Discover Magazine's October 2026 Science Roundup: Ancient Coins, Runner Deaths, Celestial Events, Flu Spikes, and Jonathan the Tortoise
Discover Magazine's October 2026 science roundup highlights a 2,000-year-old Celtic coin hoard, notable runner deaths, celestial events, early flu spikes, and DNA research on the 194-year-old Jonathan the Tortoise.
Newsnibs Staff
- 2026-10-11
- Updated 1:25 PM UTC
Archaeologists are reconstructing a 2,000-year-old Celtic coin hoard that was scattered across a field by plowing, piecing together the find as part of a roundup of five science stories a newsletter published for the week of October 3-9.
A runner died during a half marathon in Milwaukee. A runner also died during a half marathon in Cardiff, Wales.
October brings a run of celestial events: Saturn reaches opposition, Jupiter undergoes a lunar occultation, meteor showers are active, a full moon arrives, and Halloween fireballs are expected.
The 2026 fall flu season started early, driven by a mutated influenza strain. Clinics reported case spikes in September rather than the usual October onset.
Jonathan the Tortoise, who weighs 450 pounds and is 194 years old, is the subject of DNA research. The research may reveal how his genetic feedback loops repair aging DNA, offering insights into human aging.
Photo by Neutron on Unsplash
