Weekly Science Report

July 31, 2020

 
“As Valarie Kaur has put it, that’s not just a moral position, it’s a strategic one: only by
understanding what has shaped someone’s worldview (and acknowledging their experience) can one
ever hope to change it.  Engagement is not endorsement.  It is a source of intelligence.”
Ian Marsh
 

Introduction
 
Steve Detwiler created this publication with the support of Graham Hancock and the late
John Anthony West to share news and information on various disciplines to include but not
limited to paleontology, space sciences, genetics and archaeology.  His goal behind
sharing this publication has always been very simple, by sharing knowledge we can make
our world a better place.  This publication is Mr. Detwiler’s contribution to bring people
together and share ideas and discoveries with his fellow humans.
 
I hope you enjoy this publication and that the content challenges and inspires you!
 
The Weekly Science Report is also on social media at:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weeklysciencerpt/
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/wklysciencerpt
 

News Articles
 
Paleontology, Evolution and Prehistoric Studies
 
Mexico Caves Reveal Ancient Ochre Mining
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/mexico-caves-reveal-ancient-ochre-mining/
 
Ancient peoples in Patagonia who adapted to changing climate offer insights for today
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-ancient-peoples-patagonia-climate-insights.html
 
5,000 years of history of domestic cats in Central Europe
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-years-history-domestic-cats-central.html
 
New Evidence That Grandmothers Were Crucial for Human Evolution
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/new-evidence-that-grandmothers-were-crucial-for-human-
evolution-88972191/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia
 
First Americans may have arrived to the continent 30,000 years ago
https://www.livescience.com/first-north-americans-30000-years-ago.html
 
Neanderthal foot sheds light on prehistoric inhabitants of the Galilee
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/did-neanderthal-and-modern-humans-happily-coexist-in-prehistoric-israel-
635803
 
What could drive humans to extinction?
https://www.livescience.com/amp/human-extinction-causes.html?s=09
 
Neanderthal gene linked to increased pain sensitivity
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02202-x
 
Woolly Mammoth Skeleton With Intact Ligaments Found in Siberian Lake
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mammoth-remains-intact-ligaments-emerge-siberian-lake-
180975431/?fbclid=IwAR0rzj3D9nrIATMZf7GjTU598WPtGRj5gUrRB1hODgkTJgMzskOmCoTHNEM
 
 
 

History
 
Northern California Esselen Tribe regains ancestral land after 250 years
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/28/northern-california-esselen-tribe-regains-land-250-years?
CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco
 
Kanye West criticizes Harriet Tubman at his political rally
https://apnews.com/c4645f9e0c206471414b8c1dd7d5ab49
 
C.T. Vivian, Civil Rights Leader And Champion Of Nonviolent Action, Dies At 95
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/17/892223763/c-t-vivian-civil-rights-leader-and-champion-of-nonviolent-action-
dies-at-95?sc=18&f=1001
 
Turkey Converts Istanbul's Iconic Hagia Sophia Back Into A Mosque
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/10/889691777/turkish-court-ruling-clears-way-for-hagia-sophia-to-be-converted-
to-a-mosque?sc=18&f=1001
 
The Hidden History of Anna Murray Douglass
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/hidden-history-anna-murray-douglass-180968324/
 
Badger-Two Medicine gets protection bill
https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/badger-two-medicine-gets-protection-bill/article_b8f84895-4054-
5fd1-8d76-cbb6be23bc4d.html?
utm_content=bufferec155&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
 
Concentration camp guard convicted in one of the last Nazi trials in history
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/23/europe/nazi-guard-germany-conviction-intl/index.html
 
California may grant repatriation rights to unrecognised Native American tribes
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/california-nagpra-repatriation-native-american-tribes?
utm_content=bufferc9e12&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer&fbclid=IwA
R3Ht8zA8MRcr7a-Ij2IWHfCLCvLAFcbZSlkSCKVbWpClyojhR63flogSRg
 
Legacies of historical human activities in Medieval forest dynamics of the Italian peninsula
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-legacies-historical-human-medieval-forest.html
 
A new DNA study offers insight into the horrific story of the trans-Atlantic slave trade
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/26/us/dna-transatlantic-slave-trade-study-scn-trnd/index.html
 
