💡 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 joining us. Today in the news we have the payoffs of hyping science, an epic storm on Mars, solar-powered planes, and more. I really enjoyed reading the wide-ranging responses to last newsletter’s question (on the oldest thing you’ve seen). Find today’s question (on childhood companions) and your free story (on creating guilt) below. Have a great day! —Brian Gallagher DISCOVERIES The Top Science News This Week Why It Pays to Hype Science Scientific grant proposals that use more “promotional language” get accepted more often, seem more innovative, and end up garnering more citations. [PNAS→]( [NASA Watches Mars Light Up During Epic Solar Storm]( The specks in a video taken by one of the navigation cameras aboard the Curiosity rover were caused by charged particles from a solar storm. [NASA Jet Propulsion Lab→]( [Ancient Genomes Reveal the History of Human Malaria]( The mosquito-transmitted disease has profoundly influenced our evolution. [Nature→]( [The Apparel Industry Is a Significant Yet Overlooked Source of Plastic Leakage]( In 2019, global industry produced about 60 million tons of plastic pollution, with apparel accounting for 8.3 million. [Nature Communications→]( [Solar-Powered Planes Take Flight]( The light, uncrewed aircraft could provide surveillance and telecommunications that balloons and satellites can’t—and stay aloft for months. [The Wall Street Journal→]( [Could a Fungus Trigger a Last of Us-Style Apocalypse?]( “It is hubris to think a fungal pandemic can’t happen to us.” [The Guardian→]( [Why a 3-Legged Lion and His Brother Swam Across a Crocodile-Filled River]( Researchers say the nearly mile-long swim was the longest by big cats ever recorded. [The New York Times→]( [Is the Universe Finite or Infinite?]( “There’s a physical reason behind why the Universe is so uniform on large scales, but so non-uniform on smaller scales: the combination of gravitation along with cosmic expansion.” [Big Think→]( Crocs are Classic for a Reason The [Classic Crocs Work Clogs]( are a classic for a reason. Sure, they’re lightweight and durable with a no-slip tread, but their comfort is what really sets them apart. That’s because [Crocs]( are designed for people who stay on their feet all day—nurses, chefs, and hospitality workers. Imagine how comfortable they’ll feel on you. [Pick up a pair]( for working in your garden or around the house—you might not take them off. [Shop Crocs→]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... As a kid did you have an imaginary friend? 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 [“]([When Kids Talk to Machines]([.”]() Top Answers to Our Previous Question(On the Oldest Thing You’ve Seen in Person) • Stromatolites at Lake Clifton and Shark Bay in Western Australia that are over 3 billion years old. – Wade H. • Well, like a lot of people, I've been in museums with dinosaur skeletons, and I've visited redwood groves. But the greatest impact of antiquity on me was when I put my hands on a Roman aqueduct from about 100 BC, a proud silent monument crossing a valley in France. – Bill T. • The pyramids in Egypt. I have been inside one of the small ones. – Shari A. • The Vishnu Schist at the Grand Canyon, about 1.7 billion years old. – Janine C. • The oldest thing I've seen is one of the oldest living things on Earth, a bristlecone pine, in the Mineral Mountains of Southern Colorado. In that location, some of the species are 2,000 to 3,000 years old, but in other locations, they've been clocked at over 5,000. – Jeff T. • Angkor Wat in Cambodia, constructed in 1,100 BC. – Debbi B. • I regularly carry a 400-million year-old crinoid stem fossil as a fob on my pocket knife. – John B. QUOTE OF THE DAY “Why would lions make such a dangerous crossing? ‘Sex.’” [Anthony Ham writes about two brother lions—one missing a leg—that swam a daring distance.]( Your free story this Tuesday! ARTS Video Games Do Guilt Better Than Any Other Art Game designers can make players reflect on their moral decisions in a way other art forms can’t. BY JIM DAVIES The idea that motion pictures can be works of art has been around since the 1920s, and it hasn’t really been disputed since. [Continue reading for free→]( Rocking Invisibility Deep beneath the sea, a host of animals have evolved a most peculiar power—the power of invisibility. In his story, “Nature’s Invisibility Cloak,” Edwin Barkdoll explains why and how so many animals disappear in the depths and hide in plain sight. Who better to tell his story about animals that seem to defy the laws of physics than the vocalist of a band that defies the limits of genre—Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells? You can now [watch]( and [listen]( to Sleigh Bells singer Alexis Krauss read Barkdoll’s story about animal invisibility on [YouTube]( and [Spotify](. [WATCH]( [LISTEN]( P.S. The American film critic Roger Ebert was born on this day in 1942. He penned an essay arguing that video games could never be art. He pointed out one obvious difference between the two—that you can win a game. “But with the increasing sophistication, and variety, of video games today, [it’s becoming more and more clear that they are forms of art](,” wrote Jim Davies. “Or, at least, they evoke many of the same intellectual and emotional responses that artworks do.” 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](. 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](