Scientific American 201905

May 2019, ScientificAmerican.com 23

ADVANCES

For more details, visit

http://www.ScientificAmerican.com/

may2019/advances

IN THE NEWS

Quick

Hits

By Jim Daley

INDONESIA

Hundreds of scientists protested

plans by the Indonesian Insti­

tute of Sciences to relocate more

than 1,400 administrative and

support jobs from research

centers around the country to

central hubs or the institute’s

Jakarta headquarters. Senior

researchers say they were not

consulted about the decision.

SOUTH KOREA

Paleontologists found 110­million­year­old

fossilized spiders in South Korea’s Jinju Form­

ation. The well­preserved arachnids had

remnants of a reflective layer called a tapetum

behind their retinas, which would have given

their eyes an eerie, catlike glow.

ANTARCTICA

A nasa­led study discovered a cavity two­thirds the size of

Manhattan underneath one of Antarctica’s largest and fastest­

moving glaciers. The 1,000­foot­high, six­mile­long hole in

the Thwaites Glacier used to contain some 14 billion tons of ice,

most of which has melted away in the past three years.

TANZANIA

A butterfly farming project in the country’s East

Usambara Mountains is providing an alternative to

timber­harvesting jobs that threaten forest biodiversity.

The project’s 250 farmers—more than half of whom are

women—raise caterpillars and sell pupae to zoos and

butterfly parks in Europe and the U.S.

AUSTRALIA

A court in the state of New South Wales rejected

an application to build a coal mine because of

its potential to exacerbate climate change. This

is the first time Australia has blocked building

a coal mine over global warming concerns.

U.S.

The U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission

shut down a research

reactor in Denver after

inspectors found it to be

in violation of staffing

and training regulations.

The commission recom­

mended imposing a

$7,250 fine on the U.S.

Geological Survey, which

operates the reactor.

© 2019 Scientific American

ADVANCES

For more details, visit

http://www.ScientificAmerican.com/

may2019/advances

IN THE NEWS

Quick

Hits

By Jim Daley

INDONESIA

Hundreds of scientists protested

plans by the Indonesian Insti-

tute of Sciences to relocate more

than 1,400 administrative and

support jobs from research

centers around the country to

central hubs or the institute’s

Jakarta headquarters. Senior

researchers say they were not

consulted about the decision.

SOUTH KOREA

Paleontologists found 110-million-year-old

fossilized spiders in South Korea’s Jinju Form-

ation. The well-preserved arachnids had

remnants of a refl ective layer called a tapetum

behind their retinas, which would have given

their eyes an eerie, catlike glow.

ANTARCTICA

A NASA-led study discovered a cavity two-thirds the size of

Manhattan underneath one of Antarctica’s largest and fastest-

moving glaciers. The 1,000-foot-high, six-mile-long hole in

the Thwaites Glacier used to contain some 14 billion tons of ice,

most of which has melted away in the past three years.

TANZANIA

A butterfl y farming project in the country’s East

Usambara Mountains is providing an alternative to

timber-harvesting jobs that threaten forest biodiversity.

The project’s 250 farmers—more than half of whom are

women—raise caterpillars and sell pupae to zoos and

butterfl y parks in Europe and the U.S.

AUSTRALIA

A court in the state of New South Wales rejected

an application to build a coal mine because of

its potential to exacerbate climate change. This

is the fi rst time Australia has blocked building

a coal mine over global warming concerns.

U.S.

The U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission

shut down a research

reactor in Denver after

inspectors found it to be

in violation of staffi ng

and training regulations.

The commission recom-

mended imposing a

$7,250 fi ne on the U.S.

Geological Survey, which

operates the reactor.

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Fluids & Tools!

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