💡 7 Famous Fossil Hoaxes

The latest from Nautilus, the top science news, and more. [View in Browser]( | [Join Nautilus]( Did a friend forward this? Sign up here Together with Hello there Nautilus readers, and thanks for joining us. Today we tag along with Einstein and Kafka, two great thinkers of the 20th century who really met for a stroll through Prague; while their actual dialogue that day has been lost to time, graphic artist and author Ken Krimstein playfully imagines how it might have gone. Plus, we explore when kids start playing pretend, and savor seven of the most famous fossil hoaxes. And in the news: Was Earth once a ringed planet? How big can ocean waves really get? And more. Don’t miss today’s free story (on NASA’s new era) below. Be seeing you! — Brian Gallagher The latest from Nautilus When Einstein and Kafka Met Imagining a conversation between the two great minds. [Continue Reading→]( When Do Kids Start Playing Pretend? It’s complicated. [Continue Reading→]( 7 Famous Fossil Hoaxes How scientists over history excavated the fakes. [Continue Reading→]( Don’t limit your curiosity. Enjoy unlimited ad-free Nautilus stories every month for less than $5/month. [Join now]( Where the Stay Is the Destination Embark on a journey through the world's most luxurious hotels, legendary resorts and unique accommodations. Each week, [Inspired Stays]( explores a different stunning hotel right in your inbox. Be transported through captivating stories and immersive photography — no reservation required. [Sign up]( *Thank you for supporting our sponsors. The top science news this week • Earth may have been a ringed planet like Saturn 466 million years ago—an intriguing conclusion scientists reached by looking at the peculiar amount of craters near the equator. [Read on Earth and Planetary Science Letters→]( • Neuroscientist Liz Chrastil had her own brain scanned 26 times before, during, and after her pregnancy to find out how it changed as a result of growing and giving birth to a human being—the best look yet scientists have had of how becoming a mother shapes neuroanatomy. [Read on the Washington Post→]( • Fossils of a mammal-like reptile with a turtle-like beak, tusks, and spots—the dicynodont—which lived over 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa, appear to have inspired an artist among the San people to paint the creature on a cave wall 200 years ago. [Read on The New York Times→]( • NASA says its Europa Clipper mission—which will send a probe to closely observe one of Jupiter’s potentially life-harboring moons—is looking good for launch in a few weeks. It’ll take Clipper five years to traverse the 1.8 million-mile distance to the gas giant’s moon, where the spacecraft—the largest NASA has ever built, owing to the breadth of its solar panels—will fly around for several years, gathering data with sensitive cameras and ice-penetrating radar. [Read on NPR→]( • Scientists discover that when waves coming at different angles collide—like during a hurricane when winds can suddenly change direction—they can form a wave that is steeper than previously thought possible. [Read on Nature→]( *Indicates sponsor/partner content. Thank you for supporting our sponsors. “Not all fossil fakes are driven solely by the desire to make a quick buck; sometimes, fraudulent finds are the work of petty pranksters.” Science journalist Mikael Angelo Francisco writes about famous examples of bogus ancient bones. [Read on Nautilus→]( Live Life With Less It’s natural to always want more, but what if more isn’t best? [Living Simply]( helps you part ways with things holding you back. [Sign up]( Today’s unlocked free story ASTRONOMY NASA Is on the Cusp of a New Era A planetary scientist explains why SpaceX’s Starship will transform her field. BY BRIAN GALLAGHER Jennifer Heldmann laughed when I pointed out that she used the word “unprecedented” five times in a recent paper. [Continue reading]( P.S. The Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky died on this day in 1935. He was an early advocate of space exploration. “Earth is the cradle of humanity,” he once said, “but one cannot remain in the cradle forever.” It’s a well known quote that [NASA planetary scientist Jennifer Heldmann told Nautilus she loves](. “Studying planetary science, I realized that there are other worlds out there,” she said. “We think we know. We develop theories, and we think about what we think we’re going to see. And then nature always surprises us. I expect it will be no different when we’re exploring the moon even more, when we send humans to Mars and beyond. We will continue to learn, and I think that’s our human nature—to explore. That’s what we do.” Thanks for reading! What did you think of today's note? 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: NautilusNext 3112 Windsor Rd, Ste A-391 Austin, TX, 78703 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](