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520 Million Year Old Fossil Discovered With Brains and Organs Intact
The body that keeps on giving to the science community
By: Sophiea Runlett
Recently, a discovery has been made. A 520 million year old fossilized larva has been found with an extraordinary preservation of its internal organs and brain. By using synchrotron X-ray tomography, scientists were able to analyze the fossil to create 3D models of the soft tissues, allowing information to be revealed regarding the early evolution of arthropod anatomy and brain development.
This fossil, Youti Yuanchi, is being called a miracle fossil with how well it is intact, allowing scientists to be able to gather crucial information about the history and origin of arthropods. The preservation of the brain reveals an early ancestral form of the protocerebrum. The protocerebrum is a region of the brain responsible for the sophistication of the heads of many modern arthropods. This discovery will also allow researchers to investigate the Cambrian period with new information about the Cambrian explosion, an era of rapid and diverse evolutionary change occurred.
The lead researcher of the study, Martin Smith, shared with reporters, “I’d always be thinking of an arthropod larva, because developmental data are just so central to understanding their evolution. But larvae are so tiny and fragile, the chances of finding one fossilized are practically zero—or so I thought! I already knew that this simple worm-like fossil was something special, but when I saw the amazing structures preserved under its skin, my jaw just dropped—how could these intricate features have avoided decay and still be here to see half a billion years later?”
Scientists believe that this special discovery is going to lead to something bigger. This is a unique window into the past and will allow scientists to understand more about the evolution of the world. This fossil finding has begun a race to more discoveries.
Blood-Corn Moon Reveals Itself in All Its Glory
People are popping popcorn to see the beautiful Blood-Corn Moon!
By Ava Walter
A fascinating phenomenon occurred on the night of September 7th, 2025. The full moon—dubbed the "Corn Moon"--- occurred at the very same time as a total lunar eclipse, creating the "Blood Moon."
The moon appeared to have a red-orange color due to the Earth’s atmosphere filtering and refracting sunlight from the total lunar eclipse. This leads to the longer, red wavelengths reflecting off the moon’s surface, creating the red-orange color. This kind of moon is particularly special in that it is a combination of the Corn Moon that occurs every September, with a total lunar eclipse that happens only every 2-3 years, coming together to create a "Blood-Corn Moon."
Lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon all happen to align with each other, allowing the Moon to be overshadowed by the Earth. This astrological event can last up to two hours, and unlike solar eclipses, this event can be safely viewed without the need for eye protection.
Unfortunately, the Blood Corn moon was not visible for Connecticut and the rest of North America. This special moon was mostly visible in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific regions, with people on the other side of the world getting to see the red-orange hue of the moon–truly a spectacular occurrence.
However, the full Corn Moon was able to be seen in Connecticut on the night of September 7th, with the moon appearing to be particularly large with a golden-orange color. This moon may also be called as the “Harvest Moon,” as it was historically believed that this time of the year was for the North American corn Harvest. This kind of moon occurs each September, signifying the end of summer and the beginning of the fall.
In several cultures, the occurrence of this "Blood-Corn moon" symbolizes transformation, a time of release, the transition of seasons, and the agricultural abundance that the corn harvest brings. The harvest encourages a time of giving thanks for the fruits of labor and nature’s bounty, as well as preparation for the colder months that lie ahead.
The occurrence of this Corn Moon and Blood Moon is caused by a lunar eclipse converged to create this rare event known as the "Blood-Corn Moon". The ‘Blood Corn Moon’ is not just a beautiful sight, but a symbol of transition from summer to fall; The Corn Moon occurs every September marking the beginning of the fall season and the end of summer. Although those in North America were unable to witness the special red-orange colored moon, pictures of the beautiful, celestial event can be found online for everyone to enjoy. Regardless, this spectacular occurrence was particularly unique and noteworthy as the Corn Moon, an already significant celestial event. The coinciding of rare Blood moon and the Corn moon was a memorable start for the fall season.
