Weekly Science Report

March 15, 2019

 
“Part of the changing relationship with National Parks as we evolved as a nation went from
scenery to science.  The scenery was obviously it was overwhelming it was stunning.  The
science is not so obvious, science embraces mystery and it begins to look into the future the
way most people can’t perceive.  It asks questions most people don’t ask, and it says we need
to hold onto these places, and I can’t give you a precise reason why, but the reason will come
along later and if we don’t have them we will never be able to explore the questions we are
asking.  So, they hold the answers to questions we have not even yet learn to ask.
Kim Heacox, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea
 
Introduction
 
Steve Detwiler created this publication with the support of Graham Hancock and the late John
Anthony West to share news and information on various disciplines to include but not limited to
paleontology, space sciences, genetics and archaeology.  His goal behind sharing this publication
has always been very simple, by sharing knowledge we can make our world a better place.  This
publication is Mr. Detwiler’s contribution to bring people together and share ideas and discoveries
with his fellow humans.
 
I hope you enjoy this publication and that the content challenges and inspires you!
 
The Weekly Science Report is also on social media at:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weeklysciencerpt/
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/wklysciencerpt
 

News Articles
 
Paleontology, Evolution and Prehistoric Studies
 
Men who lived in Spain 4500 years ago left almost no male genetic legacy today
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/men-who-lived-spain-4500-years-ago-left-almost-no-
descendants-alive-today?r3f_986=https://www.google.com/
 

Neolithic Britons travelled across country for regular mass

national feasts 4,500 years ago, new research claims

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/neolithic-
britons-mass-feasts-stonehenge-avebury-wiltshire-dorset-
cardiff-university-sheffield-a8821651.html

 
Hominids may have hunted rabbits as far back as 400,000 years ago
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hominids-hunt-rabbits-stone-age
 
Changes in Diet May Have Fostered Changes in Speech
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7476-190315-diet-bite-language
 
Genomes Offer Clues to Population History of Iberia
https://www.archaeology.org/news/7475-190315-spain-ancient-genomes
 
 

History
 
‘China Could Have Been a Very Different Country.’ A Search for Family Reveals a Lost Moment
https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-could-have-been-a-very-different-country-a-search-for-family-
reveals-a-lost-moment-11551974189
 
Smithsonian Shortens Folklife Festival On National Mall To Just 2 Days
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/14/703602525/smithsonian-shortens-folklife-festival-on-national-
mall-to-just-2-days?sc=tw
 
Hitler's goddaughter Edda Goering dead at 80, buried secretly in unmarked grave in Germany
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hitlers-goddaughter-edda-goering-dead-at-80-buried-secretly-in-
unmarked-grave-in-germany?cmpid=prn_msn
 
The social impact of museums working with refugees and migrants
https://www.museumnext.com/2019/03/the-social-impact-of-museums-working-with-refugees-and-
migrants/
 
'Pocahontas And The English Boys' Bridged 2 Wildly Different Cultures
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/12/698699742/pocahontas-and-the-english-boys-bridged-2-wildly-
different-cultures?sc=tw
 
For Priest Turned Professor, 'Holy Envy' Is Key To Appreciating World Religions
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/11/702175258/for-priest-turned-professor-holy-envy-is-key-to-
appreciating-world-religions?sc=tw
 
The Library of Congress wants to attract more visitors. Will that undermine its mission?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/the-library-of-congress-wants-to-attract-
more-visitors-will-that-compromise-its-scholarly-mission/2019/03/07/582d590e-1a90-11e9-8813-
cb9dec761e73_story.html?utm_term=.1c8fb3fe3ba8
 
Turkish police seize ancient manuscript stolen from Syrian museum
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-police-seize-ancient-manuscript-stolen-from-syrian-
museum-141839
 
French Painting Stolen by Nazis in 1940 Raid to Be Returned to Owner's Descendants
https://www.livescience.com/64996-gurlitt-nazi-loot-painting-identified.html
 
 

Archaeology
 
Bodies found in missing climbers search
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-47509067?
ns_source=facebook&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&f
bclid=IwAR2ybSthDa01zkQV0MR4-hXdsBLNFtbTN0c22GXvq9fgwzYCv-
huhQq2JHI&fbclid=IwAR0Tf_n0N6R2Xp2g0ncxW4_AFSgdI_ZEhV6NCZeWquq8IFBr7yBAeU
5jztM
 
Massacre of Children in Peru Might Have Been a Sacrifice to Stop Bad Weather
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/science/peru-child-sacrifice.html
 

Ancient DNA is a powerful tool for studying the past – when

archaeologists and geneticists work together

https://theconversation.com/ancient-dna-is-a-powerful-tool-
for-studying-the-past-when-archaeologists-and-geneticists-
work-together-111127
 
