The Miraculous Powers of Seaweed: Building a Sustainable Future

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Rewritten version: Please note that a previous version of this story was featured in CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. To receive this newsletter directly in your inbox, feel free to sign up for free here.

Rewritten Unfortunately, seaweed is often perceived as a slimy and unpleasant inconvenience that interferes with beach trips and ocean swimming. However, in reality, seaweed, which is officially classified as a type of marine algae, holds immense untapped potential to revolutionize both the planet and our overall well-being.

Farmer Jean-Marie Pedron picks edible seaweed along a beach of Le Croisic in western France in March 2021, for a three-starred chef.

According to "The Seaweed Revolution," a recent book by Vincent Doumeizel, a senior adviser at the United Nations Global Compact on Oceans, seaweed is a fast-growing plant that is rich in nutrients. This versatile plant can be used as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic and textiles. Additionally, seaweed has the potential to store carbon and absorb pollutants, making it an important tool for addressing environmental challenges.

Doumeizel serves as a guest editor for CNN's Call to Earth series, a program that delves into the environmental issues plaguing our planet. In addition to providing optimism for the future, a recent discovery unveiled the significant impact of seaweed on our historical development.

Dig this

Some of the fossilized remains analyzed by archaeologists were found at Isbister Chambered Cairn, a 5,000-year-old tomb on South Ronaldsay, one of the Orkney Islands off Scotland.

Karen Hardy

The accumulation of bacteria and leftover food particles on teeth can serve as a valuable resource for archaeologists. This fossilized dental plaque, capable of lasting for centuries, especially from periods predating modern dentistry, contains a wealth of intriguing details regarding diet and illness.

in the universe are characterized by distinct environmental conditions and unique life forms.

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have made an incredible and unforeseen finding in the atmosphere of WASP-17b, a scorching planet situated 1,300 light-years away from our planet Earth. In their research, an international team of space experts stumbled upon minuscule quartz crystals containing pure silica. This mineral, commonly found on Earth, was quite the surprise as previous observations had only revealed magnesium-based silicates in exoplanet atmospheres.

The revelation could help scientists get a broader sense of WASP-17bs composition and what the environment may be like on this captivating planet outside of our solar system.

Trailblazers

In January 2015, a college student named Luke Farritor used computer tomography and artificial intelligence to decipher a word on a Herculaneum scroll that had been unwrapped. The scroll, covered in volcanic material from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, is currently exhibited at Italy's Naples' National Library.

Salvatore Laporta/AP

A University of Nebraska computer science student has won an unusual scientific contest.

Using artificial intelligence and computer tomography, Luke Farritor successfully deciphered an ancient Greek word written on a scroll that was completely burned during the eruption of Vesuvius almost two millennia ago. This particular document was one of 1,100 carbonized scrolls unearthed from volcanic mud in the 18th century. Known as the Herculaneum scrolls, this collection is believed to be the largest known library from classical antiquity, yet the contents of these documents have remained enigmatic.

Papyrologist Michael McOsker from the University College London, who was not involved in the achievement, described the ability to read a single word as a significant advancement. Farritor received a reward of $40,000, and another researcher, who independently made the same discovery, earned $10,000. The researchers have high hopes that it won't be much longer before they can decrypt complete scrolls with this method.

The discovery made by Nobel Prize winner Svante Pääbo over a decade ago, revealing that Neanderthals influenced our DNA through interbreeding with modern human ancestors in prehistoric times, was truly remarkable.

The reason behind the intriguing genetic legacy of Neanderthal DNA, with its slightly higher prevalence in East Asian populations compared to European ones, remains largely unknown. This perplexing discrepancy becomes even more puzzling when considering that Neanderthal skeletal remains are widely encountered in Europe and the Middle East, but not beyond the Altai Mountains in Central Asia.

Now, with a substantial amount of invaluable data, scientists have finally found an explanation for this perplexing inconsistency. It can be attributed to a change in the way ancient hominins acquired their sustenance.

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Diabetes researcher Hassanain Qambari, assisted by Jayden Dickson, captured the optic nerve head of a rodent in a web of color.

Hassanain Qambari and Jayden Dickson showcased captivating images in the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. The content included vibrant caffeine crystals, the menacing fangs of a tarantula, and the exquisite pink and green wing scales of a Chinese moon moth.

Here are a few captivating images recognized in a global photography competition that depict the extraordinary elegance of microscopic life.

Now in its 49th edition, the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition honors both artistic skill and technical excellence.

The Lions Eye Institute in Australia recently captured an extraordinary image of a rodent's optic nerve head at 20 times magnification. The photograph was taken by Hassanain Qambari with the assistance of Jayden Dickson. Qambari focuses on researching diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that ranks high among the leading causes of global vision loss.

Prepare to be awed by these fascinating stories.

Billions of snow crabs have gone missing from the ocean around Alaska in recent years. Scientists now know what happened.

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Look out for the Orionid meteor shower this weekend, expected to reach its peak on Sunday. Enjoyed what you've read? Well, there's even more. Subscribe here to receive the next edition of Wonder Theory, a newsletter brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt. They explore the wonders of exoplanets and fascinating ancient discoveries.