The World's Oldest Mummies, the Spread of a Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba, and a Manhattan-Sized Iceberg Breaks Off a Greenland Glacier
Discover the top stories from Aug. 22 to Aug. 28, 2026, including mummies made 2,000 years before the rise of Egypt and a rare brain-eating amoeba that is spreading across the U.S.
María de los Ángeles Orfila is a science journalist based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Her work has appeared in Discover Magazine, Science, National Geographic, Live Science, The Guardian and Uruguayan outlets.
Jack Knudson is an Associate Editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column for print.
Stephanie Edwards is the Engagement Specialist at Discover Magazine, who manages all social media platforms and writes digital articles that focus on archaeology, the environment, and public health.
Sara Novak is a science journalist and contributing writer for Discover Magazine, who covers new scientific research on the climate, mental health, and paleontology.
Jenny Lehmann is an Associate Editor at Discover Magazine who writes articles on microbiology, psychology, neurology, and zoology, and oversees the Piece of Mind column of the print issue.
Cody Cottier is a freelance journalist for Discover Magazine, who frequently covers new scientific studies about animal behavior, human evolution, consciousness, astrophysics, and the environment.
Missed some of our top stories from the week? Check out our round-up below, covering the biggest science news and stories that matter.
This week's stories, from Aug. 22 to Aug. 28, 2026, include a look at the Chinchorro mummies, how thunderquakes could help with seismic imaging, a rare brain-eating amoeba that thrives in warming waters, why some of the biggest Egyptian mysteries still remain unsolved, a Manhattan-sized iceberg that broke off a Greenland glacier, and how lunar GPS will be necessary for a successful moon base.
1. The Chinchorro People of the Atacama Desert Made the World's Oldest Mummies Using a Highly Complex Process
Chinchorro mummified artifacts (Image Courtesy of Bernardo Arriaza)
The Chinchorro culture — a fishing and hunter-gatherer society that inhabited the coast of the Atacama Desert more than 7,000 years ago — left behind no writing and built no monumental cities. Yet, it developed one of the most complex funerary technologies known in the ancient world.
2. Thunderquakes Could Help Scientists See Beneath Earth's Surface
A thunderquake occurs when lightning strikes the ground, generating acoustic shock waves — in other words, thunder — that then spread beneath the surface. A new studyhas found that thunderquakes can serve as a valuable source for seismic imaging, revealing what’s happening underground as the shock waves interact with existing fiber-optic telecommunication cables.
3. Climate Change Could Expand the Reach of a Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba
Illustration of Naegleria fowleri.(Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock)
Eight-year-old Lillian Smart died after developing a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri. They believe she encountered the organism while swimming in the lake. Now, warming temperatures may be changing where those encounters are possible.
4. From Nefertiti to Cleopatra, Ancient Egypt's Biggest Mysteries Have Yet to Be Solved
Ancient Egypt is home to some of the most significant archaeological findings in the world. While the findings of ancient Egypt are many, much of life from the civilization that began around 5,000 years ago remains unknown.
5. Manhattan-Sized Iceberg Breaks Off Greenland Glacier, and Two More Could Follow
As summer progresses, one of the Arctic’s most significant ice-loss events has taken place in northwest Greenland. On Aug. 4, 2026, an approximately 30-square-mile chunk of ice, comparable in size to Manhattan, broke away from the Petermann Glacier.
6. To Build a Moon Base, NASA First Needs Lunar GPS
NASA has big plans for the moon. Within two years, if all goes smoothly, human feet will tread its surface for the first time in more than half a century. This new era of exploration calls not only for spacecraft, landers and rovers, but also for a way to coordinate bustling activity on and around the moon.
María de los Ángeles Orfila is a science journalist based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Her work has appeared in Discover Magazine, Science, National Geographic, Live Science, The Guardian and Uruguayan outlets.View Full Profile
Jack Knudson is an Associate Editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column for print.View Full Profile
Stephanie Edwards is the Engagement Specialist at Discover Magazine, who manages all social media platforms and writes digital articles that focus on archaeology, the environment, and public health.View Full Profile
Sara Novak is a science journalist and contributing writer for Discover Magazine, who covers new scientific research on the climate, mental health, and paleontology.View Full Profile
Jenny Lehmann is an Associate Editor at Discover Magazine who writes articles on microbiology, psychology, neurology, and zoology, and oversees the Piece of Mind column of the print issue.View Full Profile
Cody Cottier is a freelance journalist for Discover Magazine, who frequently covers new scientific studies about animal behavior, human evolution, consciousness, astrophysics, and the environment. View Full Profile
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