SPECIAL ASTRONOMY SECTION: Europa Mission, Imaging Exoplanets and More! P.57 DiscoverSCIENCE FOR THE CURIOUS ® MARCH 2017 REVEALING THE PRIN MYSTERIESCESS OF THE MUMMIES P.38 PLUS BONUS The Messy Science of Saving Bees P.30 ONLINE CONTENT Secret Life of Fat P.50 CODE p.5 How One Woman Stopped Thalidomide P.68 Changing the future Combine a passion for scientific exploration with a commitment to student learning, and the results can be astounding. Dean Andrew Lyon’s energy and dedication foster that kind of growth within the sciences at Chapman University. The success of in a word: his faculty and students helped spur creation of the brilliant new $130M Center forscheduled Science and to openTechnology, in 2018. Andrew Lyon, Ph.D. Dean, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University National Fresenius Award of chapman Phi Lambda Upsilon, 2005 in a word: Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, 2003 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, 2002 Beckman Young Investigator, 2000 chapman.edu Aurora, Culture, & Scenic Wonders Tour • October 10-22, 2017 Join us for a one-of-a-kind journey to Norway, including: • 8 nights of dramatic, dark-sky aurora viewing. • 6 nights of cruising among scenic fj ords ringed by snowcapped mountains. • A rail journey through some of Norway’s most magnifi cent landscapes. • 3 days among the fascinating Sami people. DiscoverSCIENCE FOR THE CURIOUS Our Norway adventure is limited, so reserve your MAGAZINE® spot under the magnifi cent aurora borealis today! P29577 DiscoverMagazine.com/trips-tours/norway-2017 DiscoverSCIENCE FOR THE CURIOUS MAGAZINE® PACIFIC NORTHWEST & NATIONAL PARKS OF THE AMERICA’S SAN FRANCISCO AMERICAN WEST MUSIC CITIES August 17-26, 2017 August 16-28, 2017 August 14-22, 2017 • Enjoy 2 minutes and 2 seconds of totality at • View 2 minutes of totality in the stunning sky • Experience 2 minutes and 40 seconds of a specially selected viewing location in central above Jackson Hole, Wyoming. totality near Nashville, Tennessee, the best Oregon. • Visit Lowell Observatory, journey through viewing location in the country. • Discover some of the Pacifi c Northwest’s red rock country around Sedona, marvel • Enjoy 4-star accommodations in New Orleans, most notable cities, including Seattle, Bend, at the cliff s of Zion National Park, enjoy Memphis, and Nashville. Portland, and San Francisco. a storied lodge in Yellowstone, visit the Grand Canyon, pay your respects at Mount • Tap your toes to traditional jazz, go behind • Explore Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, Rushmore, and much more. the scenes at RCA’s recording studios, visit nearby Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River Graceland and the Grand Ole Opry, and Gorge, Crater Lake and Redwood National • Enjoy the best of regional cuisine and much more. It’s a feast for the eyes — Park, and cross the Golden Gate Bridge. accommodations in Salt Lake City and and the ears! Jackson Hole. See all the tours at DiscoverMagazine.com/trips-tours Contents MARCH 2017 VOL. 38, NO. 2 Beekeeper Darren Cox inspects his hives at a Utah field. See page 30. 4 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM Website access code: DSD1703 : Enter this code at: www.DiscoverMagazine.com/code SPECIAL ASTRONOMY SECTION Europa Mission, Imaging Exoplanets and More! P.57 to gain access to exclusive subscriber content. DiscoverSCIENCE FOR THE CURIOUS ® MARCH 2017 FEATURES REVEALING THE 30 Buzzkill MYSTERIES OF THE While beekeepers across America fight for the survival of their winged charges, PRINCESS political agendas threaten vital scientific progress. BY STEVE VOLK MUMMIES P.38 PLUS The Messy Science of Saving Bees P.30 38 The Eternal Princesses Secret Life of Fat P.50 Egypt isn’t the only resting place of mummies. Cultures across the world How One Woman Stopped Thalidomide P.68 preserved their dead, many of them women. Now, these mummified maidens are giving us a better picture of their ancient worlds. BY NATHANIEL SCHARPING ON THE COVER 46 Game Over Special Astronomy Section p.57 The end of the world as we know it could happen in myriad ways, and while Revealing the Mysteries experts can’t know for sure which scenario will pan out, one thing is certain: of the Princess Mummies p.38 When it comes, we won’t feel fine.BY YVETTE CENDES The Messy Science of Saving Bees p.30 Secret Life of Fat p.50 50 The Secret Life of Fat How One Woman Stopped Nearly everyone struggles to fend it off, but evolution and our genetics Thalidomide p.68 can put some of us at a disadvantage in that battle against the bulge. The Beauty of Xiaohe was buried in the western Chinese desert for more than 3,800 years. BY SYLVIA TARA (Jae C. Hong/Associated Press file photo) COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 6 INBOX decides he must risk his life in order with severe birth defects. Americans You give us a taste of what you to save it. BY DOUGLAS G. ADLER nearly faced the same fate. They were thought of our December issue. spared thanks to one woman with 24 NOTES FROM EARTH some serious know-how. 7 EDITOR’S NOTE Return of the Aurochs BY NANCY KRIPLEN Travels Across Time and Place