This week, after a 4-year controversy, a paper claiming the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine could treat COVID-19 has been retracted, a turtle with “bubble butt” syndrome gets a new 3D-printed custom harness, and could we make homes on Mars by harvesting human blood to make concrete? Finally, writer Ben Taub endures the dreaded hangover in the name of science as he investigates whether ancient hangover cures work.
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Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Officially Has A New Position
Hoping to keep tabs on the magnetic north’s wandering ways, the World Magnetic Model 2025 has been released this week, revealing the latest official predicted placement of Earth’s magnetic fields. This version will remain valid until late 2029, during which time we can expect to see the magnetic north pole slowly edge further toward Russia. Read the full story here
Second Most-Cited Paper To Ever Be Withdrawn Finally Retracted After 4-Year Controversy
A controversial 2020 study that claimed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine showed promise for treating COVID-19 has been retracted, after sparking widespread criticism from scientists ever since its publication. Based on the results, the authors concluded that hydroxychloroquine was “significantly associated with viral load reduction/disappearance in COVID-19 patients.” However, scientific criticism of the study quickly began rolling in. Read the full story here
Charlotte, The Turtle With “Bubble Butt” Syndrome, Gets 3D-Printed Custom Harness
Unfortunately, marine animals often run into issues with boats, which either cause fatalities or have serious, often long-term consequences for the animal. Mystic Aquarium is home to Charlotte the green sea turtle, who has “bubble butt” syndrome, causing Charlotte’s behind to lift up out of the water as air is trapped in his shell. The syndrome is caused by trauma, usually run-ins with boats, but the team at Formlabs have come up with an ingenious method to help Charlotte. Read the full story here
“The Blob” Kills 4 Million Seabirds, The Largest Single-Species Mortality Event In Modern History
An unprecedented die-off has been declared in Alaska, where as many as four million murres are estimated to be missing from colonies across the state. According to a new study, it’s the worst single species die-off in modern history and was triggered by “The Blob“, a mass of warm water in the north Pacific Ocean that has had a lasting and devastating impact on marine and coastal species. Read the full story here
The Roman Solution: We Could Make Homes On Mars By Harvesting Human Blood
If humans ever want to set up a home elsewhere in the Solar System, Mars seems like the most viable bet, beating off the competition by not being a hell world, having a surface we could actually stand on, and being at the edge of the habitable zone where liquid water can exist. Now, scientists have suggested we could create housing on Mars for future settlers using an Ancient Roman technique of making concrete. Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
Do Ancient Hangover Cures Still Stand Up?
Picture the scene: a disheveled man stumbles through the Forum, his wine-stained toga bundled haphazardly around his torso. At his feet, a smattering of empty amphorae lie strewn across the floor, their contents greedily imbibed by the convivium’s attendees. Saturnalia has been wild this year, but the December festivities are drawing to a close and it’s time to go and lie down with a cabbage on your head. This year, writer Ben Taub is going old-school and trying out some of the ancient world’s top cures for alcoholic remorse. Read the full story here
More content:
Have you seen our e-magazine, CURIOUS? Issue 29 December 2024 is available now. This month we asked, “Why Is Laughter Contagious?” – check it out for exclusive interviews, book excerpts, long reads, and more.
PLUS, the We Have Questions podcast – an audio version of our coveted CURIOUS e-magazine column – continues. In episode 3, we ask “The Biggest Wild Goose Is… Poisonous?”
Season 4 of IFLScience’s The Big Questions podcast has concluded. To revisit all four seasons’ episodes, click here.
