💡 Why We Reject New Ideas

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 [This May Be the First Sighting of a Newborn Great White Shark]( Scientists spotted a certain white film covering the shark in southern California waters, which could be remnant of a recent birth. [Environmental Biology of Fishes→]( [Why Ice Age Europeans Wore Jewelry Over 24,000 Years Ago]( An analysis of ancient personal ornaments in Europe suggests they belonged to nine distinct cultures. [Nature Human Behavior→]( [Your Gut Is Home to Strange Unknown Microbes]( It’s unclear whether these virus-like entities, so-called “obelisks,” can affect our health, but they could influence the bacteria they live in inside us, which could shape the activity of our genes. [bioRxiv→]( [NASA’s Webb Depicts Staggering Structure in 19 Nearby Spiral Galaxies]( In the Webb Telescope images, we see dust glowing in infrared light. In the older Hubble Telescope images of the same galaxies, dark regions are where starlight is absorbed by dust. [NASA→]( [Did the Romans Drink Spicy and Toasty Wine?]( How earthenware vessels impacted the look, smell, and taste of ancient Roman wines. [Antiquity→]( [We’re Launching a Gravity Wave Observatory in Space]( Set to go up in 2035, the successor to LIGO will trail Earth as our planet orbits the sun, forming an equilateral triangle in space to catch ripples in the fabric of spacetime. [Space.com→]( [Astronomers Make Unprecedented Discovery in Search for Water in Space]( Why detecting water vapor on a planet that’s just twice the size of Earth is a “landmark discovery.” [CNN→]( [How the Great Lakes Formed—And the Mystery of Who Watched It Happen]( Skilled hunters adapted to the changing landscape and left tantalizing clues to who they were. [Big Think→]( If you’re passionate about classic cars, [the Daily Vroom is a must-read newsletter](. It’s packed with insights into market trends, news about car auctions, and more. Whether you’re a serious collector or just curious about classic cars, The Daily Vroom has you covered. Subscribe now for free! [SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY VROOM]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... What was the most memorable lecture you’ve ever watched? 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 [“The Case Against Lectures.”]() Top Answers to Our Previous Question (On the Logical Puzzles and Riddles You Can Recommend) - “Imagine a 747 is sitting on a conveyor belt, as long and wide as a runway. The conveyor belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels, moving in the opposite direction. Can the jet take off?” – Willy D. - “Does 1 = 0.999…?” – Matt R. From The Porthole—short sharp looks at science [PSYCHOLOGY]( [Why We Reject New Ideas]( What Shark Tank pitches, Sundance films, and unusual sandwiches show us about our choices. BY KRISTEN FRENCH When the personal computer was first introduced to the public in the 1980s, some people developed what came to be known as “computerphobia,” a reluctance to talk or even read about computers, a fear of being replaced by the machine or enslaved by it, a conviction that the computer would damage one’s health, and a range of other anxieties. [Keep on reading]( Apply to be a 2024 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer The [World Economic]( Forum will select 100 leading technology start-ups to bring their cutting-edge insights to critical global discussions with business and government leaders. Applications for the 2024 Technology Pioneers Community cohort are [now open]( until January 31, 2024. [SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION]( Your free story this Tuesday! [COMMUNICATION]( [The Case Against Lectures]( Depending on the speaker, lectures can be a joy, but, the efficacy of the lecture, as a teaching method, is in doubt. BY BRIAN GALLAGHER Getting “lectured” is rarely, if ever, a pleasant experience. [Continue reading for free→]( Plastic Pollution Is a Nightmare Discarded plastic hurts our climate, ecosystems, agriculture, human health, and the oceans. To help you shop smarter and recycle better, [One5C]( has put together the definitive guide to plastics and plastic pollution. Check it out to begin your journey to a plastic-free future. [READ IT HERE]( P.S. The inventor and aviator Orville Wright died on this day in 1948. Him and his brother, Wilbur, are usually the minds we credit for designing, constructing, and flying the world’s first working airplane. “The Wright Brothers would not be interested in engineering the way it’s taught today,” Richard K. Miller told Nautilus. The Professor Emeritus and President Emeritus of Olin College thinks engineering education is so “overcommitted to the basic science behind engineering that [we’ve omitted the whole act of discovery](, of framing the right problem.” The process of engineering—not the knowledge underlying it—is what’s “most fun,” he said, and “what students love to do as well.” 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](