Muography, Virus-Infected Caterpillar Behavior, and Plastic Beads Mimicking Spinning Asteroids

This time, we've got a smattering of articles from all over the STEM world for you to peruse!

Muons spill secrets about Earth's hidden structures

What if I told you that, by harnessing the power of subatomic particles, we could see through walls and discover hidden secrets buried deep in the Earth? While it's not quite x-ray vision, muography (the use of subatomic particles called muons) is a field of particle physics that can help us discover hidden chambers in everything from the Great Pyramid of Giza to volcanoes that might be at risk of exploding. This article offers a great introduction to the surprising usefulness of muons for those interested in learning more!

How a virus turns caterpillars into zombies doomed to climb to their deaths

If you're a horror movie buff, this macabre caterpillar-killing virus will be right up your alley. Scientists have recently pinned down precisely how this virus--one of a collection of viruses that affect insects in similar ways--leads caterpillars to move unnaturally upwards by affecting their genetic code.

Caterpillars of the cotton bollworm moth (Helicoverpa armigera) shimmy skyward when infected with a gene-manipulating virus that ups the insects’ attraction to sunlight. DAVID MC CLENAGHAN/CSIRO

Levitating plastic beads mimic the physics of spinning asteroids

For something a bit more light-hearted, scientists have recently been able to simulate the physics behind the movements of "rubble pile" asteroids by levitating plastic beads with sound waves. This brief article includes both a discussion on the science behind the interesting interstellar phenomena in question and a video showcasing the simulation in action.