Weekly Science Report 5-15-26
- Emergency Manager's Weekly Report
- May 17
- 4 min read
Weekly Science Report
May 15, 2026
“Archaeology gives us the power to ask questions of the past and of ourselves, about how we got here, what our values are, and the tools to choose whether and how we bring them forward with us into the future.”
Dr. Marcy Rockman
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:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wklysciencerpt
News Articles
Paleontology, Evolution and Prehistoric Studies
Scientists Have One Big Question After Reconstructing A 3.7 Million-Year-Old Face
Neanderthals may have drilled out a cavity 59,000 years ago
A lost ancient script reveals how writing as we know it really began
Early Humans Returned to This Pyrenees Cave for 2,000 Years and Left Bones, Hearths, and Rare Jewelry
Modern experiments suggest rhino teeth may have been part of Neanderthal toolkits
Cut marks on 1.6 million-year-old bones reveal early humans moved prized meat
Reanalysis of Northern Australian Stone Tools Pushes Back Heat Treatments by 20,000 Years
Homo erectus genetic material sequenced for the first time, and it shows 'deep genetic links' with modern humans
Study Finds Early Humans May Have Relied on Portable Containers as Far Back as 500,000 Years Ago
New Evidence Suggests Humans Rode Horses 6,000 Years Ago, Far Earlier Than Previously Thought
‘Last titan’: Southeast Asia’s biggest dinosaur discovered
History
Remains of US airman missing since second world war laid to rest in Florida
The man who blew up a nuclear power station and disappeared
Switzerland to open secret files on Auschwitz 'Angel of Death' Mengele
The Unexpected World of the Odyssey
The Last Maya Kingdom
History Remembers Mary Boleyn as the Scandalous ‘Other Boleyn Girl.’ New Research Debunks the Myths Surrounding the Tudor Mistress
Born and Raised in Philadelphia, This Loyalist Fled to England During the American Revolution. In His Absence, the Patriots Declared Him a Traitor and Seized His Property
Archaeology
Oldest astronomical observatory in the Americas discovered in Peru
Mysterious green rocks in Pyrenees cave hint that prehistoric people were working copper there for 4,000 years
Have archaeologists found the long-lost Maya city of Sac Balam?
'Speculation' and 'egregious failure': 30 researchers publish scathing critiques of study that questioned date of early human occupation of Monte Verde in Chile
4,000-year-old tablets reveal magic spells, kings feared, and a beer receipt
Divers Discover the Shipwreck of a World War I-Era Coast Guard Cutter, Which Vanished With 131 Sailors on Board in 1918
DNA Solves a 166-Year Mystery From the Doomed Franklin Expedition With Four New Identifications
We found hundreds of huge ancient mass graves hidden in the Sahara desert
Has the mystery of the Tepantitla mural finally been solved?
Satellite Imagery Reveals Monumental Tombs in Sudan's Atbai Desert
Mysterious Ancient Tunnel Discovered Beneath Jerusalem Streets
8-year-old African American boy from Colonial Maryland found buried with white Colonists, and it's unclear if he was enslaved
Egyptology
New discoveries at Dra Abu El-Naga in Luxor revealing new titles that have never shown before
General Science
Nothing to Report
Physics, Earth and Space Sciences
Astronomers believe they’ve detected an atmosphere around a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto
ISS module cracking still unresolved despite stopping air leaks
House Appropriations Subcommittee Clears NASA Bill on Party-Line Vote
Explosion Reported on Site as SpaceX Prepares Starship for Another Launch
Watch NASA’s Curiosity Rover Struggle to Break Loose From a Rock on Mars
Space junk falls to Earth faster when sunspots peak, reshaping satellite collision forecasts
Europe's 1st reusable spacecraft 'Space Rider' clears key hurdles on the road to launch
Nasa brought crashing down to earth as budget threat follows lunar success
The Satellite Trash Surrounding Earth Is One Bad Solar Storm Away From Disaster
China's Tianzhou 10 freighter delivers 7 tons of cargo to Tiangong space station
Surrounded by stardust: Antarctic ice cores confirm Earth is accumulating iron-60 from local interstellar cloud
New spacecraft will watch Earth's shield take the hit as solar storms come roaring in
This startup wants to make drugs in orbit. If it succeeds, it could transform the space economy
'I heard gasps' and 'oh my God': Artemis II astronauts reveal inside story of their mind-bending solar eclipse
Scientists discover hidden “brakes” that stop massive earthquakes
Environment, Climate Change and Alternative Energy Sources
Why this tribe is buying up hundreds of acres of farmland — and flooding it
Scientists May Have Solved Two of Fusion Energy’s Biggest Problems at Once
Biological, Genetics and Medical Sciences
Precision DNA editing targets root cause of severe childhood epilepsy in preclinical study
New review confirms alcohol causes dozens of health harms, some reversible
Wearable polygraph detects hidden stress
New McMaster-made drug candidate shows promise as a brain cancer treatment
Scientists discover ‘holy grail’ of genes that could regrow human limbs, living tissue
Other
Bright lights and hot orbs: UFO files shed light on sightings but leave interpretation to the public
Additional Informational
U.S. Department of Defense, UAP Encounters Website
How do things in space get their names?
International Science Council Newsletter
The Planetary Society's Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly Receive 2026 Harold Masursky Award from the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Sciences
Artemis II Photo Gallery
Responsible Investment in the Space Sector: A Guide to Stewardship for Sustainable Value Creation
Asteroid Foundation Newsletter
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