NASA Spacecraft Sees a Lava Lake With Islands on Jupiter's Moon Io
In our top science stories this week, reporter Ed Cara explores the similarities and differences between today’s popular obesity drugs and fen-phen, a briefly trendy weight loss aid that was pulled from the market after doctors discovered dangerous side effects. NASA confirmed that a chunk of debris that crashed into a Florida home came from a battery pallet ejected from the ISS, and archaeologists found evidence that humans used a lava tube as a shelter over thousands of years. —Rose Pastore
Yeah, That’s a Freakin’ Lava Lake on a Moon
Two recent flybys of Jupiter’s moon Io by NASA’s Juno spacecraft revealed a couple of stunning surprises: a remarkably steep mountain and islands in the middle of a burbling lava lake. - Isaac Schultz Read More
Fen-Phen Again? Why Ozempic and New Weight-Loss Drugs Are Different
For some people, Ozempic and its ilk are simply the latest iteration of a well-worn cautionary tale: too-good-to-be-true weight loss aids that will inevitably prove to be dangerous and even deadly. - Ed Cara Read More
Piece of ISS Battery Pallet Crashed Through Florida Home, NASA Confirms
Well, this is awkward. A NASA investigation confirmed that a small piece of trash tossed from the International Space Station (ISS) survived atmospheric reentry and ended up in a Florida home. This is a rare case of space junk causing damage on Earth, and the homeowner may be seeking legal action. - Passant Rabie Read More
Humans Sheltered in This Lava Tube for Thousands of Years
Three needs are famously fundamental to survival: food, water, and shelter. According to new research, ancient humans had at least two of those three needs met by a nearly mile-long lava tube about 77 miles (125 kilometers) north of Medina, Saudi Arabia, for at least 7,000 years. - Isaac Schultz Read More
How to Watch the Oldest Known Meteor Shower Put on Its Annual Light Show
We haven’t experienced a major meteor shower since the Quadrantids ended in early January, but the annual meteor drought has officially ended with the Lyrids now in action. Here’s what you need to know about this yearly light show and how to watch it. - George Dvorsky Read More
The Newest Obesity Drug May Also Combat Sleep Apnea
The newest weight loss drug on the market, Zepbound, might also help keep people’s snoring down. On Wednesday, Eli Lilly announced the preliminary results of two Phase III trials testing its drug tirzepatide for people with both obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. - Ed Cara Read More
Mutated Strains of Unknown Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found Lurking on ISS
The International Space Station is home to crews of astronauts conducting research in low Earth orbit, but it also hosts mutated bacteria that are thriving under the harsh conditions of space. - Passant Rabie Read More
Trove of Unknown Deep-Sea Life Discovered in the South Pacific
Much of the ocean’s life remains a mystery to us, but an international team of scientists has just filled in a few blanks after a 40-day expedition to the Salas y Gómez Ridge. The ridge is a lengthy corridor filled with over 100 underwater mountains that extends from Chile to Rapa Nui, more commonly known as Easter Island. - Ed Cara Read More
Dangerous Bacteria Actively Seek Out Human Blood, Scientists Discover
Eat your heart out, A24: Some real-life bacterial germs are literally hungry for our blood, new research suggests. Scientists have found evidence that certain disease-causing bacteria, including strains of Escherichia coli, are chemically attracted to the serum in our blood as a source of food. The horrifying findings seem to explain why these bacteria tend to cause life-threatening sepsis. - Ed Cara Read More
Astronomers Discover Heaviest Stellar Black Hole in the Milky Way
The supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the Milky Way, but a newly spotted object takes the crown for the most massive stellar black hole known in our galaxy, weighing in at an impressive 33 times the mass of our Sun. - George Dvorsky Read More
