concern that CWD will jump the gap from deer to people (cooking doesn’t destroy the prion)

Researchers clone monkeys for first time

Scientists rebuild rare mummified woolly rhino

Shape of human brains got more rounded over time

Battle between Irish fighters, Vikings described in medieval text

Researchers encouraged to look beyond oxygen for signs of alien life. “What’s exciting is that our suggestion is doable and may lead to the historic discovery of an extraterrestrial biosphere in the not-too-distant future,” said David Catling, a co-author of the study. (ALIENS YOU GUYS)

Distant dwarf planet Haumea boasts a super-fast spin

Ancient jawbone suggests earlier exit from Africa for modern humans

Plastics found on one-third of Asia-Pacific’s coral reefs

New population of rare red handfish found off Tasmania coast

Study finds hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir effectively treats Zika infections

Canadian study to use repurposed cancer drugs to treat cerebral malaria

Crystals within volcanoes may aid in eruption predictions

Storms may be exacerbated by airborne pollution particles

South Africa researchers concerned about city’s worsening water crisis

Book outlines benefits of swearing (Fuck Yeah!)

Milky Way’s dark matter could be forming in smaller clumps

Site of ancient temple found in China

Poor childhood sleep may increase obesity, cancer risk later

Food scientist to develop hypoallergenic peanut with $275,000 in grants

Rare dinosaur fossil uncovered in Egypt

Cats’ paw preference likely determined by sex

Birds conjure image of predator when they hear certain sounds

Small device used for human-genome sequencing

Proteins help cells pack chromosomes prior to division

Living in bat-filled caves may be spurring change of species in crocodiles

Killer whale displays ability to mimic human sounds (now get them out of the tiny pools and back into the wild, yes?)

Archaeopteryx fossil may be oldest of its kind ever found

New temperate conifer species found on Korean island

Rare super blue blood moon occurs

Brain-stimulation device may help slow progress of Alzheimer’s

Prenatal low-carb diet may increase neural tube defect risk, study finds

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