Sea otters' stone tools provide new clues for archeologists
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/sea-otter-animal-archeology-stone-tools-1.4792446
 
Study of old slave quarters in Maryland leads to scientific breakthrough
https://wtop.com/anne-arundel-county/2019/03/study-of-old-slave-quarters-in-maryland-leads-to-
scientific-breakthrough/slide/1/
 
China discovers bamboo slips recording rules of ancient board game
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-03/13/c_137892029.htm
 
Old Stone Fort built to protect Ohio settlers, but likely not by French explorer
https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190303/archaeology-old-stone-fort-built-to-protect-ohio-settlers-
but-likely-not-by-french-explorer
 
Maya ritual cave ‘untouched’ for 1,000 years stuns archaeologists
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/03/maya-ritual-balamku-cave-stuns-
archaeologists/
 
Searching for the ships Cortés burned before destroying the Aztecs
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/archaeologists-search-yucatan-coast-for-hernan-cortes-lost-
ships/
 
Pafos excavations show Agora was much larger than previously assumed
https://www.tornosnews.gr/en/greek-news/culture/34777-pafos-excavations-show-agora-was-much-
larger-than-previously-assumed.html
 
 

Egyptology
 
Nothing to report
 
 
 
 

General Science
 
10 Women in Science and Tech Who Should Be Household Names
https://www.wired.com/story/10-women-science-tech-household-names/?
CNDID=41291302&CNDID=41291302&bxid=MjM5NjgxMjIxODk5S0&hasha=3ed15b3d4270f5
2ce4da5de4e5031836&hashb=9085a9ae56cc45a4e9bae24e2eaeaade6e04a43e&mbid=nl_031019_d
aily_list1_p4&source=DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_brand=wired&utm_mailing=WIRED%20NL
%20031019%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl
 
Trump calls for cutting National Science Foundation funding by $1 billion
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/433507-trump-
proposes-cutting-national-science-foundation-budget-by-
billion-dollars

U.S. Army is investing $72 million into CMU for artificial

intelligence research

https://www.post-gazette.com/business/tech-news/2019/03/11/
cmu-army-ai-pittsburgh-farnam-jahanian-artificial-
intelligence-defense/stories/201903110135?
utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Pittsburgh_Post-
Gazette

 
Researchers develop 'acoustic metamaterial' that cancels sound
https://m.phys.org/news/2019-03-acoustic-metamaterial-cancels.html
 
4-D printing multi-metal products with a desktop electrochemical 3-D printer
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-03-d-multi-metal-products-desktop-electrochemical.html
 
 
 
 
Physics, Earth and Space Sciences

Astronomers Think They Can Explain Mysterious Cosmic

Bursts

https://www.wired.com/story/astronomers-think-they-can-
explain-mysterious-fast-radio-bursts/?
CNDID=41291302&CNDID=41291302&bxid=MjM5NjgxMjIx
ODk5S0&hasha=3ed15b3d4270f52ce4da5de4e5031836&hashb
=9085a9ae56cc45a4e9bae24e2eaeaade6e04a43e&mbid=nl_031
019_daily_list1_p2&source=DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_b
rand=wired&utm_mailing=WIRED%20NL
%20031019%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl

NASA's Supersize Space Launch System Might Be Doomed

https://www.wired.com/story/nasas-super-sized-space-launch-
system-might-be-doomed/?
CNDID=41291302&CNDID=41291302&bxid=MjM5NjgxMjIx
ODk5S0&hasha=3ed15b3d4270f52ce4da5de4e5031836&hashb
=9085a9ae56cc45a4e9bae24e2eaeaade6e04a43e&mbid=nl_031
419_daily_list3_p2&source=DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_b
rand=wired&utm_mailing=WIRED%20NL
%20031419%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl

 
'Enormous' solar storm struck Earth more than 2,600 years ago: study
https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/sci-tech/2019/3/12/1_4332835.html

Solar farms in space could be renewable energy's next frontier

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/solar-farms-space-could-be-renewable-energy-s-next-
frontier-ncna967451?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma
 
SpaceX CEO Musk's security clearance under review over pot use: official
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-musk-idUSKCN1QO2FZ?utm_campaign=trueAnthem
%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5c819cd400bd47000112ab2f&utm_medium=trueAnthem
&utm_source=facebook
 
Where's My Warp Drive?
http://discovermagazine.com/2015/july-aug/31-wheres-my-warp-drive
 
Quantum sensing method measures minuscule magnetic fields
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/miot-qsm031519.php
 
Researchers measure near-perfect performance in low-cost semiconductors
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/su-rmn031519.php
 
