Science News Roundup: Russia’s space agency to launch Iranian satellite into orbit; ‘Transformation of the body’ – Crypt sheds light on Mayan death ritual and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Russia’s space agency to launch Iranian satellite into orbit

Russia will launch a satellite on behalf of Iran into space on Aug. 9, the Roscosmos space agency said on Wednesday. The spacecraft, a remote sensing satellite called “Khayyam”, will be sent into orbit by a Soyuz rocket, Roscosmos said.

Hotter summers mean Florida’s turtles are mostly born female

Florida’s sea turtles are grappling with a gender imbalance made worse by climate change. Recent heat waves have caused the sand on some beaches to get so hot that nearly every turtle born was female. “The frightening thing is the last four summers in Florida have been the hottest summers on record,” said Bette Zirkelbach, manager of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, a city in the Florida Keys, a string of tropical islands stretching from the southern end of the state.

Omicron better at invading young noses than other variants; smell loss may predict memory issues

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Childrens’ noses defend less well against Omicron

‘Transformation of the body’ – Crypt sheds light on Mayan death ritual

The pyramids of the ancient Mayan city of Tonina rise high above the jungle of southeastern Mexico, but deep under the site’s most important pyramid a once-forgotten crypt is shining new light on the rites and rituals of this civilization. Inside the chamber, discovered in 2020 and likely built between the 7th and 8th centuries, archeologists found 400 vessels containing human ashes mixed with rubber and roots.

(With inputs from agencies.)