Today’s top story
Scientists have argued about hexagonal diamonds (whose carbon atoms arrange themselves in hexagons instead of the cubic lattices seen in natural diamonds) for decades. First theorized in 1962, the diamonds were later discovered in meteorites that arrived on Earth from the mantles of shattered dwarf planets, although the evidence for this is disputed.
Now it appears that three separate research groups have created pure to near-pure hexagonal diamond samples. If their findings are replicated consistently and can be scaled up, they could open up all sorts of new applications.
The trend
Climate change is making the fish smaller, according to an alarming new study published in the journal Science. It warns that the shift could worsen fishery losses by 50%.
As ocean temperatures rise, fish evolve to grow faster and mature earlier, reducing their maximum size. This in turn leads to less catches for the fisheries, putting an important protein source that billions of people rely on on a very thin line.
The researchers behind the study say that this is yet another reason to reduce carbon emissions, and preserve millions of tonnes of food production that would otherwise be lost.
Three to read
- Measles’ resurgence in the United States is a grim sign of things to come (Live Science)
- China makes a watch so accurate that it can redefine the other (ScienceAlert)
- GPS is being weaponized in electronic warfare – and it’s putting ships at risk (Live Science)
Say it, said it
Word of the day: Zugzwang — Starting as a chess term, this German word is used in psychology and game theory to describe a situation where any move you make will worsen your position.
Quote of the day: “We now face a 30-million-ton question: we need to determine whether this is just a small, natural leak of ancient carbon, or the beginning of wide-scale destabilization.”
Fun and games
Today’s game is Chain Word, which is a bit like another popular word game, but with science.
Follow Live Science on social media
Want more science news? Follow our Live Science WhatsApp Channel for the latest discoveries as they happen. It’s the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don’t use WhatsApp we’re also on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Flip board, Instagram, TikTok, Blue sky and LinkedIn.
