In the News: Forgotten Samples Yield Surprising Secrets

Fig.1. The Nagasaki bomb blast in 1945 came from about 6.2 kilograms of enriched plutonium. A sliver of this same element remains from the Manhattan Project and now sits in a secure vault in Berkeley, CA (Credit: Library of Congress).

The reappearance of a plutonium sliver from the Manhattan Projects creates questions about how this sample could be part of an exhibit. As scientists in California determine where to put the tiny fragment of plutonium, researchers just to the north are salvaging what they can from tsunami debris. These stories and more for this week's #followfriday.

• These extraordinary new species show how scientific collections often hold surprising secrets: “The New Species Hiding in Museums,” BBC Earth (30 Dec 2014)

• This initiative hopes to examine the genetic treasure trove hidden away in seen bank vaults. These vaults include about 7 million seed deposits in more than 1700 repositories around the world: “‘DivSeek’ Aims to Mine the Genetic Treasure in Seed Bank Vaults,” Science (9 Jan 2015)

• A new analysis of an old fossil challenges previously held thoughts on the evolution of fish: “Reassessing One Really Old Fish,” The Scientist (13 Jan 2015)

• Maize is certainly in the spotlight this week! Read more about recent studies on maize genetics and how new technologies will shape our understanding of plant and animal domestication: “All Maize, All the Time,” Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog (15 Jan 2015) 

• A sample of the original plutonium from the Manhattan Project is looking for a home to call its own: “Manhattan Project Plutonium, Lost to Obscurity, Recovered by Scientists,” Scientific American (15 Jan 2015)

• How do we sample after natural disasters? Tsunami wreckage offers a wealth of biological information and specimens not normally found so close to the shore: “After Long, Cold Trip Across Pacific on Tsunami Debris, Sea Creatures Find Little Warmth,” Wall Street Journal (12 Jan 2015)