It’s an unfortunate truth that there’s never enough time to cover all the compelling scientific discoveries each month. This “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” aims to rectify that, highlighting fascinating research from October, including microstructural differences in pasta, Martian gully formation, and the calculation of the highest possible score in Boggle.
Table of contents
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Main Points
This month’s “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” delves into several fascinating areas of scientific inquiry, starting with the surprisingly complex world of competitive Boggle.
Computational Triumph: The Highest-Scoring Boggle Board
Software engineer Dan Vanderkam has achieved a computational proof for the highest possible scoring Boggle board, totaling 3,625 points. This “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” highlights Vanderkam’s work, which involved grouping similar board configurations and using “branch and bound” techniques to discard low-scoring options. The highest-scoring board contains over 1,000 words, with “replastering” being the longest. Vanderkam documented his process and code on his blog, acknowledging that while others attempted to solve this, his solution is the first computationally proven one.
While a 1982 attempt found a board yielding 2,195 points, proving Vanderkam’s board was the absolute highest was challenging. His method involved classifying boards and setting upper bounds, thereby streamlining the search process. This “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” emphasizes the ingenuity behind solving seemingly trivial problems using advanced computational methods.
Unearthing the Origins of Egypt’s Karnak Temple
The Karnak Temple complex in Egypt has captivated archaeologists and tourists for years, but its exact age has been debated. A comprehensive geological survey, featured in this “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed,” provides new insights into the temple’s origins and evolution. Researchers analyzed sediment cores and ceramic fragments to map the surrounding landscape’s changes over time. They concluded that the earliest permanent settlement at Karnak emerged between 2591 and 2152 BCE, coinciding with the oldest dated ceramic fragments.
The study suggests that early flooding from the Nile created an island of higher ground, which served as the foundation for the temple’s construction. As river channels diverged, the available area expanded, allowing the complex to grow. Ben Pennington, a geoarchaeologist, suggests this location aligns with Egyptian creation myths, where high ground emerges from surrounding water. This “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” showcases how geological studies can illuminate historical and mythological contexts.
Martian Gullies: CO2 Ice or Ancient Water Flows?
The sinuous gullies on Martian dunes are a puzzling feature. Scientists have proposed two hypotheses for their formation: debris flow from a time when liquid water existed on Mars, or seasonal deposition and sublimation of CO2 ice. This “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” examines recent research providing strong evidence for the latter hypothesis. A paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters supports the idea that gullies form due to the sublimation of CO2 ice on the surface in the present day.
This “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” underscores the ongoing efforts to understand the Martian landscape and its history. While the possibility of past liquid water remains intriguing, current evidence suggests that CO2 ice plays a significant role in shaping the planet’s surface today. The research builds upon earlier studies on how CO2 sublimation can drive debris flows on Mars, offering a compelling explanation for the gully formations.
This “Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed” has explored a diverse range of scientific inquiries, from the complexities of Boggle to the mysteries of ancient Egypt and the geological processes shaping Mars. These stories, while diverse, highlight the ongoing quest to understand our world and the universe beyond.
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