Discover Seawater Rice: Historical Development and Health Benefits Explored
Time to decide if you should try a bowl?
By: Emerson Rooney
Seawater rice… what is it exactly? This salt-tolerant rice can grow in saline soil, alkaline soil, and mixtures of river and seawater, where traditional rice is incapable of surviving. Scientists say that it should technically be called, “saline-alkali soil tolerant rice” or "saltwater rice.” While normal rice is not able to be grown in water containing over 0.3 percent salt, seawater rice can grow in water with over double that salinity.
Seawater rice… who discovered it? Chinese agriculturist scientist Yuan Longping led the research on seawater rice, and his findings were incredible. Longping is one of the most famous hybrid rice researchers, and he is known as the “Father of Hybrid Rice.” After he and his team began research in 2012, the Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Seawater Rice Research and Development Center was established in 2016.
Seawater rice… when was it discovered? In the 1980s, research in China of salt tolerance rice began. In 2012, Longping began further research. Seawater rice made its breakthrough in 2017 after scientists began the large-scale development and planting of seawater rice.
Seawater rice… what are its benefits? Seawater rice has many benefits. The development of this new strand of rice is key to food security in the future. Seawater rice can turn soils into fertile land, where they can produce food without hurting ecosystems or taking up space. Seawater rice also reduces water usage while also improving the quality of soil. Recently, China has greatly been impacted by rising sea levels because of harsh climate change. However, seawater rice can help because it does not need arable land; this unique species can thrive in places where other food production cannot survive.
Seawater rice… what does it look like? Before seawater rice is harvested, it looks like a thin green rice plant. Once seawater rice is harvested, it looks similar to traditional rice.
Seawater rice… how does it help the future of China? In the future, seawater rice will definitely help the national rice production in China and help feed their population of 1.409 billion individuals (the second largest country in the world). Within the next 10 years, China predicts that they will cultivate over 7 million hectares of seawater rice. This amount of rice is enough to feed over 80 million people. The key factor about this new species is that it improves food production without clear forests or grasslands. China can have secure food production in places they were never able to grow any food. About only 11.5% of China’s total land is arable, which results in significant farming issues; seawater rice can help reduce these problems, and help feed more people.
What Exactly is A Space Butterfly: Will Scientists Unravel the Mystery?
Why the universe sometimes looks like it's showing off!
By: Brendon Helwig
In the vast tapestry of the cosmos, few objects captivate the imagination as vividly as the so-called “Space Butterfly,” which is a nickname given to the nebula Westerhout 40, or W40.
While it appears to be a red, butterfly-shaped cloud of gas and dust, the structure is in truth a dynamic stellar nursery, alive with creation, destruction, and transformation. The striking “wings” of the Space Butterfly are in fact giant bubbles of hot gas, sculpted and blown outward by radiation and stellar winds emanating from massive young stars at its core. Between these wings sits a dense cluster of stars. The most massive among them, designated W40 IRS 1a, plays a leading role in energizing the surrounding clouds and driving their outward expansion. That cluster, by ejecting gas and radiation, has effectively carved cavities in the surrounding nebula. Those cavities form the “wings” that are seen, glowing in infrared as dust and molecules are excited and emit light.
W40 lies roughly 1,400 light-years from Earth, making it one of the nearer regions where massive stars are forming. In angular terms, the butterfly shape spans a substantial portion of the sky when viewed in infrared. The region is in the general direction of the constellation Serpens. Just nearby is another young stellar cluster called Serpens South, whose stars are even more deeply embedded in molecular clouds and which may evolve to shape regions like W40 in the future.
What makes W40 especially fascinating is the balance and tension between formation and stellar feedback. Gravity gathers gas and dust into clumps, triggering the birth of new stars. Some of those stars become massive, expelling energy and matter that push outward, eroding and blowing apart the very clouds that fostered their formation. W40 is a vivid example of how creation and destruction coexist in star-forming regions. Though the nebula appears delicate, it is a turbulent environment: shock fronts, ionization, radiation pressure, and turbulence all interact to reshape the gas. Over time, this reshaping can halt further star formation in some regions or trigger new star formation in others.
