Hawaii Science Monitor

Wild Elephants Use 41 Different Gestures to Tell Others to "Move Away" or "Stop That"

From Stratus to Cicada, several variants are on the radar as COVID-19 activity rises, impacting how the virus spreads, its severity, and how it interacts with the immune system.

Elephants use gestures to communicate

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Jonathan the Tortoise Is 194 Years Old, Flu Cases Are Already Spiking, and Night Sky Events to Catch in October

Learn how elephants use their trunks and ears to get a response from others, and why they keep gesturing when ignored.

A Diarrhea-Causing Bacterium Spread Through Sex is Resisting Five Common Antibiotics

Discover the top stories from Oct. 3 to Oct. 9, 2026, including the hidden dangers of marathon running, a hoard of Celtic coins, and Jonathan the Tortoise.

Mars' Odd 1,100 Mile Long Cloud Forms in Mysterious Ways — a New Model May Reveal How

Learn how Shigella spreads between sexual partners and why growing antibiotic resistance is leaving fewer treatment options.

Yesterday

Martian cloud exhibits exotic physics

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Why Big Dogs Die Younger Than Small Dogs May Come Down to Jumping Genes

Learn more about the AMEC, a strange, recurring cloud on Mars that has long baffled scientists, until now.

Large dogs age faster epigenetically

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California May Ban Quartz Countertops Over Risk of Incurable Lung Disease in Workers

Learn how DNA changes in 864 dogs may help explain why larger breeds age faster and tend to have shorter lives.

California plans quartz countertop ban

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Ancient Bronze Ring Engraved with Alexandria’s Famous Lighthouse Found in Sunken Royal Ruins

Learn about California's proposed ban on quartz countertops, a move inspired by concerns over rising cases of an incurable lung disease.

Alexandria lighthouse ring discovered underwater

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Denali's Chunky Puppy Winner Mammoth Lives Up to His Name at 77.1 Pounds

Learn how a first-of-its-kind bronze signet ring was discovered in the submerged remains of a royal quarter once visited by Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

An Odd Hole on the Moon's Surface May Lead to an Underground Cave That Could Shelter Future Astronauts

Learn how Denali’s chunky puppies will train alongside experienced sled dogs for their future as canine rangers.

Oct 7, 2026

NASA investigates lunar cave beneath pit

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Newly Identified 165-Million-Year-Old Otter-Like Mammal Was a Top Predator in Jurassic Waterways

Learn about a NASA payload that will explore a pit on the Moon to find an underground cave that could shelter astronauts during future missions.

Mutated Influenza Strain May Explain the Early Start to Fall 2026 Flu Season

Learn more about this otter-like animal that was likely a top mammal predator during the Jurassic Period.

A Broken Neanderthal Spear Survives as a 40,000-Year-Old Imprint

Learn how flu activity is rising earlier than expected in states like California and Washington and why a mutated influenza strain may help explain the unusual start.

At 194, a 450-Pound Tortoise Is the Oldest Living Land Animal, and its DNA May Help Explain Why

Learn how wood imprints and charred remains preserved evidence of Neanderthal spears, bark trays, and other belongings.

Tortoise genes may explain longevity

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This Newly Identified Species of Extinct Crocodile is Missing the Tip of Its Nose, Just Like the Great Sphinx

Learn how a sample from the tortoise Jonathan’s mouth revealed youthful patterns in his gene regulators that may help explain his nearly two-century lifespan.

Oct 6, 2026

Sphinx rocks yield new crocodile

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Long COVID Fatigue May Be Linked to Reduced Blood Flow in the Brain

Learn more about Herugavialis cairensis, an extinct crocodile species whose fossil came from the same rocks as the Great Sphinx.

Blue Light Killed 64 Strains of Food Poisoning Bacteria and Could One Day Make Chicken Safer

Learn how brain scans during an attention test revealed blood flow differences in patients with lasting fatigue years after mild COVID.

Blue light kills Campylobacter in chicken

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100-Year-Old Women in a Tiny Sardinian Village Could Make it the World’s Next Blue Zone

Learn how violet-blue light killed at least 99% of food-poisoning bacteria in lab tests and could help reduce chicken contamination before it reaches your kitchen.

Bolotana emerges as longevity hotspot

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The First Animals May Have Arrived 200-Million Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

Discover how historical records reveal an unusually high number of centenarians in Bolotana, where women are especially likely to live past 100.

Animal origins may predate fossils

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The Totskoye Nuclear Exercise Exposed Soldiers to Radiation to Prepare for a Potential Third World War

Learn how new research challenges long-held assumptions about animal evolution and suggests that the earliest animals may have emerged during a global "Snowball Earth."

Two Recent Marathon Deaths Highlight Rare but Serious Risks for Endurance Runners

Learn why thousands of soldiers were deliberately exposed to radiation from a nuclear bomb in the Soviet Union, and why other nations did the same.

How to Watch October's Full Moon, Meteor Showers, and Halloween Fireballs Light Up the Night Sky

Learn about how the recent deaths of two marathoners from Wisconsin and the United Kingdom raise questions about how you can protect yourself during any future running events.

Colorado sees October meteor showers

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