Thousands of sand dollars mysteriously wash ashore in Oregon in 'mass die-off'

California family found dead on trail had 'no obvious cause of death.' Could toxic algae be responsible? | 2,000-year-old flower offerings found under Teotihuacan pyramid in Mexico | Most of Earth's carbon may be locked in our planet's outer core Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( August 24, 2021 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE]( [] Top Science News [] [California family found dead on trail had 'no obvious cause of death.' Could toxic algae be responsible?]( [California family found dead on trail had 'no obvious cause of death.' Could toxic algae be responsible?]( (Shutterstock) A family was recently found dead on a hiking trail along the Merced River in a remote area of the Sierra National Forest in California. There were no signs of damage to their bodies. Investigators are looking into the possibility that toxic algal blooms may be to blame. But is that the likeliest explanation? One researcher told Live Science, that while possible, that scenario would be unusual. "This is a very unusual, unique situation," Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. There was no suicide note. They were out in the middle of a national forest on a day hike." What's more, the couple were known to be avid hikers, according to the Chronicle. Full Story: [LiveScience]( (8/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] History & Archaeology [] [2,000-year-old flower offerings found under Teotihuacan pyramid in Mexico]( [2,000-year-old flower offerings found under Teotihuacan pyramid in Mexico]( (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH)/Sergio Gómez) Nearly 2,000 years ago, the ancient people of Teotihuacan wrapped bunches of flowers into beautiful bouquets, laid them beneath a jumble of wood and set the pile ablaze. Now, archaeologists have found the remains of those surprisingly well-preserved flowers in a tunnel snaking beneath a pyramid of the ancient city, located northeast of what is now Mexico City. The pyramid itself is immense, and would have stood 75 feet (23 meters) tall when it was first built, making it taller than the Sphinx of Giza from ancient Egypt. The Teotihuacan pyramid is part of the "Temple of the Feathered Serpent," which was built in honor of Quetzalcoatl, a serpent god who was worshipped in Mesoamerica. Full Story: [LiveScience]( (8/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Amazing Earth [] [Most of Earth's carbon may be locked in our planet's outer core]( [Most of Earth's carbon may be locked in our planet's outer core]( (Tumeggy/Science Photo Library via Getty Images) The liquid outer core of Earth might be the largest reservoir of carbon on the planet. The percentage sounds small, somewhere between 0.3% and 3%, but once you take into account the size of the outer core (1,355 miles (2,180 kilometers) thick) it equates to a colossal quantity of carbon — somewhere between 5.5 and 36.8 yottagrams. (That's the number followed by 24 zeros!) This carbon estimate could help solve the mystery surrounding the density of Earth's core, scientists said. Full Story: [LiveScience]( (8/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Space Exploration [] [10 things we know about the secret X-37B space plane]( [10 things we know about the secret X-37B space plane]( (U.S. Air Force) The U.S. Department of Defense's uncrewed X-37B spy plane is one of the most intriguing spaceships in the world, flying regular covert missions whose purposes aren't fully known. But over the years, information about the craft, which is also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), has come to light in dribs and drabs. Here, we take a look at 10 things that can be definitively said about the secretive space plane. Full Story: [LiveScience]( (8/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Astronomy & Astrophysics [] [Fastest-orbiting asteroid in solar system discovered]( [Fastest-orbiting asteroid in solar system discovered]( (CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva (Spaceengine)) A newfound asteroid zips around the sun faster than any of its known kin. The space rock, known as 2021 PH27, completes one lap around our star every 113 Earth days, its discoverers determined. That's the shortest orbital period of any known solar system object except the planet Mercury, which takes just 88 days to loop around the sun. However, 2021 PH27 travels on a much more elliptical path than Mercury does and therefore gets considerably closer to the sun — about 12.4 million miles (20 million kilometers) at closest approach, compared to 29 million miles (47 million km) for the solar system's innermost planet. Full Story: [LiveScience]( (8/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Curious Creatures [] [5 gruesome killer whale attacks]( [5 gruesome killer whale attacks]( (Michael Weberberger via Getty Images) Killer whales are the largest member of the dolphin family, and quite possibly the most terrifying — at least if you're a seal, sea lion or whale. These toothy predators hunt in packs, not unlike sleek marine wolves, and they're capable of bringing down prey larger than themselves. Killer whales, also known as orcas (Orcinus orca), rarely mess with humans. But people are occasionally lucky enough to witness the brawn and brain of these creatures as they hunt. Here are five (killer) whale tales of death among the waves. Full Story: [LiveScience]( (8/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Thousands of sand dollars mysteriously wash ashore in Oregon in 'mass die-off']( [Thousands of sand dollars mysteriously wash ashore in Oregon in 'mass die-off']( (Shutterstock) Thousands of sand dollars mysteriously washed ashore in Oregon in a "mass die-off" event, according to news reports. Last week, the circular sea creatures showed up in droves on Seaside Beach in northern Oregon, according to a Facebook post from Seaside Aquarium. "At this time, we do not know what has caused this, and these types of incidents usually have several contributing factors," aquarium representatives wrote. "It is hard to convey how many sand dollars [are] washing in." Full Story: [LiveScience]( (8/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Quiz [] POLL QUESTION: What's the largest living animal in the world? (Learn the answer [here]() [Vote]( [Whale shark]( [Vote]( [Blue whale]( [Vote]( [Asian elephant]( [Vote]( [Masai Giraffe]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:livescience@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( © Future US, Inc. 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004