Much of what is known about W40 comes from infrared observations, most notably from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Spitzer’s infrared Array Camera (IRAC) observed the region in wavelengths such as 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 micrometers, each of which highlights different components (stars, warm dust, PAHs) and helps distinguish structures. In composite infrared images, stars tend to appear bluer (in shorter wavelengths), while dust and molecules glow red or orange (in longer wavelengths). These color differences help astronomers map the structure, density, and composition of the nebula. The visual likeness to a butterfly is largely coincidental, but compelling. The two lobes created by expanding bubbles of gas beautifully mimic delicate wings. The central cluster is analogous to the butterfly’s body. The name helps convey the ethereal aesthetic of what is, in reality, a powerful astrophysical phenomenon in motion. Because W40 is relatively close and active, it offers an excellent laboratory for studying how massive stars influence their environments. Astronomers use it to probe the interplay of gas dynamics, stellar feedback, and star cluster evolution. Future observations, for example with the James Webb Space Telescope, may reveal more about the cold cores hidden within the earliest protostars, and how the “wings” evolve over time.
In short, the space butterfly is not just a pretty cosmic portrait, it is a living, breathing system, showing how the cosmos builds its stars and transforms them. It reminds us that beauty in space often masks vigorous processes: not stillness, but change; not absence, but creation.
A Natural Disaster Strikes in the Middle East
Earthquake in Afghanistan Destroys Communities and Leaves Many Dead/Displaced
By: Valerie Adams and Abigail Ray
On Sunday, August 31, 2025, a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern border of Afghanistan, causing devastation in the Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. The epicenter was located in Nurgal District, Kunar Province, where most of the destruction occurred. Tremors were felt as far as Kabul and neighboring Pakistan. The quake, which struck at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles), caused over 2,000 deaths and thousands of injuries, making it one of the deadliest disasters to hit Afghanistan in recent years.
Just four days later, on September 4, 2025, another 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook the same region, worsening the situation further. Many of the affected areas had been experiencing heavy rain and flooding before the earthquakes which made evacuation and rescue efforts difficult. In some of the hardest-hit villages, nearly every building was destroyed, leaving communities trapped and exposed to the ruins from the quake.
Afghanistan sits at the collision point of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it especially vulnerable to earthquakes. This tragic sequence of quakes is part of a long pattern of seismic disasters in the country. In October 2023, a 6.3-magnitude killed 4,000 people; A year before that, a 5.9-magnitude quake claimed nearly 1000 lives. As Homa Nadir, the Deputy Head of the Red Crescent, said, “We’re always expecting these disasters to happen, but it feels like in Afghanistan, people don’t really get the chance to breathe.”
Immediately after the August 2025 earthquake, local communities, along with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) and its international partners, began rescue operations. Teams dug through the rubble in search of survivors, provided medical assistance, food and temporary shelters, and helped citizens locate missing relatives.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) also responded quickly, conducting damage assessments and providing humanitarian aid. They identified shelter, food, financial assistance, and medical support as the most urgent needs. The IRC deployed cash assistance to families facing severe food insecurity. Likewise, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been working with local leaders to deliver clean water, blankets, tents, and emergency food rations, especially as the harsh winter approaches.
International unity has been a source of hope amidst despair. Nations including India, Pakistan, Japan, and the United Nations have extended aid and support. However, despite these combined efforts, the financial assistance provided covers only a fraction of what is needed to rebuild. Thousands of families remain without permanent housing, many living in fragile shelters made of mud, bricks, and wood–materials that crumble easily in future quakes.
However, beyond infrastructure, ongoing poverty and political instability furthered the humanitarian crisis. The Taliban takeover in 2021, international financial aid has sharply decreased and worsened the country’s economic isolation. The Nurgal District area, already struggling with a prolonged drought, has seen its agriculture and food production collapse. Women and girls are especially at risk from these earthquakes due to restrictions from the Taliban government that limit their access to certain health services and force them to be treated later than men. Despite this, humanitarian organizations continue to advocate for inclusive relief, ensuring both men and women receive equal access to aid.
