Watch the original episode on YouTube.
Today’s Pulse rundown
Dinosaur in Thailand
Transcript: Get this — scientists recently found the biggest dinosaur ever discovered in South-East Asia! Back in 2016, a villager named Thanom Luangnan spotted bones sticking out of the ground near a pond in Chaiyaphum province, Thailand. Now, researchers from University College London say the bones belong to a massive creature that weighed 27 tonnes and stretched 27 metres long! The team named it Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis. It lived 120 to 100 million years ago, and its long neck helped it reach the tops of trees. The researchers say evolution is driving sauropods to get bigger and bigger, because they are more successful when they are taller. If you could name a brand-new dinosaur, what would you call it?
World Turtle Day
Transcript: What if a simple light could save thousands of ocean animals? May 23 is World Turtle Day, and scientists are celebrating some major wins! While many of the 359 turtle and tortoise species face extinction, researchers in Mexico tested a brilliant new idea. They attached solar lighting to fishing nets. The researchers say green flashing lights might help sea turtles see the nets in dark water and avoid getting caught! This amazing trick reduced turtle bycatch by nearly two-thirds. Plus, the green turtle population has increased by 28% since the 1970s! Next time you see a flashing light, remember it might be helping a turtle swim safely!
Lithium Extraction
Transcript: Imagine pulling invisible energy right out of salty water! Researchers at Columbia Engineering developed a fast new technique to extract lithium, which is the metal used to build electric car batteries. They tested it using synthetic brines mimicking California's Salton Sea. The new system uses a special temperature-sensitive solvent. At room temperature, the solvent absorbs lithium and water from the brine. Once heated, the system releases purified lithium and water while regenerating the solvent! This method extracted lithium at rates 10 times higher than sodium, making it a much cleaner way to power our future. What kind of electric vehicle would you want to drive?
MIT Students Aurora
Transcript: Would you brave freezing temperatures to study the stars? A group of MIT students traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska, to study physics right beneath the glowing aurora borealis! They faced temperatures that dropped to -25 degrees Fahrenheit. The students deployed 360-degree cameras across 100 miles of snow. They wanted to see how charged particles that interact with Earth's magnetic field produce visible, large-scale structures in the night sky! During their trip, they actually witnessed the strongest solar storm in two decades. Student Leonardo Corsaro said their laptops went from full battery to nearly empty in 10 minutes because of the cold! Would you rather study science in the freezing snow or a warm lab?
Google AI Science
Transcript: What if a computer could predict a massive storm before it happens? At the Google I/O event on Tuesday, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis talked about how artificial intelligence is changing science. He shared that a software called WeatherNext provided an advance alert about a hurricane in Jamaica last year! Instead of simply answering questions, AI systems are now helping scientists make real discoveries. In fact, OpenAI recently announced that one of their models disproved an important mathematics conjecture! Google also introduced Gemini for Science, a new package to help researchers. Hassabis says we are standing in the foothills of the singularity. If you had an AI science partner, what would you invent?
Moon Letters
Transcript: Have you ever seen giant letters written on the moon? On May 23 and May 24, a trick of the light will make a colossal X and V appear on the lunar surface! According to Space.com, you can spot the V shape about 10 degrees above the lunar equator. This amazing illusion happens because the shifting angle between the moon and sun causes sunlight to sweep across its surface, altering the shadows cast by craters! The X shape sits 25 degrees below the equator, formed by the broken rims of three different impact sites. Grab some binoculars tonight and see if you can spot the hidden letters!
Summer Electric Bills
Transcript: Why is it getting so expensive to stay cool? The National Energy Assistance Directors Association projects that electricity bills in the U.S. will be 8.5% higher this summer than last year. In Texas, Robin Westphal said her summer air-conditioning bills topped $300 a month! The cost of a kilowatt-hour has risen 39% in the last five years. Mark Wolfe says climate scientists think this could be the hottest summer on record or at least close to it. Because of this, extra-hot weather from El Niño keeps fans and air conditioners working overtime, forcing families to use way more power! What is your favorite way to cool down on a super hot day?
Charli XCX
Transcript: Are you ready for a brand-new rock track? This month, pop star Charli XCX released a new song called Playboy Bunny! It is a special b-side track that follows her other recent releases like Rock Music and SS26. Instead of her usual pop sound, this new song features fuzzy, atmospheric guitars. In the lyrics, she sings, "All my music sounds the same/ Well, that's because I made it." Right now, fans can only find the track on her special Instagram account and on a limited edition 7" vinyl record! If you recorded a secret song, where would you hide it for your friends to find?
Barbra Streisand
Transcript: How do you accept a massive award if you cannot travel? Legendary actress Barbra Streisand received the honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in France! Because a knee injury kept her at home, she sent a special video message for the festival's closing ceremony. Actress Isabelle Huppert brought the statuette on stage to celebrate Streisand's amazing career. Back in 1981, Streisand directed a movie called Yentl, becoming the first woman to win the Golden Globe for best director! In her video, she said film has that magical ability to unite us, opening our hearts and mind. If you won a movie award, who would you thank in your speech?
Dover Travel Delays
Transcript: What happens when thousands of travelers get stuck in the heat? On Saturday, the UK had its hottest day of the year, hitting 30.5C in Kent! At the exact same time, travelers heading to France faced waiting times of more than two hours at the port of Dover. To help clear the massive traffic jams, French police temporarily suspended extra EU border checks. The port of Dover said Police Aux Frontières responded positively by invoking a special rule to relax the checks! This allowed cars to move much faster so families could finally start their holidays. Next time you are stuck in traffic, remember that patience is a superpower!
How Black Holes Eat the Universe
Today’s deeper dive follows a story from this episode.