Passion for purple revives ancient dye in Tunisia
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-passion-purple-revives-ancient-dye.html
 
Jewish doctors in Nazi-occupied Poland stopped an epidemic in its tracks. Here’s how.
https://www.livescience.com/warsaw-ghetto-typhus.html
 
Where Are The Thousands Of Nazi-Looted Musical Instruments?
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/29/812891442/where-are-the-thousands-of-nazi-looted-musical-instruments?
sc=18&f=1001
 
Trump's absence at John Lewis services once again highlights struggle to honor prominent critics
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/27/trumps-absence-at-john-lewis-services-once-again-highlights-
struggle-to-honor-prominent-critics-383097
 
Nicholas Black Elk and the quest for justice
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/07/24/nicholas-black-elk-and-quest-justice
 
‘Act of genocide.’ Eugenics program tried to ‘breed out’ Black people in NC, report says
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article244411987.html
 
'They Were Always There': The Power Of Including Indigenous Perspectives
https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/07/27/lessons-learned-indigenous-history?
utm_content=buffere8c98&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
 
In Selma, A 'Final Crossing' For John Lewis Across The Edmund Pettus Bridge
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/26/895149942/in-selma-a-final-crossing-for-john-lewis-across-the-edmund-
pettus-bridge?sc=18&f=1001
 
Olivia De Havilland, One Of Hollywood's Longest Living Legends, Dies At 104
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/26/223736571/olivia-de-havilland-one-of-hollywoods-longest-living-legends-
dies-at-104?sc=18&f=1001
 
Smallpox and other viruses plagued humans much earlier than suspected
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02083-0
 
In Jerusalem's Old City, The Devout Adjust To Worship In The Coronavirus Era
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/25/894595265/in-jerusalems-old-city-the-devout-adjust-to-worship-in-the-
coronavirus-era?sc=18&f=1001
 

Archaeology
 
Russian bones confirmed to be last tsar Nicholas II and Romanov family
https://www.dw.com/en/russia-forest-bones-confirmed-to-be-last-tsar-of-russia-and-the-romanov-family/a-
54223877
 
Ancient Aztec palace ruins found in Mexico City
https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2020/07/14/ancient-aztec-palace-ruins-found-in-mexico-city.html
 
The most ancient evidence of horsemanship in the bronze age
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-ancient-evidence-horsemanship-bronze-age.amp
 
Penn Museum to Remove Skull Collection of Enslaved People
https://hyperallergic.com/577941/penn-museum-to-remove-skull-collection-of-enslaved-people/?
fbclid=IwAR18m3ymQ3f2B2Zx5O4AwLiejY8CuhOnFIQW95U-R7tzsdy4aV4rlZ-rezo

 
3,000-year-old head may be face of God
https://www.livescience.com/ancient-clay-head-may-depict-god.html
 
The Romans Called it ‘Alexandrian Glass.’ Where Was It Really From?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/science/alexandrian-glass-rome.html#:~:text=Between%20the%20first
%20and%20ninth,up%20to%20nearly%2020%20tons.
Ancient aqueduct identified in western Iran
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/450710/Ancient-aqueduct-identified-in-western-Iran
 
Ruins dating back 5,000 years discovered in China
http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2020-07/29/content_76324108.htm
 
Search for a mass grave from the 1921 Tulsa race massacre ends without finding human remains
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/23/us/tulsa-massacre-excavation-ends-trnd/index.html
 
Villages in the Sky
https://www.archaeology.org/issues/378-2005/features/8594-wyoming-rockies-settlements
 
Returned chunk of Stonehenge solves long-standing monument mystery
https://www.livescience.com/stonehenge-souvenir-solves-monument-mystery.html
 
Aztec Palace and House Built by Hernán Cortés Unearthed in Mexico City
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aztec-palace-unearthed-180975319/?
utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Egyptology
 
Little ancient Egyptian mummies hold surprises inside … and they aren't human
https://www.livescience.com/ancient-egypt-grain-mummy.html
 
Where is Cleopatra's tomb?
https://www.livescience.com/where-is-cleopatra-tomb.html
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