Cattle breeders and geneticists Join us as we dive into the past and collaborate to bring back an extinct 74 20 THINGS YOU DIDN’T learn about the lives of those long bovine for a righteous reason. KNOW ABOUT . gone from this world. BY JONATHON KEATS Metabolism Your diet isn’t the only thing tied 68 HISTORY LESSONS THE CRUX to your metabolism. These processes 9 regulate all kinds of biological A scientist who studies spiders The Heroine of the FDA recounts the moment that In the 1960s, women from nearly systems — even artificial ones, like sparked a surprising discovery, 50 different countries bore children cities. BY GEMMA TARLACH ever-evolving robots might run nonstop manufacturing shops, and more. 57 OUT THERE SPECIAL BONUS SECTION Nowadays, amateur astronomers are making such detailed observations 20 VITAL SIGNS of exoplanets, they’re helping experts flesh out their own studies. And A Gutsy Call in our own solar system, our best bet at finding life might be on one A man suffering from extreme of Jupiter’s moons. KIM RAFF bleeding in his gastrointestinal tract March 2017 DISCOVER 5 Inbox Lights Out? is nearly impossible. I was in my bed They also prove how similar they are I read the Prognosis column “Let with a house enclosing me. Surely early to us in daily life. Perhaps their social There Be Dark” by Dan Hurley in the humans, without the benefit of houses, similarities and acceptance by us have December 2016 issue (about the health would see much more light than I do. been the primary reason we continue effects of artificial light at night) on the Perhaps there is a difference between to find ways to expand their practical night of the most recent supermoon, moonlight, starlight and artificial light. value. Where will this lead? What are just before going to bed. But there is always light, and sometimes the limits of this partnership? We live in the country; we don’t have a lot of it. My dogs, like me, are growing any curtains because the closest house Lois S., Remus, MI old. But they have a better way of is three-quarters of a mile away. So I lay approaching old age than I do. They’re in bed looking out at the bright moon Man’s Best Friend not bothered by having to plan for shining right on my face. Even when “The Origins of Dogs” by Gemma tomorrow — each day is lived to the there is no supermoon, the full moon Tarlach in the December 2016 issue fullest, and each minute is relished. If often wakes me up in the night. And we provides wonderful insight. It makes tomorrow comes, it will be better and have commented on how bright the stars it apparent the history of dogs is more brighter. How wonderful is this gift to make it on a night with a new moon. complicated than we first believed and us, our dogs? So I have to question the conclusion will take time and study to discern. Donald C., Indianapolis researcher David Blask draws in this Of most interest to me, and likely Letters are edited for length and clarity. article that “we evolved to see bright many others, is the future of the blue, full-spectrum light during the evolutionary partnership between CORRECTION In the January/February 2017 issue, a story day and to have complete blackness dogs and humans. Dogs provide us on Greenland sharks stated they were at night.” Except when there is heavy with hundreds of daily examples of among the oldest invertebrates. They are among the oldest vertebrates. cloud cover, complete blackness at night their usefulness and amazing abilities. 6 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM Invest fossil fuel free. ĞĐĂƵƐĞŚĞƌĨƵƚƵƌĞŵĂƩĞƌƐ͘ dŽůĞĂƌŶŵŽƌĞĂďŽƵƚŽƉĞŶŝŶŐĂŶ/ŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůZĞƟƌĞŵĞŶƚĐĐŽƵŶƚ;/ZͿ visit us at www.greencentury.com Environmentally Responsible Mutual Funds /ŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚƐŝŶŵƵƚƵĂůĨƵŶĚƐĐĂƌƌLJƌŝƐŬƐĂŶĚŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐŵĂLJůŽƐĞƉƌŝŶĐŝƉĂůǀĂůƵĞ͘zou should ĐĂƌĞĨƵůůLJĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌƚŚĞ&ƵŶĚƐ͛ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚŽďũĞĐƟǀĞƐ͕ƌŝƐŬƐ͕ĐŚĂƌŐĞƐ͕ĂŶĚĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐďĞĨŽƌĞ ŝŶǀĞƐƟŶŐ͘dŽŽďƚĂŝŶĂWƌŽƐƉĞĐƚƵƐƚŚĂƚĐŽŶƚĂŝŶƐƚŚŝƐĂŶĚŽƚŚĞƌŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞ&ƵŶĚƐ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞǀŝƐŝƚǁǁǁ͘ŐƌĞĞŶĐĞŶƚƵƌLJ͘ĐŽŵ͕ĞŵĂŝůŝŶĨŽΛŐƌĞĞŶĐĞŶƚƵƌLJ͘ĐŽŵ͕ŽƌĐĂůůϭͲϴϬϬͲϵϯϰͲϳϯϯϲ͘ WůĞĂƐĞƌĞĂĚƚŚĞWƌŽƐƉĞĐƚƵƐĐĂƌĞĨƵůůLJďĞĨŽƌĞŝŶǀĞƐƟŶŐ͘ŝƐƚƌŝďƵƚŽƌ͗hDŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ >>ϭϮͬϭϲ DiscoverSCIENCE FOR THE CURIOUS Editor's Note ® BECKY LANG Editor In Chief DAN BISHOP Design Director EDITORIAL KATHI KUBE Managing Editor Travels Across GEMMA TARLACH Senior Editor BILL ANDREWS Senior Associate Editor MARK BARNA Associate Editor ERIC BETZ Associate Editor Time and Place LACY SCHLEY Assistant Editor DAVE LEE Copy Editor ELISA R. NECKAR Copy Editor I grew up roaming the halls AMY KLINKHAMMER Editorial Assistant of history. The exhibits of the Contributing Editors Montana Historical Society were TIM FOLGER, JONATHON KEATS, LINDA MARSA, KENNETH MILLER, so much more interesting than STEVE NADIS, ADAM PIORE, my dad’s office at that hulking COREY S.