Afghan and international leaders are recognizing the urgent need to strengthen disaster resilience and infrastructure to better withstand future earthquakes. This includes rebuilding homes with stronger materials, improving emergency response systems, and expanding educational programs on disaster preparedness.
Great Barrier Coral Reef Hit By Bleaching Suffering Extreme Heat Damage
A natural wonder faces one of its worst crises in history
By: Rachel Sajan
A massive coral bleaching event, already underway since early 2023, has become the worst on record---impacting approximately 84% of the world's coral reefs with bleaching-level heat stress. Experts say this is the fourth global bleaching event since 1998, and it has already exceeded the scale of the previous one (2014-2017), which affected about two-thirds of reefs worldwide.
Bleaching occurs when elevated ocean temperatures force corals to expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues. These algae are essential not only for the coral’s vibrant colors but also for much of their energy needs. Without them, corals turn white and become highly stressed; prolonged bleaching can lead to widespread coral death. The effect is not just a matter of aesthetics. Coral reefs are major ecosystems- often called the “rainforests of the sea”- and support a large share of marine biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal protection. In places now affected, including the Great Barrier Reef, Florida, parts of the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean basin, and other tropical regions, reefs are already suffering damage and mortality.
One especially troubling sign is how areas once thought to be thermal refuges---places with conditions that might protect coral from heat extremes, are also being affected. That suggests there are fewer places left globally where reefs are safe from increasing ocean temperatures.
Scientists point to human-driven climate change as the root cause. Increased greenhouse gas emissions have raised ocean temperatures, causing more frequent and severe heat waves. The marine heat stress that triggers bleaching is growing in intensity and duration.
Efforts to respond are underway: reef monitoring systems have been strengthened, bleaching alert scales expanded, and coral restoration and propagation projects are being launched in some regions. However, restoration alone is not enough; many scientists stress that without a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, bleaching and coral mortality will continue to spiral upward.
Science Examines the Unique Gwada Negative Blood Type
How a genetic marker shapes health and identity
By: Kayla Cherian
When you think of blood types you probably think of them being A, B, O, or AB, with positive and negative variations. If you are more educated on the topic, then you may think of the possibility of Rh positive or Rh negative blood. To most of us, these are the characteristics that differentiates the blood types we all know. But the transfusability of one’s blood depends on more than just these simple characteristics.
One characteristic is the blood being Gwada positive, in which every person in the world has Gwada positive blood, except for one person.
Until recently, scientists had never considered being Gwada positive a characteristic to consider when finding blood donors. But after a young French woman had some tests done to find a blood donor, and even her own siblings weren’t a match to donate blood, scientists ran further testing to find out that this woman has had a mutation in a gene called PIGZ.
PIGZ is responsible for producing an enzyme that bonds to the surface of red blood cells and produces sugars, without this, a new antigen is created, which can be a key feature in determining blood types. The difference in blood cell surfaces, as expected, does not allow a person to receive blood transfusions or infusions, but due to more recent studies, it has been found to have more serious effects as well. Through studies, researchers have found that neurological conditions, such as developmental delay, intellectual disability and seizures can be linked to people with defects in enzymes.
The patient with Gwada negative blood has also lost two children during childbirth, and scientists suspect that this could also be a result of her blood type. However, without more people with Gwada negative blood to research, many side effects remain unclear.
This discovery has led to a realization for scientists that more research on rare blood types is needed. It has also led to many people understanding the importance of blood donors, especially for those with rare blood types.
Although the individual with Gwada negative blood is not able to receive blood from a blood donor, hopefully with more research in the future scientists will find ways to help this women and others who have rare blood types.
A New Moon Joins Uranus’s Orbit
New observations reveal a previously unknown member of Uranus's Moons
By Tessa Grillo
Space just got a little more exciting. Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope recently discovered a brand new noon orbiting Uranus, and its impact has already made history. The small moon, currently called S/2025 U1, is only about six miles wide, but its discovery is a big deal for space exploration.
