Chikungunya Outbreak, Glacial Outbursts and a New Human Ancestor

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.3 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The chikungunya virus is rapidly spreading in China. Could it make its way to the U.S.? Meanwhile in Alaska a glacial lake outburst flooded the nearby Mendenhall River to record levels. And in Ethiopia fossilized teeth reveal a new species of Australopithecus—one that possibly lived alongside one of our closer cousins in theHomo genus—shedding light on human evolution. Recommended reading: How the New Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in China Could Reach the U.S. Why Glacial Lake Outbursts like the One in Alaska May Happen More Often Entirely New Species of Human Ancestor Discovered Join the #SciAmInTheWild photography challenge for a chance to win a one-year Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus an exclusive bundle of gadgets and gear to level up your next adventure. See the rules for entry here. Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Emily Makowski, Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check this show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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