This week’s biggest stories
The week ended with a bang, at least for Elon Musk and the SpaceX programme, as a rocket preparing to carry a Facebook communications satellite into space exploded on the launchpad. Rocket science, eh? Turns out it’s quite hard. Neuroscience is also quite difficult, but some of that hard work appears to have paid off this week. A small-scale trial has shown tantalising signs that a new Alzheimer’s drug, based on the antibody aducanumab, could benefit early-stage patients. There was also excitement for fossil-lovers (and evolutionary biochemists, of course) at the discovery of what look to be the oldest fossils on Earth. And finally, more space disappointment as “strong signals” detected by a Russian telescope and which seemed to be coming from a sun-like star turned out not to be alien life, but most likely “terrestrial interference”. Back to watching DVDs of Contact and ET then.
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Straight from the lab - top picks from our experts on the blog network
New Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton latest in a flurry of finds | Lost Worlds Revisited
The new specimen is from the famous Hell Creek Formation of Montana that has yielded animals such as Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Anzu and numerous specimens of Tyrannosaurus. The specimen is dated to 66.3 million years ago which makes it a relatively old T. rex - the last of these animals were still around nearly a million years later when the mass extinction hit.
Can social media help maternal mental health? | Notes & Theories
Research has found there are many barriers to disclosure of perinatal mental health problems including embarrassment, stigma and “failure at being perceived as not coping”. What role does social media play in facilitating this unhelpful undermining of confidence and capability of a new parents? Is social media a witness to the development of perinatal mental health problems or a sly accomplice?
Fundraising appeals for the desperately ill are moving, but evidence is crucial | Notes & Theories
Wallace F. Janssen, historian of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), noted that at least one dubious therapy has dominated headlines every decade since the 1940s. These “cures” can be worse than merely useless; in some instances these interventions can be actively damaging or deadly. And whether borne of benign cluelessness or outright deception, these treatments are rarely free.
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Alex Bellos’s Monday puzzle
This week’s Monday puzzle featured the Notting Hill carnival and quite a lot of rum punch. Did you solve it?
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Eye on science - this week’s top pictures
It’s time for zoologist Henry Nicholls’ monthly round-up of fascinating animal news. This month features a head-bopping sea-lion called Ronan, long-lived sharks and lobsters that bag up their poo. Yup, animals are amazing. And weird.
