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The famous ancient, giant statues on Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island, have long been cited as evidence that the tiny, remote Pacific island once held a large population. After all, common sense suggests it would take many people to make and move those multiton stone heads. And, tragically, that population was too big for the island to sustain.
Research in recent years, however, has chipped away at that notion. The latest blow comes from an AI analysis of satellite imagery of piles of rocks. The study, led by Binghamton University archaeologist Carl Lipo, illuminates the issue of how much food the islanders ever grew at any time, and thus how many people likely lived there.
Also in this week’s science news:
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Covering the ground with rocks is actually a good way to grow some crops in poor soil.
Carl Lipo
Carl Lipo, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Satellite data shows the amount of food the residents of the tiny Pacific island have grown over time, pointing to a small but stable population.
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Carvings made over decades by Basque herders are endangered as their canvas, the aspens, are at risk.
Sawtooth Mountains, 2011, Idaho Basque Arborglyphs Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Albertsons Library, Boise State University
John Bieter, Boise State University; Cheryl Oestreicher, Boise State University; Iñaki Arrieta Baro, University of Nevada, Reno
Herders carved names, slogans, nude silhouettes and more into the trees around them during lonely seasons in the mountains. Now, researchers rush to find and record the arborglyphs before they disappear.
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Baseball fans clear the stands as lightning strikes near the Colorado Rockies’ stadium in 2019.
Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Chris Vagasky, University of Wisconsin-Madison
What really happens when lightning strikes cars, what to do if you’re out in the open or on a beach, and other tips for National Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
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Ahmad Kirmani, Rochester Institute of Technology
Spacecraft exteriors that automatically heal from radiation damage would change the game − one material shows promise.
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Wesley Marshall, University of Colorado Denver
A traffic engineer argues that, contrary to his profession’s view, ‘human error’ is not the main cause of deaths in car crashes in the US.
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Susan Yeargin, University of South Carolina
The heat comes from everywhere when you’re active outside on hot days – the Sun’s rays, the air around you, the ground and even your own body.
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Girija Kaimal, Drexel University
From drawing to gardening and woodworking, self-expression can lower stress, improve mood and increase self-confidence.
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Juan Silva, Mississippi State University; Joel Komakech, Mississippi State University; Mandy Conrad, Mississippi State University
Raw milk has always carried the risk of serious illness, and this risk has only risen with bird flu spreading across dairy farms in the US.
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Annalisa Bracco, Georgia Institute of Technology
Coral reefs share genetic material across wide areas, with help from ocean currents. This ability is especially important during episodes like the mass bleaching currently occurring.
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William Gallus, Iowa State University
Spring 2024 was menacing for large parts of the US, with a tornado nearly every day in May. Tornado outbreaks tore up communities across multiple states.
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Sarah Leighton, University of Arizona; Kerri Rodriguez, University of Arizona
These dogs are trained to try to interrupt panic attacks and provide deep calming pressure to the people they’re matched with.
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Emily Hemendinger, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
A growing body of research points to links between social media use and mental health harms, but establishing clear cause and effect is difficult.
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