New 3-D map will help solve long-standing cosmic mysteries
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-d-long-standing-cosmic-mysteries.html
 
Dormant viruses activate during spaceflight
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-dormant-viruses-spaceflight.html
 
A NASA spacecraft may have explored the edges of an early Mars sea in 1997
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-nasa-spacecraft-explored-edges-early.html
 
Cooking up alien atmospheres on Earth
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-cooking-alien-atmospheres-earth.html
 
 
 
 
 
Environment, Climate Change and Alternative Energy
Sources
 
The World's Recycling Is in Chaos. Here's What Has to Happen
https://www.wired.com/story/the-worlds-recycling-is-in-chaos-heres-what-has-to-happen/?
CNDID=41291302&CNDID=41291302&bxid=MjM5NjgxMjIxODk5S0&hasha=3ed15b3d4270f5
2ce4da5de4e5031836&hashb=9085a9ae56cc45a4e9bae24e2eaeaade6e04a43e&mbid=nl_031319_d
aily_list3_p2&source=DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_brand=wired&utm_mailing=WIRED%20NL
%20031319%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl
 
The Side Effects of Solar Geoengineering Could Be Minimal
https://www.wired.com/story/the-side-effects-of-solar-geoengineering/?
CNDID=41291302&CNDID=41291302&bxid=MjM5NjgxMjIxODk5S0&hasha=3ed15b3d4270f5
2ce4da5de4e5031836&hashb=9085a9ae56cc45a4e9bae24e2eaeaade6e04a43e&mbid=nl_031519_d
aily_list3_p5&source=DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_brand=wired&utm_mailing=WIRED%20NL
%20031519%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl
 
It's 2050 And This Is How We Stopped Climate Change
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/03/11/688876374/its-2050-and-this-is-how-we-
stopped-climate-change?sc=tw
 
Newly discovered cold-tolerant plants from Siberia could promote clean bioenergy
https://theconversation.com/newly-discovered-cold-tolerant-plants-from-siberia-could-promote-
clean-bioenergy-110871
 
Underwater mudslides are the biggest threat to offshore drilling, and energy companies aren’t
ready for them
https://theconversation.com/underwater-mudslides-are-the-biggest-threat-to-offshore-drilling-and-
energy-companies-arent-ready-for-them-111904
 
 
 

Biological, Genetics and Medical Sciences

 
Amid Tourism Push, Concern Grows Over Indonesia's Komodo Dragons

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/12/702155579/amid-tourism-
push-concern-grows-over-indonesias-komodo-dragons?sc=tw
 
Team discovers double helix structure in synthetic macromolecule
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-team-helix-synthetic-macromolecule.html

A Trump official said seismic air gun tests don’t hurt whales.
So a congressman blasted him with an air horn.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/
2019/03/08/trump-official-said-seismic-air-gun-tests-dont-
hurt-whales-so-congressman-blasted-him-with-an-air-horn/?
utm_term=.eca8ca4ac57f
 
Mysterious Type Of Killer Whale, Sought After For Years, Found In Southern Ocean
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/07/701101633/new-whale-species
 

Narwhals spend at least half time diving for food, can fast for
several days after meal

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/p-
nsa030619.php

 
Scientists left camera traps to record wild apes -- watch what happens
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/cp-slc030719.php
 
Seeing through a robot's eyes helps those with profound motor impairments
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/giot-sta031519.php
 
New cardiac pump clinically superior, safer for patients
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-03-cardiac-clinically-superior-safer-patients.html
 
Teen Inventor Designs Noninvasive Allergy Screen Using Genetics and Machine Learning
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/teen-inventor-designs-noninvasive-allergy-screen-
using-genetics-and-machine-learning-180971692/
 
 
 
 

Other
 
A Child Explains Why He Built a Nuclear Reactor in His Playroom
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/3kgjvn/jackson-oswalt-explains-why-he-built-a-nuclear-
reactor-in-his-playroom
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Additional Informational
 
Space Photos of the Week: The Moon Needs Sunscreen
https://www.wired.com/story/space-photos-of-the-week-moon-sunscreen/?
CNDID=41291302&CNDID=41291302&bxid=MjM5NjgxMjIxODk5S0&hasha=3ed15b3d4270f5
2ce4da5de4e5031836&hashb=9085a9ae56cc45a4e9bae24e2eaeaade6e04a43e&mbid=nl_031019_d
aily_list3_p2&source=DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_brand=wired&utm_mailing=WIRED%20NL
%20031019%20(1)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl
 
TED Talk, The Disarming Case to act right now on Climate Change
https://www.ted.com/talks/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_case_to_act_right_now_on_climate