Weekly Headlines (excerpts)

1. Africa intensifies battle against mpox as ‘alarming’ outbreaks continue

New variant identified in Congolese mining town renews worries about global spread

BY JON COHEN 19 APR 2024 

2. Where did Earth’s oddball ‘quasi-moon’ come from? Scientists pinpoint famed lunar crater

Impact that created the asteroid also blasted out the famous Giordano Bruno crater

BY DANIEL CLERY 19 APR 2024 

3. Anonymizing research funding applications could reduce ‘prestige privilege’

Study of Beckman foundation funding for early-career scientists adds to growing body of knowledge about the practice

BY PHIE JACOBS 18 APR 2024 

4. Controversial wolf killing appears to help caribou, but concerns persist

Some worry the findings will stall efforts to halt logging—the root cause of declining caribou populations

BY WARREN CORNWALL 18 APR 2024 

5. News at a glance: Global coral bleaching, preventing ship strikes on whales, and detecting prostate cancer

The latest in science and policy

BY SCIENCE NEWS STAFF 18 APR 2024 

6. Bacteria found in mosquito guts could help scientists fight dengue, Zika

Newly identified microbe disables the viruses before they can infect the insects, potentially reducing disease transmission in people

BY CATHERINE OFFORD 18 APR 2024 

7. Daring ‘James Bond’ mission to drill Antarctic ice cores could reveal future of sea level rise

To understand vulnerable glaciers, climate scientists extract ice from continent’s remote and stormy coast

BY CHRISTIAN ELLIOTT 18 APR 2024 

8. Charred bones are signs of Maya ritual to erase past rulers

Twelve-hundred-year-old burnt remains in Guatemala reflect political turmoil that led to the eventual collapse of empire

BY RODRIGO PÉREZ ORTEGA 17 APR 2024 

9. Should researchers use AI to write papers? Group aims for community-driven standards

Tools such as ChatGPT may be used for 1% to 5% of manuscripts, recent estimates suggest

BY HOLLY ELSE 16 APR 2024 

10. Young toads are teaching Australian lizards to avoid deadly snacks

Massive trial shows monitor lizards will learn to avoid toxic and invasive adult toads after tasting less dangerous juveniles

BY ELIZABETH PENNISI 16 APR 2024 

11. Giant planets ran amok soon after Solar System’s birth

Meteorites suggest cataclysmic “instability” occurred around the time of the Moon’s formation

BY PAUL VOOSEN 16 APR 2024 

12. Researchers need ‘open’ bibliographic databases, new declaration says

Major platforms such as the Web of Science, widely used to generate metrics and evaluate researchers, are proprietary

BY CATHERINE OFFORD 16 APR 2024 

13. Amid budget crunch, NASA seeks Hail Mary on Mars Sample Return

U.S. space agency calls for new proposals to reduce mission’s cost

BY MICHAEL GRESHKO 15 APR 2024 

14. People with complicated pregnancies may suffer health problems, die early

Massive study finds long-term risks for those who experience preeclampsia, preterm delivery, and other complications

BY JENNIFER COUZIN-FRANKEL 15 APR 2024 

15. Deadly marine ‘cold spells’ could become more frequent with climate change, scientists warn

Die-off in South Africa leads to investigation of changing ocean conditions

BY WARREN CORNWALL 15 APR 2024