This tiny moon brings the total number of Uranus’s known moons to 29. It was found in early February when scientists studying images from the James Webb Telescope noticed a faint, moving dot near the planet. At first, they weren’t sure what it was, but after looking closely at the data, they concluded it was a new moon.
The reason this discovery is so special is because no one had ever seen this moon before, not even during NASA’s Voyager 2 mission in the 1980s. That’s because the moon is so small and dim that it’s nearly impossible to spot with older telescopes. The James Webb Telescope, however, is much more powerful and can see things in incredible detail, even when they’re billions of miles away.
Scientists say that finding this moon helps us better understand how Uranus and its other moons formed. The new moon sits between two of Uranus’s other moons, named Opheila and Biance. Researchers think this could mean Uranus has even more tiny moons waiting to be found, hidden in its orbit.
This discovery also has majorly shown how important this James Webb Telescope has become. With its launch, Webb has helped scientists see deep into space, capturing the clearest and most detailed images of planets, stars, and galaxies ever seen. Now it’s even helping us learn more about our own solar system.
The new moon doesn’t have an official name yet, but it will eventually get one that fits Uranus’s theme, where most of its moons are named after Shakespeare plays. For now, scientists are studying how this little moon moved and how it might affect Uranus’s rings and other moons.
Even though it’s small, this new moon reminds us that there is still so much we do not know about space. Every new discovery, no matter how minute, helps us understand the universe a little bit better.
Meet China’s New Titan–Huashanosaurus Qini
The colossal herbivore changes what we know about Jurassic China
By: Haram Lee
Ningming County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region — Paleontologists have revealed the discovery of a new species of early sauropod, named Huashanosaurus qini, uncovered in southern China’s Wangmen Formation. The fossil remains point to an animal approximately 12 meters (39feet) in length, walking on four legs and flourishing during the early to middle Jurassic Period. This specimen was uncovered within the Wangmen Formation in the Shiwandashan basin, an area increasingly recognized as a rich site for Jurassic-era fossils.
The research team, consisting of scientists from the Guangxi Museum of Natural History and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), detailed the find in a recent publication in Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition). According to the study, the fossil remains include vertebrae, limb bones, and sever elements of the forelimb and lower leg. This was enough to confirm the species as a previously unknown early member of the eusauropod lineage.
“We were able to identify several features that make this dinosaur distinct from all known species,” said Dr. Jinyou Mo, one of the lead authors. “Its limb structure and unique bone characteristics help clarify an important stage in the evolutionary history of early sauropods.”
Among these distinguishing features are a hook-shaped process on the posterior part of the ulna, a crescent-shaped cross-section on the proximal ulna, and a notable groove on the posterodistal surface of the fibula. These traits, researchers say, offer new insight into the biomechanics and diversity of early quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaurs.
The fossil’s estimated length—about 12 meters of 39 feet—places H. qini among medium-sized sauropods of the early to middle Jurassic Period. Sediment layers around the bones indicate the dinosaur lived in a humid ecosystem of floodplains, lakes, and forested regions. Additional fossils found at the site, including fish remains, turtle shells, and plesiosaur teeth, suggest a thriving environment inhabited by a wide range of prehistoric species.
The discovery also has broad geological implications. The presence of Huashanosaurus qini supports the theory that the Wangmen Formation may date to the early-middle Jurassic, slightly younger than previous estimates. This adjustment, researchers argue, could shift timelines for sauropod evolution in southern China.
With the initial description now complete, the team plans to continue excavations in the region, hoping to uncover more complete specimens. Future studies will include digital modeling of the dinosaur’s build and biomechanics, with the goal of reconstruction of how H. qini moved and interacted with its environment.
“This discovery enriches our understanding of a critical evolutionary window, “ said Dr. Mo. “It shows that even well-studied regions of China still hold important paleontological surprises.”
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