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This Week in Science

from Macon Morehouse, News Director

March 20, 2025: The world of science brought us a lot of joy this week, from playful narwhals to a squirrel-inspired leaping robot to a lander’s-eye-view of an eclipse from the moon. But first.…

TOP STORY

A map of 14 million galaxies and quasars deepens a dark energy mystery

Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory

It was a hint with the power to shake cosmology to its core: Dark energy, the mysterious enigma that makes up about 70 percent of the universe, might not behave the way we thought. That clue came in 2024 with the first year of results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, which is 3-D mapping the universe. The data suggested that dark energy’s density doesn’t stay constant over time. Instead, it may evolve.

But with more data, would that result hold up? DESI has now more than doubled its data, mapping some 14 million galaxies and quasars, the active cores of distant galaxies. And the hint? It’s still there. In fact, it’s statistically stronger, Emily Conover reports.

Why do we care? Understanding dark energy is crucial to nailing down how fast the universe is expanding — and even whether it’s going to keep expanding, or collapse into something terrifyingly called the “Big Crunch.” Luckily, any outcome like that is at least billions of years away.

What’s next? DESI is still collecting data. It’s aiming to map roughly 50 million galaxies and quasars. And other experiments are investigating dark energy too. For instance, the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope is peering way back into cosmic history for more clues.

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TOP HEADLINES

A hopping robot shows off its squirrel-like skills

Salto the jumping robot can take a flying leap and land on a narrow pipe — just like a squirrel soaring from branch to branch.

The mystery of how iguanas crossed the Pacific Ocean may be solved

The iguanas' 8,000-kilometer trip — one-fifth of the Earth’s circumference — is the longest made by a flightless land vertebrate.

These ancient Maya-era puppets may have been used in rituals

The puppets, unearthed in El Salvador, have movable heads, strange facial expressions and may have been dressed for ritual roles.

The Blue Ghost lander just witnessed a lunar eclipse — from the moon

The privately-owned lander turned its cameras toward Earth as our planet cast its shadow over the moon. It’s not the first spacecraft to do so.

Measles is spreading. Here’s what experts say you should know

The uptick in measles cases has left many people wondering about early signs of measles, whether they need an updated vaccine and treatment options.

MORE HEADLINES

FROM SCIENCE NEWS EXPLORES

A robotic hand helps piano players’ fingers move faster

As a child, I remember plucking out plodding scales and other beginning tunes on our family’s old upright piano. My stint as a pianist was short-lived. But what if I’d had some seemingly magical device that could train my fingers to dance through lively melodies? Perhaps future aspiring musicians will.

In Science News Explores, our publication for curious younger readers, Kathryn Hulick describes a robotic hand that can wiggle a person’s fingers in rapid, complex patterns. Professional piano players who tried out the device were able to play tricky bits of music faster than they could before — an improvement not achieved by pianists who practiced on their own or used a slower-moving robo-hand. Shinichi Furuya, the scientist who dreamed up the idea, once was a professional pianist himself but played so much that he developed a movement disorder. He now hopes the technology — currently a prototype — will one day be useful not just for pianists, but for surgeons, gamers and anyone else who relies on quick, precise finger motions.

EXTRA CURIOUS

Narwhals may use their iconic tusks to play

There’s something charming about seeing animals “play.” I put that word in quotes because there's some debate about whether what we interpret as play serves a similar role in other animals. Playlike behavior might be crucial for animals to form social bonds or learn new skills. Whatever the role, there’s no denying that giggling rats, fetching cats and other playful animals are sure to make us smile.

This week, we share what narwhals are up to. Drone video captured some of these unicorns of the sea using their tusks to nudge and flip a fish. The whales weren’t hunting. They didn’t eat the fish. Instead, they appeared to be teasing it. “There’s this tentativeness,” behavioral ecologist and geneticist Greg O’Corry-Crowe told McKenzie Prillaman. “The fish makes a dramatic movement, and even the big animal just recoils and goes whoa!”

CHECK IT OUT

ONE LAST THING ...

At Science News, we believe in the power of pi. And by pi, we mean pie when the calendar rolls to March 14 (or 3.14). This year was no exception. Between executive editor Victoria Jaggard’s blueberry bourbon pie, associate news editor Haley Weiss’ root veggie galette, Science News Explores digital editor Janet Raloff’s chocolate mousse pie (recipe here) and more, we feasted well.

We also take our math stories seriously, from diving into the cake problem to introducing readers to the “einstein” tile and, more recently, its molecular cousin. In fact, we’ve taken on pi with Emily Conover’s story about the superiority of tau. We’re working to expand our math coverage, including adding math puzzles to our monthly print magazine. Keep an eye out for April’s math puzzle, and if you have a great idea for a math story, we’d love to hear! Email ideas to editors@sciencenews.org.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for next week’s science roundup. – Macon Morehouse, News Director

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