Mummies, Moose & Microneedles—Discover’s May/June Issue Shows How the Past Fuels the Future

Year old Egyptian corpse still carry residues of smallpox proteins, turning museums into bio archives. "Life and Death in a Living Laboratory" sends citizen scientists to Isle Royale, where 840 moose and 30 reintroduced wolves sustain the world's longest predator prey study, a 65 year record that now informs geo engineering policy and wildlife rewilding. "Unraveling the Power of Silk" follows Tufts researchers who extract up to 5,000 feet of fibroin from a single cocoon to print corneal implants, antibiotic screws and vaccine microneedles that need no cold chain. Cognitive science takes center stage in "The Writing on the Wall," where controlled trials show laptop note takers recall 30 percent less conceptual detail than pen users—a data point with direct implications for ed tech budgets. Finally, the editorial "Remains to Be Seen" argues that studying endings can spark new beginnings, framing curiosity itself as a renewable resource. Together, these pieces connect archaeology, ecology, biomaterials and neurolinguistics into one theme: preserved knowledge empowers disruptive innovation.