💡 The Top Science News

The latest from Nautilus and the wider world of science. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( Together with Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( Hello there Nautilus readers, and thanks for being with us. I hope your Memorial Day weekend was useful. Because of the holiday, this newsletter’s a bit brief. In the news—a new kind of volcanic eruption, crows count to four, and more. Plus, find your question of the day (on traveling with strangers) and today’s free story (on the end of species) below. I’m anticipating hearing of at least a few intriguing tales. Stay cool! —Brian Gallagher DISCOVERIES The Top Science News This Week A New Kind of Volcanic Eruption Scientists are saying a volcano in Hawaii erupted like a kid’s stomp-rocket [Nature Geoscience→]( Evidence That Crows Count Up to Four The urban birds planned how many times they’d caw before opening their beaks. [CNN→]( Birth of Universe’s Earliest Galaxies Observed for First Time “You could say that these are the first ‘direct’ images of galaxy formation that we’ve ever seen.” [University of Copenhagen→]( Restore the Planet, One Mission at a Time [Planet Wild]( is a community of people who finance efficient projects aimed at saving animals, oceans and forests. Every month, [Planet Wild]( pools member contributions and funds nature restoration where it really matters. This is all documented in monthly videos, so you regularly get to see what impact your support creates. No contribution is too small. Start from just $6/month and cancel anytime you want. If you care about nature, you can now do something to protect it. [Join Planet Wild]( and get your first month for free! [Join Now]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... Have you ever gone on an impromptu trip somewhere with someone you just met? Let us know! Reply to this newsletter with your response, briefly explaining your choice, and we’ll reveal the top answers. (This question was inspired by (“[Life Always Wins. Follow Me](.”) Top Answers to Our Previous Question(On What Tends to Be a Blind Spot for You) • Sometimes, like when I dream of traveling, I realize I have a blind spot for the value in those things right around me. – Louise M. • Probably my deepest and darkest blind spot is other people’s religious beliefs, especially in a monotheistic god. As a fervent, fundamentalist atheist and scientist, I often need to reign in my incredulity and intolerance when confronted with others’ insistence that God “explains” the natural world. – David B. Your free story this Tuesday! COMMUNICATION The End of Species Why it’s time for new ways of naming life. BY JASON ROBERTS When he can spare the time, Jan Mees is an exorcist of scientific ghosts. [Continue reading for free→]( A Meditative Hike Through Forest Ecology There are singers, there are singer/songwriters, and then there are singer/songwriter/arborists. Or at least there’s one—Anna Mernieks, frontwoman of the folk rock band Beams. Anna put both her hypnotic voice and her Forest Conservation Science degree to good use reading Elena Kazamia’s [story]( “How Much Carbon Can a Tree Really Store?” about the future of forests as carbon sinks. You can now [watch]( and [listen]( as Anna takes you on a meditative journey through the science of forest ecology, backed by Beam’s songs “We Are Blood” and “The Thing Is” from their aptly titled album Requiem for a Planet. [WATCH]( [LISTEN]( P.S. The 19th-century biologist and geologist Louis Agassiz was born on this day in 1807. He was, among other things, “one of the most prolific over-classifiers,” wrote Jason Roberts. He “eagerly declared and named North American species based on little evidence, and even less scientific rigor. Viewing a single sample of fossilized teeth, Agassiz determined they defined not three different species but three completely new genera of fish. They’ve since been matched to teeth belonging to the fossil of a single individual fish, [collapsing an entire branch of his imagined taxonomy](.” Scientists over the years have been abandoned hundreds of his other species identifications on similar grounds. Today’s newsletter was written by Brian Gallagher Thanks for reading.[Tell us](mailto:brian.gallagher@nautil.us?subject=&body=) your thoughts on today’s note. Plus, if you find our content valuable, consider [becoming a member]( to support our work, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 NautilusNext, All rights reserved.You were subscribed to the newsletter from [nautil.us](. Our mailing address is: NautilusNext360 W 36th Street, 7S,New York, NY 10018 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](