The Top Science News

The latest from The Porthole and the wider world of science. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( This Tuesday, check out the top science news—and the latest short sharp looks at science from The Porthole [READ NAUTILUS]( DISCOVERIES The Top Science News This Week [Children With Unpredictable Lives Are Shy Explorers]( When their days seem to promise uncertainty, children find refuge in the familiar and the tried-and-true. [PNAS→]( [Why Chinstrap Penguins Microsleep Over 10,000 Times Per Day]( The penguins have to stay vigilant for predators looking to snack on their eggs, so can rarely afford uninterrupted sleep. [Science→]( [What the Pandemic Did to American Prisons]( The most comprehensive look to date at the toll COVID-19 took on prisoners in the United States. [Science Advances→]( [Large Cities Are Good at Mixing Different Kinds of People Together, Right?]( Maybe not. The New York City Subway has been lauded as a mixing bowl in which a diverse set of people cross paths each day, but that doesn’t prevent residents from self-segregating. [Nature→]( [How Dinosaurs Might Have Shaped the Human Lifespan]( Could we be living longer if our ancient mammal ancestors weren’t pressured to rapidly reproduce? [BioEssays→]( [The Link Between the Music You Like and the Morals You Have]( What lyrics, and other audio features, say about your values. [Current Biology→]( [Does the Body Really “Keep the Score” of Trauma?]( Some neuroscientists question whether the body can “keep score” of anything in a meaningful way. [Big Think→]( [A Star With Six Planets That Orbit Perfectly in Sync]( One hundred light years away, a handful of planets are circling a star in the same configuration as when they formed. [The New York Times→]( [Where Art Meets Science]( [Colossal]( believes that creativity comes in many forms. In a world brimming with information overload, environmental catastrophe, and social injustice, we focus on the most positive, diverse, and impactful stories around the issues we care about most. Explore the intersection of art and science by [subscribing to Colossal](. [SUBSCRIBE NOW]( From The Porthole—short sharp looks at science EVOLUTION [A Peculiar Fish and an Evolutionary Mystery]( What we can learn from the macabre diets of a curious species of cichlids. BY JEFFREY MCKINNON Our story begins in 1954, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in what was then Belgian Congo, with a little paper about fish diets titled “A Curious Ecological ‘Niche’ among the Fishes of Lake Tanganyika.” [Keep on reading]( Related Nautilus Stories EVOLUTION [What We Can Learn from an Insomniac Fish]( When sleep doesn’t come on time. BY KATHERINE HARMON COURAGE[Continue reading →]( GENETICS The John, Paul, George, and Ringo of Genes A pictorial map of the genes that unite all life. BY YVONNE BANG[Continue reading →]( Your free story this Tuesday! EVOLUTION Thank Eve for Human Evolution It’s females who vaulted biological hurdles and forged our evolutionary success. BY LUCY COOKE In October, at the Cheltenham Literature Festival in England, Cat Bohannon was sporting a pink latex top and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. [Continue reading for free→]( EXCLUSIVE MEMBER CONTENT | [Explore Memberships→]( [Experience an Immersive Showcase of Ocean Science and Art at Art Basel Miami Beach]( Nautilus invites members to explore a dynamic ocean-inspired art and science showcase at [Art Basel Miami Beach]( from December 6 through December 10, 2023. [Join Nautilus to attend for free.]( In partnership with UNESCO and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, we will unveil interactive installations, remarkable visual displays, and informative presentations from leading marine experts about the latest scientific research and conservation efforts. This event demonstrates the collective commitment of Nautilus and our partners to promote awareness about the importance of ocean conservation. Nautilus Members and a guest can [attend for free](, including full access to Frost Science and our exclusive Member Lounge at the Art Basel Convention Center. We look forward to seeing you there! [JOIN NOW TO RECEIVE INVITATION]( P.S. The theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg was born on this day in 1901. Alan Lightman noted that, in Heisenberg’s autobiography, the scientist described [the transcendent moment]( when he realized that his new theory of quantum mechanics would succeed in describing the hidden world of the atom. “I was far too excited to sleep,” Heisenberg wrote. 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, [browse our archive]( of past print issues, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 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](