Accidental Alchemy, Flamingo Food Tornado, and Kosmos-482 Lands
Hey there, folks! It’s your girl Allison Parshall here, stepping in for Rachel Feltman on Scientific American’s Science Quickly. Let’s dive into some of the latest science news to kick off your week.
Kosmos-482, a Soviet-era spacecraft on its last legs, finally met its demise on May 10 after orbiting Earth for over fifty years. The Russian space agency Roscosmos posted on Telegram that the probe crash-landed in the Indian Ocean near Jakarta, Indonesia. Different space agencies have speculated on various landing spots, from South Asia to the eastern Pacific. The exact location of Kosmos-482’s final resting place remains a mystery, but hey, at least no one got hurt by falling debris, right?
Now, onto some accidental alchemy. Remember how medieval scholars dreamed of turning lead into gold? Well, turns out the physicists at the Large Hadron Collider managed to pull off this feat—briefly, at least. In a recent publication in the journal Physical Review C, scientists detailed how they zapped lead nuclei together at nearly the speed of light, knocking out three protons to transform lead into gold. About 89,000 gold nuclei are created per second during these experiments, producing a minuscule 29 trillionths of a gram of gold between 2015 and 2018. Sadly, the gold atoms don’t stick around for long, vanishing in about a microsecond. It’s like a magic trick, but with science!
In more uplifting news, overdose deaths in the U.S. saw a significant drop between 2023 and 2024, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts credit this decrease to factors like increased access to naloxone for treating overdoses. While it’s a step in the right direction, overdose deaths still surpass pre-pandemic levels, remaining the leading cause of death for young adults in the U.S. So, if you don’t already carry naloxone with you, maybe it’s time to consider it. You never know when you might need to save a life.
Now, onto some fascinating animal stories that will make you go, “Wow!” Flamingos, those serene pink birds, are actually quite the busybodies underwater. A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that flamingos create mini water tornadoes to trap their food. By churning up sediment with their feet, creating vortexes with their heads, and using their beaks to stir things up, these birds are like culinary wizards, pulling in tiny prey like brine shrimp with their filtering skills. Who knew flamingos had such tricks up their sleeves?
And speaking of clever animals, chimpanzees in Uganda have been observed using leaves for everything from wound care to personal hygiene. Researchers witnessed these chimps applying leaf poultices to wounds, dabbing saliva-infused leaves on their bodies, and even assisting each other with postcoital cleanup. It seems like chimps have a whole wellness routine involving medicinal plants and hygiene practices. Who knew our primate cousins were so sophisticated in their self-care rituals?
That’s a wrap on this week’s science news roundup. Rachel will be back to keep you in the loop on Wednesday. Until then, stay curious and keep exploring the wonders of the scientific world!
Remember, imperfections make us human, so embrace the quirks in your writing and let your personality shine through. Happy writing!
