Earthquakes, Gravastars, and Century-Long Butterflies: A Surprising Science Roundup
The week’s science digest covers (1) a core-reflected seismic wave from the 2011 Tohoku-Oki quake that triggered a dual-boundary megathrust slip and moved Japan about 6 millimeters, (2) a theoretical gravastar model as an alternative to black holes with a de Sitter interior, (3) detection of plutonium-244 in a ferromanganese crust pointing to a distant kilonova r-process event, and (4) an unexpected 25-fold range in lifespan among Heliconius butterflies linked to pollen feeding, illustrating the uncanny diversity of life and cosmic events.