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 [Scientists Created 100,000 Sock Puppet Accounts to Audit YouTube’s Algorithm]( The idea that YouTube’s video recommendations send users down more and more extreme rabbit holes isn’t quite right. [PNAS→]( [The Difference Between Traumatic and Sad Autobiographical Memories]( Traumatic memories don’t feel like memories as such, but more as a present experience. [Nature Neuroscience→]( [The Link Between Self-Control, Grit, and School Performance]( The impact these character traits have on academic success is mostly explained by genes. [npj Science of Learning→]( [Nature’s Trick to Stop China’s Great Wall from Eroding]( “Biocrusts”—microbes primarily composed of cyanobacteria, mosses, lichens, others—increase the wall’s compressive strength, penetration resistance, shear strength, and aggregate stability by 37 to 321 percent. [Science Advances→]( [Scientists Are Using Brain Organoids to Power AI]( So far, the “Brainoware” system can learn the sound of a speaker’s voice without supervision. [Nature Electronics→]( [Did Army Blast Exposure Play Role in Maine Gunman’s Rampage?]( Medical scientists and the military are looking into whether Robert Card’s psychological collapse was linked to brain damage from his role as a grenade instructor. [The New York Times→]( [Huge Sea Monster Emerges from Dorset Cliffs in England]( The skull is longer than most humans are tall. [BBC→]( [Scientists Test the Quantum Nature of Gravity]( String theory and other approaches to unifying general relativity with quantum mechanics suggest spacetime needs to be modified—but what if it’s the other way around? [Nature Communications→]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... What human invention do you think has had the most upside, and the least downside? 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 [“Tesla’s Pigeon.”]() Top Answer to Our Previous Question (On an Odd Thing You’d Pass on to Your Children) - I saw an oddly futuristic metal object on a table at a flea market and bought it. The vendor said it was a rejected (never used) titanium hip bone, intended for a hip replacement. It's very cool; my son has heard about it and wants it. – Chris W. From The Porthole—short sharp looks at science [ENVIRONMENT]( [How Dust Could Help Solve Crimes]( Hold the vacuum cleaner! There’s evidence in those motes. BY KATHARINE GAMMON “You can put back anything but dust,” says fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in the British TV drama Sherlock. “Dust is eloquent.” [Keep on reading]( Related Nautilus Stories [ASTRONOMY]( [What Can We Do with Moon Dust?]( Lunar soil is rich with clues about our origin and future home in space. Scientists can’t wait to get their hands dirty. BY PAUL M. SUTTER[Continue reading →]( TECHNOLOGY [Blood Spatter Will Tell]( How the science of blood spatter forensics is evolving. BY BLAKE MORRIS[Continue reading →]( Your free story this Tuesday! [ASTRONOMY]( [The Cosmic Web and the Fate of the Universe]( Projects to map the universe are getting weird. BY PAUL M. SUTTER In 1985, astronomers found something strange in the sky. [Continue reading for free→]( EXCLUSIVE MEMBER CONTENT | [Explore Memberships→]( [The Perfect Gift for the Deep Thinkers in Your Life]( The [Nautilus Holiday Gift Subscription Box]( allows your loved ones to experience the magic of science all year long. Each box includes: - Nautilus Issue 50 - A limited edition embossed Nautilus hardcover Moleskine notebook - A welcome note from Nautilus’ editor - A personalized note from you, the sender - An annual subscription to Nautilus, including All Access Digital + 6 Collectible Print Issues sent throughout the year [GIVE THE NAUTILUS HOLIDAY GIFT SUBSCRIPTION BOX]( P.S. The psychologist Michael Gazzaniga, one of the world’s leading cognitive neuroscientists, was born on this day in 1939. He wrote about what the 19th-century philosopher and psychologist William James [got right about consciousness](, focusing on James’ understanding of instinct. “Each instinct can function independently for simple behaviors, but they also work as a confederation,” Gazzaniga wrote. “Individual instincts can be sequenced in a coordinated fashion for more complex actions that make them look an awful lot like higher-order instincts, like language, as Steven Pinker argued in The Language Instinct. The avalanche of sequences, I argue, is what we call consciousness.” 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](. 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