Science News Roundup: Asteroid's sudden flyby shows blind spot in planetary threat detection; From ashes to fly larvae, new ideas aim to revive farm soil

If bound for Earth, it would have been pulverized in the atmosphere, with only small fragments possibly reaching land. From ashes to fly larvae, new ideas aim to revive farm soil As extreme weather and human activity degrade the world's arable land, scientists and developers are looking at new and largely unproven methods to save soil for agriculture.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Asteroid's sudden flyby shows blind spot in planetary threat detection

The discovery of an asteroid the size of a small shipping truck mere days before it passed Earth on Thursday, albeit one that posed no threat to humans, highlights a blind spot in our ability to predict those that could actually cause damage, astronomers say. NASA for years has prioritized detecting asteroids much bigger and more existentially threatening than 2023 BU, the small space rock that streaked by 2,200 miles from the Earth's surface, closer than some satellites. If bound for Earth, it would have been pulverized in the atmosphere, with only small fragments possibly reaching land.

From ashes to fly larvae, new ideas aim to revive farm soil

As extreme weather and human activity degrade the world's arable land, scientists and developers are looking at new and largely unproven methods to save soil for agriculture. One company is injecting liquid clay into California desert to trap moisture and help fruit to grow, while another in Malaysia boosts soil with droppings from fly larvae. In a Nova Scotia greenhouse, Canadian scientist Vicky Levesque is adding biochar - the burnt residue of plants and wood waste - to soil to help apples grow better.