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Edition #80 · Friday, July 10, 2026 · 2566 positive stories
Science & Breakthroughs

The real Moana story: Why the Polynesians suddenly sailed east

Phys.org Latest Thu, 09 Ju
The real Moana story: Why the Polynesians suddenly sailed east

Major drought forced people to migrate across the Pacific beyond Samoa and Tonga and toward the Americas, scientists have discovered. With the new live-action "Moana" film hitting cinemas, a team of geographers and climate scientists from the Universities of Southampton and East Anglia has discovered the true history of the tale. The paper is published in the Journal of Pacific Archaeology.

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About Science & Breakthroughs coverage

The science section covers breakthroughs in medicine, physics, biology, and technology. We surface discoveries that expand what humanity can do, from new treatments reaching clinical trials to engineering feats that seemed impossible a decade ago. Every link goes to the original publisher so you can read the full study or press release yourself.

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