
November 2020
Death on the shore
Researchers investigate recent gray whale strandings along North America’s Pacific coast
Features
Scientist to Watch

Chelsea Wood Tracks Parasites Around the World
The University of Washington parasite ecologist aims to understand how humans have changed the diversity and abundance of the enigmatic and misunderstood organisms.
Infographics

Infographic: How Vaccines Train Innate Immunity
A recent study elucidates some of the changes that occur in the body after inoculation with a tuberculosis vaccine.

Infographic: Investigating Whale Strandings Along the North American Coast
Knock-on effects of melting sea ice in the Arctic may be to blame for a spate of gray whale deaths along their migration route from Mexico to Alaska.

Infographic: Herbivore Dung Nutrients Vary Across the Savanna
In South Africa, the composition of droppings varies by species’ body sizes, and which animals are found where depends on vegetation density.

Infographic: How Large Carnivores Sculpt Ecosystems
The release of gray wolves in Yellowstone decades ago still stands as one of the few examples of a predator reintroduction, and the lessons learned continue to be debated. New projects aim to do it again.
Reading Frames

Reconsidering Life’s Origin
Is the model of early life as a freak occurrence in a disordered, primordial soup of chemicals wrong?
Foundations

Octopod Sailors, 300 BC–present
Lore has always surrounded argonauts, pelagic octopuses that build shells and travel the seas.
The Literature

How a Centipede Survives its Own Species’ Venom
The same toxin targets different receptors in prey and conspecifics to deliver either a lethal or non-lethal blow.

Tropical Birds Differ in Their Responses to Drought
Long-lived species decrease their reproduction more than short-lived species in response to lower-than-normal precipitation, and thereby gain a survival advantage, a study finds.

Herbivore Body Size Influences Grazing Behavior, Poop Quality
Researchers disentangle complex connections among vegetation, herbivores, and dung in the South African savanna.
Notebook

Microbes Find Their Niche in Underwater Shipwrecks
Early investigations of the microbial communities in and around sunken boats reveal that there are patterns to where bacteria settle.

Slingshot Spiders Pull More Gs than Cheetahs Do
Using their silk threads as a catapult, members of a family of orb-weaving arachnids rocket themselves and their webs through the air to capture prey.
Critic at Large

Opinion: Using Pokémon to Detect Scientific Misinformation
Predatory journals are especially dangerous during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Careers

Scientists, Publishers Debate Paychecks for Peer Reviewers
While some academics have called for compensation for assessing other scientists’ work, publishers haven’t warmed to the idea.
Editorial

Looming Change
While the world is still coming to grips with the new reality wrought by COVID-19, the risk of catastrophe from a warming planet persists.
Contributors

Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the November 2020 issue of The Scientist.
Speaking of Science

Ten Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.