General Science
 
New printing process advances 3D capabilities
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/uoml-npp073120.php
 
 

Physics, Earth and Space Sciences

 
Interstellar space travel will have language complications for astronauts
https://www.space.com/interstellar-space-travel-language-complications.html
 
The United Arab Emirates successfully launches its first spacecraft bound for Mars
https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/19/21330417/uae-hope-spacecraft-emirates-mars-mission-launch-success
 
U.S. Space Force Accuses Russia Of In-Orbit Testing Of Anti-Satellite Weapon
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/23/894905696/u-s-space-force-accuses-russia-of-in-orbit-testing-of-anti-
satellite-weapon?sc=18&f=1001
 
ALMA finds possible sign of neutron star in supernova 1987A
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/nrao-afp073020.php
 
Machine learning finds a surprising early galaxy
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/nion-mlf073020.php
 
NASA sun data helps new model predict big solar flares
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/nsfc-nsd073120.php
 
SpaceX capsule and NASA crew make 1st splashdown in 45 years
https://phys.org/news/2020-08-america-crewed-spaceship-decade-splashdown.html
 
Surprising number of exoplanets could host life
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-exoplanets-host-life.html
 
Testing Chernobyl fungi as a radiation shield for astronauts
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-chernobyl-fungi-shield-astronauts.html
 
 
 
 
 

Environment, Climate Change and Alternative Energy Sources

 
FSU engineering researchers harness wind data to help meet energy needs in Florida
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/fsu-fer073020.php
 
Canadian ice caps disappear, confirming 2017 scientific prediction
https://phys.org/news/2020-07-canadian-ice-caps-scientific.html
 
Team finds special engines and fuels could cut air emissions and water use
https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-team-special-fuels-air-emissions.html
 
 
 

Biological, Genetics and Medical Sciences

 
Copper’s Virus-Killing Powers Were Known Even to the Ancients
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/copper-virus-kill-180974655/?
utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR0fSuGbkY4vgWfrti_lhJgnIyBl8PZt7ngw
_uwf_vL9QsWuNIei1Zhx1S0
 
Whales Get A Break As Pandemic Creates Quieter Oceans
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/20/891854646/whales-get-a-break-as-pandemic-creates-quieter-oceans?
utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews&utm_campaign=npr
 
We discovered a new species, but war means it may now remain hidden forever
https://theconversation.com/we-discovered-a-new-species-but-war-means-it-may-now-remain-hidden-
forever-128746
 
A Boy With Muscular Dystrophy Was Headed For A Wheelchair. Then Gene Therapy Arrived
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/27/893289171/a-boy-with-muscular-dystrophy-was-
headed-for-a-wheelchair-then-gene-therapy-arri?sc=18&f=1001

Other
 
Post-pandemic brave new world of agriculture
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/uoq-pbn072920.php
 
Navajo Nation Sees Farming Renaissance During Coronavirus Pandemic
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/28/895735482/navajo-nation-sees-farming-renaissance-during-coronavirus-
pandemic?sc=18&f=895735482
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Additional Informational
 
Politifacts, Don’t fall for this video: Hydroxychloroquine is not a COVID-19 cure
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/jul/28/stella-immanuel/dont-fall-video-hydroxychloroquine-not-
covid-19-cu/?fbclid=IwAR0FNdg5gNBLCYmidIbugC5eOodj0FNICOzCbALaeDbvAICQdvZPFPN33qI
 
TRANSCRIPT: 'What A Gift John Lewis Was': Obama Eulogizes His Friend And Hero
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/30/897409894/transcript-what-a-gift-john-lewis-was-obama-eulogizes-his-friend-
and-hero?sc=18&f=1001
 
John Lewis’ Last Words
https://www.ajc.com/john-lewis/john-lewis-last-words/GGQ6MKJTIBHGHJ7RQXZVLQFHUA/?
fbclid=IwAR104myZV3Kc2UDGLbBhHDdFEd8aYlfoiC4OJ6RQ_vDG4fqbiipCUp11OW0
 
How One Woman Changed Human Rights History
https://medium.com/@unfoundation/how-one-woman-changed-human-rights-history-84fd8f67d54b