A Giant Peat Bog, A Horned Oryx, and A Deep Brain Stimulation Accident: NOVA Next Week in Review

ByAllison EckFriday, May 30, 2014 NOVA NextNOVA Next

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This Week’s NOVA Next Feature Article

What we do with the extinct-in-the-wild scimitar-horned oryx could define conservation in the 21st century. NOVA Next contributor Jori Lewis

reports on how, in the words of Markus Gusset of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, “the wild of the past simply does not exist anymore.”

In other news from NOVA and around the web:

A peat bog—the source of the stuff that gives scotch its flavor—is probably the last thing you’d expect to find in Congo.
Deep brain stimulation turned a Dutch man into one of the world’s biggest Johnny Cash fans . Until the batteries in his device ran out.
Two months ago, astronomers discovered the first direct evidence of cosmic inflation. Now, online rumors are calling these findings into question .
Could a pathogen travel all the way across the Pacific Ocean, carried only by the wind? A new study says yes.
Maria Klawe uses math to uncover the structure of the universe . She’s also the president of Harvey Mudd College, which made history this week when it awarded more engineering degrees to women than men.
“Suspended animation” human trials will begin for wounded patients.
DARPA is investing in a $70 million program to combat mental disorders using brain implants .
Augmented reality could help us build empathy. Here’s how .

Did you miss "D-Day’s Sunken Secrets" this week? Watch it streaming online.

The comb jelly may have evolved completely differently from… everything else.
“Cosmic Journey” chronicles 54 years of space exploration , in high-res.
A new approach to treating PTSD starts with the body , not the mind.
Images of World War I battle locations , a century later.
Google has announced that it will start building its own self-driving cars . Watch “Making Stuff Safer” streaming online to see how smart cars like these can reduce the risk of accidents.
“How Many Rabbits Does Revlon Blind for Beauty’s Sake?” bemoaned a full-page ad in a 1980 edition of The New York Times. The question is still relevant today. Can we eliminate animal models ?
Help NASA choose the most beautiful image of the moon for its new collection of images .
Thinking in a foreign language could affect your morality .